EZ Lube maintenance

[TVB]

Can someone please explain-dispel-clarify the mysteries behind maintaining the EZ Lube hub (specifically greasing). I am a fairly mechanical person that has heard/read everything from NEVER do this yourself you will blow out seals to easy peasy task that takes minimal effort and skills. I am leaning towards doing this myself because customer service sucks. My understanding is that I jack up one side, put in grease while rotating the tire until the old grease is squeezed out and the new grease starts coming out and your done. Am I missing something? Thank you for any input, encouragement, discouragement, or other. Camp on RVers!

[JFlightRisk]

That's the way it works. I wait for a very warm day so the grease flows easier both from the grease gun, and the hub. I've done it a couple of times over the last 11 years, and the occasional "few pumps" between total flushing.

[Cincinnati Kid]

Originally Posted by TVB

Can someone please explain-dispel-clarify the mysteries behind maintaining the EZ Lube hub (specifically greasing). I am a fairly mechanical person that has heard/read everything from NEVER do this yourself you will blow out seals to easy peasy task that takes minimal effort and skills. I am leaning towards doing this myself because customer service sucks. My understanding is that I jack up one side, put in grease while rotating the tire until the old grease is squeezed out and the new grease starts coming out and your done. Am I missing something? Thank you for any input, encouragement, discouragement, or other. Camp on RVers!

It is an easy peasy task that takes minimal effort and skills, but one that you should never do because it will blow out your seals (and ruin your brakes)

I have done it properly and spun the wheel until my arm was going to fall off, while hand pumping the grease, slowly. It still blew out the seals and ruined the brakes.

[Route 66 Traveler]

I have 21,000 miles on my 6 year old trailer and have only used the EZ Lube twice a year to lube the bearings, using Lucas Red-N-Tacky #2 grease. Pump the grease slowly while slowly rotating the tire. I usually remove the tires first to rotate them and lube my wet suspension at the same time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT0RKDGgDm8

[Forester2]

Same here

[Jagiven]

That is the way it works. I think the issues come from people taking short cuts and then having issues. Short cuts are not lifting and spinning as you pump in the grease. Next issue is pumping the grease in to fast. Both can cause the rear seal to blow out. The part I would not look forward to is the mess of the old grease oozing out. What most people report you will pump in close to a full tube, before all the old grease is gone, so 4 hubs, plan to use 4 tubes of grease.


I will admit, I have only pulled my bearings cleaned, inspected, greased and installed them. I will tell you the first time I did it, I found a the hub nut was cracked. If I had not pulled it all apart, I would have never found it. If I greased more often, I would probably alternate between e-z lube and take apart.

Good Luck, report back how it it goes for you.

[RedHorse1]

I alternate between hand-packing and using the ez lube and it’s never been a problem. Spin th tire and squeeze SLOWLY. I keep reminding myself as I’m pumping that no matter how slow I’m going it’s still too fast.

[ARoamer]

IMHO, use EZ lube and you may be OK, or maybe not. No way to know if grease has bypassed or blown out your rear seal until disassembly, or noticing breaking performance has degraded. Had a used 5er that had weak breaks, found 2 greased brakes from previous owner. New Pinnacle, thought I'd give it a greasing before a long trip not knowing how much factory grease was originally applied. 8 mo later during a hand repack, I found I had 1 leak past the seal, greased brakes. I used the proper procedure, spin wheel, pump slowly, still failed. Dealership even warned me before pulling it off the lot, "Do not grease your bearings with that". Now, it's old school for me, disassemble, check things, hand repack.

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by JFlightRisk

That's the way it works. I wait for a very warm day so the grease flows easier both from the grease gun, and the hub. I've done it a couple of times over the last 11 years, and the occasional "few pumps" between total flushing.

X2

[Bugman]

The key to it is to pump and rotate S L O W L Y. Hand pump only, no air-powered pumps. If it goes past the seals, then they needed replacing anyway, and it was good you found out now and not on the road. Dexter has a chart of the recommended grease on their website. Don't just use what YOU think is a good grease or what somebody on the web says is the greatest ever. Example: Lucas Red & Tacky is NOT on the list.

[Cincinnati Kid]

Originally Posted by Bugman

The key to it is to pump and rotate S L O W L Y. Hand pump only, no air-powered pumps. If it goes past the seals, then they needed replacing anyway, and it was good you found out now and not on the road. Dexter has a chart of the recommended grease on their website. Don't just use what YOU think is a good grease or what somebody on the web says is the greatest ever. Example: Lucas Red & Tacky is NOT on the list.

Good point. The grease can make a difference. When I had the problems with grease leaking past the seals, I was using a Valvoline grease that was on the Dexter list. It had major separation issues, and the grease gun leaked all over the place.
Now I have joined the Red N Tacky crew. It meets the specifications, even though it's not on the list, and it has worked for me.

[Route 66 Traveler]

Originally Posted by Bugman

Example: Lucas Red & Tacky is NOT on the list.

When I bought my trailer in 2017 it came with a pile of literature and one pamphlet about bearing maintenance specifically recommended Lucas Red-N-Tacky #2. I've used it since day 1. I'll try and find the document for you....

[craigav]

Originally Posted by Route 66 Traveler

When I bought my trailer in 2017 it came with a pile of literature and one pamphlet about bearing maintenance specifically recommended Lucas Red-N-Tacky #2. I've used it since day 1. I'll try and find the document for you....

I suspect that there has been some corporate politics in play with Lucas and Dexter. I also remember years back when Dexter recommended Lucas Red-n-Tacky (and used it at the factory, if I remember correctly). Somewhere around 2015~2016 Dexter started promoting their own "brand" of grease and shortly after that I never saw any more recommendations for Lucas.

If you ever get a chance to look at Dexter's brand, it looks exactly like red-n-tacky and also is what they call NLGI #2 (which is what Lucas red-n-tacky is). My suspicion is that Dexter wanted to strike a deal with Lucas but couldn't agree on the $$$ and decided that they could get another mfg to make their own "Dexter" brand of grease cheaper than Lucas and went that route. I suspect the Dexter grease is the same rated grease as the Lucas, perhaps a slightly different formula to overcome any patent infringements. In any case, I am confident Dexter doesn't have an oil refinery to make grease and instead contracted that out to another company.

Here is what the Dexter grease looks like.. ~CA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXMj0X88-R8

[Route 66 Traveler]

Looks exactly like Red-n-Tacky #2. I looked through my stuff and can't find the the note from Dexter recommending the product. It was just one sheet stuck into the Dexter book, but I distinctly remember it. My trailer was built late 2016, sold as a 2017.

The Dexter grease looks identical to the Lucas grease. When using the EZ Lube method the old grease comes out very dark, almost purple. It's easy to see the color change to let me know all the old grease has been replaced. Last time I did it I used 1/2 to 3/4 tube per hub.

[Marcm157]

My biggest issue with using EZ Lube is there is no visual inspection of the bearings, spindle, seals and even brakes. Besides the obvious blowing out your grease seal you risk mixing different grease types or catching a bearing failure before it happens.

I do all I can to minimize any roadside breakdown issues and without taking my hub and bearings apart myself I may miss a breakdown in the making.

[craigav]

Regarding compatibility (based on my experience and what I have looked into in the past) there are two common grease types, most common is lithium based and then calcium based grease which is less often used vs lithium but many calcium based greases are not compatible with lithium based grease (some are, many are not). As long as you stay with the same type of grease in this regard (my suggestion is always use lithium based grease), compatibility is not a concern even when using grease made from different manufactures. There are also some lesser known grease types that I suggest not using anyway, but a person could use them even if they are not compatible with what was previously being used, as long as all of the existing grease is removed first. ~CA

[Scott_Trailer_Newbe]

Not an advocate of EZ-Lube. We have had our trailer 5 years (about 15K miles). I greased the wheel bearings once during that period. Pulled the wheel and rotated and I never even pushed the old grease out. Once I saw it moving forward towards the cap I stopped (maybe 5-7 pumps per wheel). Just recently put new Endurance tires on. Several wheels seemed a little loose than I like so I filed all the nuts to get them the way I wanted. I was surprised to find a bunch of grease in the break mechanism, thankfully nothing ever made it to the break pads. Pulled all the bearings, soaked in gas and cleaned, then re-packed by hand. I examined the grease seals and they looked brand new with no wear and very pliable. The amount of grease was normal when pulling the hubs, so IMO the seals do leak long before anything is pushed out. If I had pushed out the old grease the first time I greased the bearings there is no doubt I’d be replacing all the break pads.

[norty1]

First pic is the 2003 Dexter manual. 2nd is the 2008 manual. Lots more approved grease in 08.

[Isaacs]

I've found from both my boat trailer and my camper that the grease goes in way easier right after a long trip due to the old grease being warm. I know it's not the first thing you're going to feel like doing after a long ride but combined with spinning the wheel and pumping slowly I think you'll be good.

People complain about the old grease oozing out...taking the hub off the spindle isn't exactly the kind of thing you want to do in a white tux either!

[Route 66 Traveler]

The 100+ Arizona heat will do the same thing….