greasing the wheel bearings

[Jimalberta]

Hi All,

I have what appears to be greaseable bearings on my wheels on the BH. Trouble is it looks like you have to take the wheel off to access the grease nipples as there is a cover over them. Kind of a PITA unless there is another way. How often should they be greased?

 

[srp4funtime]

The center of the cap pops off so you can get to the grease fitting. Just pop it off with a screw driver and pull the rubber cap off and wella.

 

[TeJay]

If you're new to campers take some advice and do a search on greasing the wheel bearings on these rigs. Here's some of what you will find. The grease fitting is an attempt to make the greasing of the wheel bearings easier. First of all the manufacturers expect you to lube them every 12 months or 12,000 miles. Most experienced, owners don't accept or do that. We've never greased front wheel bearings on our cars and trucks that often (usually every 35-40,000 miles so why do it with a TT??. Nobody has been able to answer that question except, "Well that's what they recommend." This grease fitting idea is probably a holdover from boat/utility trailers which get dunked into water often and don't usually have trailer brakes. Secondly two things to keep in mind are different in these systems: 1. there are small holes drilled into the axles so the grease can get to the inner bearings. 2. The grease has to be thinner to pass through those small holes. The thinner grease makes it easier to leak out the inner seal and get all over your drums and brake parts. When you do a search you will notice many owners who experienced ruined brakes because of this issue.

So how to avoid problems?? You have two choices. 1. Use the grease fitting if you want but jack up the wheel and slowly spin it as you put maybe 1-2 shots of grease. That will distribute the grease and perhaps avoid blowing out the inner seal. 2. Service all wheels and use a good (Mobil 1, Amzoil) synthetic grease. Correctly hand-pack bearings, replace seals with a good double lip seal and correctly adjust the bearing clearance. The second method will be good for at least 30-K miles. Just my nickels worth.

TeJay

 

[jnbhobe]

TeJay has it all right, forget the fittings are there and do it the right way, we had a little class on repacking bearings at the Illinois rally last week and had about eight guys watching.

 

[GOTTOYS]

After replacing one brake on my trailer that had grease blown through the seal when it was built, I can't agree more. Besides trying to pop out the center cap on your wheel center will end in missing chrome on the cap, don't ask how I know. The only way to do the bearings in my opinion, is the old fashioned way. Pull them out, clean them, inspect and repack them using new grease seals...Don

 

[ChopperBill]

Forget the grease zerks. If you get tempted with the grease gun replace the zerks with a plug. Our brakes got packed with grease and were useless. I think the transporters pumped grease into the wheels with disregard to the consequences. My trailer guy wants me to have him repack the bearings every year ($200). I pull about a total of 2500 miles. NO way I am going to do it every 2500 miles.

 

[dave10a]

Service all wheels and use a good (Mobil 1, Amzoil) synthetic grease. Correctly hand-pack bearings, replace seals with a good double lip seal and correctly adjust the bearing clearance. The second method will be good for at least 30-K miles. Just my nickels worth.

TeJay

Is synthetic grease compatible with the grease that was used in the first place?

 

[driver311]

change over to oilers and never grease again

 

[Jimalberta]

wow! good info gentlemen...thank you

 

[rumaco]

zerts only grease the forward portion of the bearings.........take it to the pros, get it taken apart and greased correctly. Don't try to save a buck when the end results could be thousands!

 

[Duramax1]

Would someone explain to me why an rv manufacter would spend extra money on these if they are of no value to purchasers?

 

[TedS]

According to the Lippert literature, the grease goes down a hole and enters behind the inner bearing, flows forward to and through the outer bearing then out a hole near the zerk.

 

[sjs731]

Or it pushes your seal out and fills the brakes. Ask me how I know.


Steve
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[caissiel]

No if bearing does the pumping of the grease.

And a few shots of grease once in a while only applies at boat trailer bearings.

Everyone I talk to does it and its a no no. And they are not aware of the cosequences of possibly flushng the grease in the brakes.

Its a great system if used wisely. And if not sure go ahead and pack the bearings but change the seals and take the risk of a loose hub or tight bearings or dirt introduced.

To me there is more chances of scre... Up then learning to grease properly using the zerks while rotating the bearings.

Sent from my GT-S5660M using Tapatalk 2

 

[TeJay]

I'm glad to see that a few more realize why the zerk method of greasing the bearings is just plane wrong. Why do they offer it ???? That's a really good question. It's probably a series of carefully calculated errors. Remember boat trailers use this method. But most boat trailers don't have brakes. Using china bearings may have contributed to some early premature bearing failures. Soooo enters the engineer who says why not incorporate these zerk fittings, drill a small hole in the axle so the grease can get to the inner bearing and make the grease thinner so it will pass through the small hole and we'll solve the problem. Wrong !!!!! Give a guy a grease gun and he won't stop a 1-2 squirts. If one is good 6 is better and we now have blown seals and ruined brakes. Oh, we can also recommend doing the greasing every year or 12,000 miles. Maybe we won't have bearing failures. No but we now have brakes full of grease but that's your problem because you greased them to much and their recommendation. Do as many have said. Go back to having it done every 2-3 years or every 25-30,000 miles as we did on cars and trucks.

Synthetic grease is not compatible with the old type of grease. Clean the bearings with mineral spirits and dry, dry, dry. Make sure they are free of solvent so it does not get into the new grease. Amzoil, Mobil 1 are two good synthetics.

TeJay

 

[caissiel]

all wrong,
We in the industry have greased bearings using a greasegun for years and bearings can run for at least 20,000 hrs and some I have witnessed for over 30 years non stop. And that is without taking equipment apart. Regular maintenance done properly is better then taking things apart and rebuilding. Why do cars last 300k miles, its because the learning curve has been done and engineering improvements.

 

[TeJay]

Using a grease gun to grease a bearing is not wrong. In this application as described it's not a good idea. To much can go wrong. The brake shoes are close, the grease is thinner than regular bearing grease because of where it has to travel. Improper methods (to many squirts of grease) or techniques (not rotating the wheel) increase the potential of blowing the seal. Filling the wheel hub with grease does insulate and keeps bearing heat from escaping. I've never advocated doing that. You've also pointed out just how long bearings will last. Another great point you made is every time you take something apart you run the risk of not putting it back together correctly. My point is simply this. For what ever reason this TT industry has recommended annual wheel bearing lubrication. To make it easier they utilized a bearing packing method that is inherently full of potential problems.

Why not simply pack them by hand with a good synthetic grease, correctly adjust the bearings and leave it alone for 30,000 to 40,00 miles as we always did with cars and trucks. If you want, as I will do, change the bearings to a better quality Toyo or Timken (non china) bearing and install a good seal. This gives me good peace of mind that I won't have a bearing problem or lubricated brakes. I will probably inspect the brakes every two years because of the electric brakes. I really hate to see people spend $$$$$ if they don't have to or to get stuck away from home with defective brakes or bearings. God forbid getting into an accident because of defective grease soaked brakes would be the worst. STORY OVER !!!!!!!

TeJay

 

[TedS]

My previous trailer had Nev-R-Lube axles and never had a problem in 5 years of running 30+k miles.
http://dexteraxle.com/nev_r_lube_bearings
Seems like a better idea than Easy Lube. Easy Lube seemed like a step backwards. Just had my Easy Lube bearings hand packed and found four greased brake sets.

 

[TeJay]

Teds,
That's an excellent point. I have heard about the Nev-R-Lube bearings but your report is only the second I've heard about. Today we don't have many vehicles with front wheel bearings as they used to be. They are CV-joints which will last probably 60,000 + miles. The rear bearing hubs for FWD vehicles are good for about that long or longer and they are a sealed unit with no way or need to lube them. With the warranty stuff now they probably use synthetic grease as well. I checked the Nev-R-Lube sight but could not find a price. To redo mine will cost me about $130 to buy new Toyo bearings and good seals. With synthetic lube they would be good for 30,000 plus miles and when re-packed should go for another 30-K. When I speak about synthetic lube I am speaking from experience and a guy on these forums who used Amzoil in differential rebuilds swears by it. Synthetics are great. They will do everything they say they will and more. My goodness is why not spend a few bucks more and used the best you can to get that extra margin of longevity and safety? I've used Amzoil series 2000 racing grease for the bearings and it is $12.75 for a tube. So for around $30 you're good to go.

TeJay

 

[Duramax1]

I'm glad to see that a few more realize why the zerk method of greasing the bearings is just plane wrong. Why do they offer it ???? That's a really good question. It's probably a series of carefully calculated errors. Remember boat trailers use this method. But most boat trailers don't have brakes. Using china bearings may have contributed to some early premature bearing failures. Soooo enters the engineer who says why not incorporate these zerk fittings, drill a small hole in the axle so the grease can get to the inner bearing and make the grease thinner so it will pass through the small hole and we'll solve the problem. Wrong !!!!! Give a guy a grease gun and he won't stop a 1-2 squirts. If one is good 6 is better and we now have blown seals and ruined brakes. Oh, we can also recommend doing the greasing every year or 12,000 miles. Maybe we won't have bearing failures. No but we now have brakes full of grease but that's your problem because you greased them to much and their recommendation. Do as many have said. Go back to having it done every 2-3 years or every 25-30,000 miles as we did on cars and trucks.

Synthetic grease is not compatible with the old type of grease. Clean the bearings with mineral spirits and dry, dry, dry. Make sure they are free of solvent so it does not get into the new grease. Amzoil, Mobil 1 are two good synthetics.

TeJay

I remain puzzled and maybe because of my accounting/financial background and training, I cannot understand the logic of some of these matters.

As preface to my following observations, and with respect to your comment about boats, it is my understanding that boat trailers usually use the Bearingbuddy system which is a spring activated mechanism to keep water away from the bearings. It is an entirely different system and that I have yet to see sold on an RV.

Anyhow, what is the motivation for any RV manufacturer to require the customer to spend more money up front for the EasyLube setup and then incurr a later expense to repair the grease damage. What does this do for public relations and good marketing. If that is the common experience of RV customers, then the RV manufacturer should install non EasyLube setups and let the customer only incurr the later expense of greasing the bearings on a periodic basis. The expense to the customer in the later scenario is then viewed as a maintence expense rather than a repair expense as it is in the former scenario. This would provide more positive public relations.