The key for me is that Dexter recommends inspecting every year or 12000 miles. You can't inspect the bearings without taking them out and cleaning them.
Using the EZ-Lube feature doesn't avoid that.
If you clean, inspect and repack them every year, and don't drive underwater, you're set.
Howaboutnow wrote: I have been putting 1 to 2 greese gun pumps into the EZ Lube bearing once a year for 6 years. Last year I became concerned about how well that was working. Had the hubs pulled and the bearings hand packed. The shop told me everything was fine and the bearings were not worn. Have about 25,000 miles on the 5th wheel. It seems to work for my situation.
Me to,been putting 3 or 4 pumps a year in for 5 years.Just decided to do an inspection and they were fine.If you follow the instructions you will not overfill because the grease comes out the center of the grease cap.Then you just put the rubber plug back in,the grease cap remains full of grease.
Retired Navy
2007 Dodge Ram 2500 quad cab 6.7 cummins,6 speed auto,exhaust brake.
2007 Open Road 378SA4S-5,equa-flex and morryde X factor,wet bolt kit,michelin ltx M/S 2 tires
up2nogood wrote: ............
Yes, the key to these ez-lube wheels is doing it right, but when we get replies like 50 pumps or three tubes of grease, it is pretty obvious things are not being done right. There is only one fool proof way to insure the bearings have grease is to remove, and pack them by hand, and inspect them.
When you look at a cross section view of the EZ Lube hub, you will see there is quite a large void inside the hub to fill with grease. And yes it does take quite a large amount of grease pumped in to fill that void and push the old grease out.
It did take nearly 3 tubes of grease for my 4 wheels. And the brakes on all wheels still work fine after a year and a half. I test them each time before I get ready to go out by manually actuating the brake controller. The trailer brakes bring the truck and trailer to an abrupt stop. A year after greasing the hubs, I even raised each wheel individually and tested each brake by pulling the breakaway switch. Each wheel locked up with a quarter turn.
So do not tell me I did not do it correctly. You obviously have no clue as whether I did it right or not.
And for those who only do a pump or two, look at the cross section view. You will see that a pump or two will not get grease to the outer bearing. If you are not comfortable with pumping a lot of grease in, then you should take it apart and hand pack.
I agree with you 100%. You have developed the same skill in using this system as I.
Well if your are going to use the EZ Lube system, you should make sure the whole hub is full of grease as mentioned. For four wheels that could take a few tubes of grease. But once the hubs are full of grease, all you need is a pump or two every year or so to keep the bearings topped up.
'12 F350 SB, CC, SRW, 6.7 PSD, 3.55 RAR, 6 spd auto, Ultimate Lariat pkg
2011 Open Range 393RLS 14,250 GVWR
Pullrite Super Glide 18K
When I first bought my trailer the first thing I did was to take the drums off and check the grease to make sure they were properly packed. Now every month I give them two shots of grease, and every two years I disassemble and check them. I've been using the Bearing Buddies on my boat like this except about every five years or so I'll take them apart instead of every two years, then I put new seals in and run them another 5yr. or so. Been doing this since 1973 and have never lost a bearing.
Tom, Kathy, Nikki, & Kelly
Pets: Lady - Texas Heeler, Dinger - Rhodesian Riidgeback Mix
2008 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 4x4 5.4 ci 3.73 gears
2008 Dodge Ram SLT Big Horn 4x4 5.7L Hemi 3.92 gears
2007 Jayco Jayfeather EXP 254
Husky W/D, P-3
up2nogood wrote: ............
Yes, the key to these ez-lube wheels is doing it right, but when we get replies like 50 pumps or three tubes of grease, it is pretty obvious things are not being done right. There is only one fool proof way to insure the bearings have grease is to remove, and pack them by hand, and inspect them.
When you look at a cross section view of the EZ Lube hub, you will see there is quite a large void inside the hub to fill with grease. And yes it does take quite a large amount of grease pumped in to fill that void and push the old grease out.
It did take nearly 3 tubes of grease for my 4 wheels. And the brakes on all wheels still work fine after a year and a half. I test them each time before I get ready to go out by manually actuating the brake controller. The trailer brakes bring the truck and trailer to an abrupt stop. A year after greasing the hubs, I even raised each wheel individually and tested each brake by pulling the breakaway switch. Each wheel locked up with a quarter turn.
So do not tell me I did not do it correctly. You obviously have no clue as whether I did it right or not.
And for those who only do a pump or two, look at the cross section view. You will see that a pump or two will not get grease to the outer bearing. If you are not comfortable with pumping a lot of grease in, then you should take it apart and hand pack.
I agree with you 100%. You have developed the same skill in using this system as I.
Great guys, good luck with that skill you have developed, true I do not know if you did it right or not, but I do know one think if you pack them by hand there is no doubt they are done right, that was my point. Some have had success ,and some have not with this ez-lube device, seems hit ,and miss. Probably has to do with the inner seal holding all that grease in , some do, some don't. The big question is when they don't hold all that grease in then what. I too have the ez-lube , but will continue to do what I do, and know they are packed correctly.
up2nogood wrote: ............
Yes, the key to these ez-lube wheels is doing it right, but when we get replies like 50 pumps or three tubes of grease, it is pretty obvious things are not being done right. There is only one fool proof way to insure the bearings have grease is to remove, and pack them by hand, and inspect them.
When you look at a cross section view of the EZ Lube hub, you will see there is quite a large void inside the hub to fill with grease. And yes it does take quite a large amount of grease pumped in to fill that void and push the old grease out.
It did take nearly 3 tubes of grease for my 4 wheels. And the brakes on all wheels still work fine after a year and a half. I test them each time before I get ready to go out by manually actuating the brake controller. The trailer brakes bring the truck and trailer to an abrupt stop. A year after greasing the hubs, I even raised each wheel individually and tested each brake by pulling the breakaway switch. Each wheel locked up with a quarter turn.
So do not tell me I did not do it correctly. You obviously have no clue as whether I did it right or not.
And for those who only do a pump or two, look at the cross section view. You will see that a pump or two will not get grease to the outer bearing. If you are not comfortable with pumping a lot of grease in, then you should take it apart and hand pack.
I agree with you 100%. You have developed the same skill in using this system as I.
Great guys, good luck with that skill you have developed, true I do not know if you did it right or not, but I do know one think if you pack them by hand there is no doubt they are done right, that was my point. Some have had success ,and some have not with this ez-lube device, seems hit ,and miss. Probably has to do with the inner seal holding all that grease in , some do, some don't. The big question is when they don't hold all that grease in then what. I too have the ez-lube , but will continue to do what I do, and know they are packed correctly.
You are right. Some of us are able to do it. And for those that try it and blow out the seals, it will cost them money for new seals and brake shoes, plus all of the labor to clean things up and change all of the parts, etc.
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