Big Country - Wheel Bearing Grease

[JohnD]

I keep reading here . . . "Do not mix grease".

Perhaps this is why the EZ Lube hubs are failing, because who knows what grease is already in the bearings when the hubs are greased through them.

 

[BigGuy82]

I keep reading here . . . "Do not mix grease".

Perhaps this is why the EZ Lube hubs are failing, because who knows what grease is already in the bearings when the hubs are greased through them.

Could be, but it seems there are a lot of complaints about blowing out the rear seal. Sounds like for whatever reason the grease doesn't exit through the front hole fast enough and the pressure builds up high enough to blow the rear seal.

 

[Apropdoc]

Could be, but it seems there are a lot of complaints about blowing out the rear seal. Sounds like for whatever reason the grease doesn't exit through the front hole fast enough and the pressure builds up high enough to blow the rear seal.

If the bearings are good and the seal is installed correctly (not sitting right on the bearing), then the grease should pass through the inboard bearing, into the void of the hub filling it, and through the outboard bearing. The hub needs to be rotated while this is happening or the grease may not flow. If a powered grease gun is used, then the pressure can't equalize through the bearing fast enough and it starts to roll the lip of the seal, that may be why Dexter states in the manual to use a hand pump grease gun...just sayin

 

[dave10a]

I am not an easy lube fan and prefer the ol' fashion and proven inspection and hand packing. Easy lube allows for human error that promotes seal failure as well as the potential of pumping contaminated grease into the outer bearing. Then we have the potential of grease incompatibility, and the problem of over greasing as explained on the Timken site.To me it is like asking for trouble on the road and one should seriously consider the risks.

 

[BigGuy82]

I am not an easy lube fan and prefer the ol' fashion and proven inspection and hand packing. Easy lube allows for human error that promotes seal failure as well as the potential of pumping contaminated grease into the outer bearing. Then we have the potential of grease incompatibility, and the problem of over greasing as explained on the Timken site.To me it is like asking for trouble on the road and one should seriously consider the risks.

Exactly ...

 

[NYSUPstater]

Not wanting to hijack this thread, but should a brand new rigs wheel bearings need greasing it's 1st year?

As for using the zerks on ends of axles, I've used them w/o a problem for past several years. Jack up the trailer, spin the wheel and slowly pump 4-5 shots of grease in every spring. Then every couple of years had the dealer inspect and grease if necessary.

Use Amzoil red grease and use it for everything around here that has a grease fitting (garden tractor, trailers, wheel barrow, mower deck, snowblower, snowmobiles, pick up (when they had grease fittings)).

 

[terribruce]

Good morning all, Wow!! what a great amount of information given on the greasing of the bearings.

Thank you
Terri

 

[jakoenig1]

Not wanting to hijack this thread, but should a brand new rigs wheel bearings need greasing it's 1st year?

As for using the zerks on ends of axles, I've used them w/o a problem for past several years. Jack up the trailer, spin the wheel and slowly pump 4-5 shots of grease in every spring. Then every couple of years had the dealer inspect and grease if necessary.

Use Amzoil red grease and use it for everything around here that has a grease fitting (garden tractor, trailers, wheel barrow, mower deck, snowblower, snowmobiles, pick up (when they had grease fittings)).

According to Dexter axle, yes. They need to be cleaned, inspected, and repacked every year. Why bother with the easy lube? This is straight from the Dexter warranty people when they replaced my brake assemblies.

With five pumps per axle, you never got any grease to the outer bearing. The whole inner bearing race needs to be filled until grease comes out the end of the axle, about 100 pumps ( maybe an exaggeration but a lot of pumps the first time). The second time. you need to pump it about 100 times until you see fresh grease. It takes about 1/2 tube per axle. I suspect the leakage is caused by expansion of the grease as it warms up. Grease gets past the seal instead of going out the hole in the end of the axle. Listen to the people that say

"NEVER USE THE EZ LUBE"

 

[JohnD]

Not wanting to hijack this thread, but should a brand new rigs wheel bearings need greasing it's 1st year?

You wouldn't think so . . . b u t . . .

I guess the moral of the story is this:

We should probably take our brand new RV directly from our dealership the day we pick them up to an axle shop and have the bearings all repacked and regreased as we can't seem to trust this to be done correctly from the factory.

This is from someone who almost lost their first Heartland product to a wheel bearing burnout in under 4000 miles on it.

Had it not been for a passing motorist driving by and pointing at the back of the trailer, it most likely would have been a pile of ashes along the interstate in Phoenix, AZ within a minute or so.

 

[DirtyMax88]

Not wanting to hijack this thread, but should a brand new rigs wheel bearings need greasing it's 1st year?

I will tell you this, we had ours a few months (prob had about 1000 miles in it) before we took it in for some warranty work. We were told by another HOC member that we met camping to have them checked. When service was completed, we asked how the bearings were? They told us that 3 of the 4 had little to no grease in/on them....

 

[TravelTiger]

We had ours serviced at Goshen. They did a complete replacement of bearings and seals, for $200. Our rig had about 6000 miles, not counting from the factory to dealer... so since it was it was now 18 mo old from build date, we figured it was a good time to do it. They said the originals looked pretty good, so we kept them as backup.


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[NYSUPstater]

With NY, you have to have most registered vehicles inspected for hiway use. Took ours in couple weeks ago and good thing I did. 1st wheel they take off, seal comes off w/ it (not supposed to). Ask me what I want to do w/ the others. "Pull and check them " I replied. 2nd wheel, tho seal didn't come off, it looked questionable and the end grease cap was dented a lot like someone beat the tar out of it putting it on. This was just on 1 side. Wheels 3,4 were okay. So 2 seals were re-done and new grease cap put on. Contacted purchasing dealer who said I would get reimbursed the cost of repairs. I asked the tech who performed the inspection/work if it would have passed and he said "No". He went onto say that if we continued as it was for "X" time, very good chance seal(s) would have failed, grease end up on brakes and then bigger problems.

 

[BigGuy82]

We had ours serviced at Goshen. They did a complete replacement of bearings and seals, for $200. Our rig had about 6000 miles, not counting from the factory to dealer... so since it was it was now 18 mo old from build date, we figured it was a good time to do it. They said the originals looked pretty good, so we kept them as backup.


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Did they replace the bearing races also?

 

[dave10a]

Did they replace the bearing races also?

Good question. The races MUST be replaced even when the replaced bearing look good because the of normal wear patterns between the bearing and race. By replacing the bearing and not the race one is destine for failure in the future.... If a service organization says it is not necessary-- find another service organization.

 

[BigGuy82]

With NY, you have to have most registered vehicles inspected for hiway use. Took ours in couple weeks ago and good thing I did. 1st wheel they take off, seal comes off w/ it (not supposed to). Ask me what I want to do w/ the others. "Pull and check them " I replied. 2nd wheel, tho seal didn't come off, it looked questionable and the end grease cap was dented a lot like someone beat the tar out of it putting it on. This was just on 1 side. Wheels 3,4 were okay. So 2 seals were re-done and new grease cap put on. Contacted purchasing dealer who said I would get reimbursed the cost of repairs. I asked the tech who performed the inspection/work if it would have passed and he said "No". He went onto say that if we continued as it was for "X" time, very good chance seal(s) would have failed, grease end up on brakes and then bigger problems.

You're lucky. That's only because they pulled the drum to examine the brakes. With disc brakes, they don't do that - they just check the rotors and pads for wear, so those seals wouldn't have been caught.

 

[rxbristol]

Good question. The races MUST be replaced even when the replaced bearing look good because the of normal wear patterns between the bearing and race. By replacing the bearing and not the race one is destine for failure in the future.... If a service organization says it is not necessary-- find another service organization.

You're right, but very few establishments will replace the races unless you tell them. Plus, if they just clean and repack, some will not put the same bearing in the same wheel.

 

[BigGuy82]

You're right, but very few establishments will replace the races unless you tell them. Plus, if they just clean and repack, some will not put the same bearing in the same wheel.

And you have just stated the exact reason why I now do my own repacks. I used to have it done, but I do a better job, use better grease and now have the time to do it.

 

[porthole]

You're right, but very few establishments will replace the races unless you tell them. Plus, if they just clean and repack, some will not put the same bearing in the same wheel.

Replacement bearings come as a package, cup and bearing. Only takes a few minutes to replace the cup. Quality techs will always replace the parts as matched sets, same with putting the bearings back into the respective positions.

"There is never enough time to do the job right the first time - but there is always enough time to do it right the second time"

 

[rxbristol]

Replacement bearings come as a package, cup and bearing. Only takes a few minutes to replace the cup. Quality techs will always replace the parts as matched sets, same with putting the bearings back into the respective positions.

"There is never enough time to do the job right the first time - but there is always enough time to do it right the second time"

When I've ordered bearings and cup/races, they've always been a separate order because of part numbers.

 

[porthole]

Yes, the package is a cup and bearing, whether 1 part number or 2.