Senor Fuego
Sparks NV
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Joined: 07/31/2004
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My 5vers wheel bearings have the external zerk for lubing. Before a big trip I give each wheel 6 or 7 good squirts with a lube gun. That's usually twice a year. As I was lubing them today it occured to me that I might be over doing it. If I didn't have the external lube I'd be lucky to get to them every couple of years. Is there a guideline out there for lubing these wheel bearings? What are the rest of you doing?
Thanks, S Fuego
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Vulcaneer
Northern New England
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Joined: 10/17/2007
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No grease in the zerks...ever. Hand pack and inspect the bearings and seals once per year. Never had grease on the brakes with this strategy.
2006 F350 V10 4X4 SC SB SRW 4.30 22,500 GCWR
Keystone Sprinter 33'9" 12,500 GVWR
Pullrite Super Glide 18K
Super Duty, Super Cab, SuperGlide
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Chuck&Gail
In the Colorado Mountains
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Joined: 06/16/2004
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If they are Bearing Buddies, you add grease once the metal ends retract even with the hub.
If they are Dexter Ez-Lube, which are MUCH MUCH different, I gave a few slow pumps with a HAND grease gun before each MAJOR trip (at least once a year). Most folks say to spin wheel while greasing, but I never did. I did pull one wheel and hand grease every other year, so I could check brakes on that single axle TT.
Never got grease on brakes with either system.
Chuck
Wonderful Wife
Lovely German Shepherd.
1999 Mercedes ML320 TV
2003 Wanderer 187TB Toybox (3620# UVW, 4800# loaded)
Not yet camped in Hawaii, 2 Canada Provinces, & 2 Territories.
I can't be lost because I don't care where this lovely road is going
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2001tundra
Surry , NH
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Joined: 10/14/2007
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I did my Dexter axles this spring with a grease gun and rotated the tires when greasing . was fast and easy and brakes still lock up on dirt roads going into campgrounds . So they are working okay
2001 Tundra TV , 18 ft Cikira Classic Cruiser
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Sundowner1
Chesapeake, VA
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Joined: 11/21/2006
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Two pumps, rotate tire 1/4 turn, two more pumps, another 1/4 turn, continue until tire has rotated 1 full turn. Do this prior to any trip of 1000 miles or more. Been doing it this way for 8 years, no grease on brakes yet. (as per AlCo axles.)
Sundowner
04 Chevy2500HD, Duramax, ext cab, short bed, 4X4
08 fleetwood Quantum 325RKTS
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cwit
new york
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Joined: 07/20/2008
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I can't believe people will still use this system. To me this is worst than overloading your camper, Overloaded you can still stop. Grease on shoes is an accident waiting to happen.Grease does not evaporate so if you keep pumping where is it going?
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KSadler1
Albuquerque, NM
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Joined: 05/30/2007
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I have no knowledge of the Bearing Buddy system but I just did the bearings on 2 trailers with the E-Z Lube system.
This is what I would suggest. Before taking anyones advice on "how to use either of these systems", take one wheel off your trailer and thoroughly examine the system on the trailer YOU own. Take the hub off and clean the spindle. Attach a grease gun to the zerk and pump a few times. Watch to see how the grease is distributed. If you feel comfortable with YOUR system, then by all means use it.
This is why I DO NOT like the E-Z Lube system. On both the 5ers I just did, the grease goes straight to the rear bearing. In order to reach the front bearing you would have to pump A LOT of grease through the zerk and fill the hollow void in the hub until it reaches the front bearing. Your hub would be filled to capacity all the time and to me that is just an accident waiting to happen.
If you want to do the bearings right, take the hubs off every 2-4 years, clean and inspect the bearings, re-pack the bearings, replace the seals and put back together. This also gives you an opportunity to inspect your brakes.....
Ken
2008 Ford F250 XLT Super Duty SB Crew Cab 6.8L V-10 4x4 4:10
2005 Keystone Copper Canyon Sprinter
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Bipeflier
Centralia, MO
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Joined: 05/06/2006
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I lube mine every time I do the front wheel bearings on the truck.
Oh, wait, folks never lube the front wheel bearings on their truck! Same miles, more load (turning). What is the difference?
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Sundowner1
Chesapeake, VA
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Joined: 11/21/2006
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cwit: If you do it right, you never get any grease on the brake shoes. The grease will come out the outside end of the hub and you wipe off the excess.
Sundowner
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jliveit
ohio
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Joined: 02/21/2008
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Good Sam RV Club
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Hey let the old farts that like to play in grease play, they just have know idea how the new systems work. They are not the old bearing buddy type any more people. I doubt the axle mfg. would tell you to do it that way if it were not true.
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