EZ Lube help

[Skaling]

I am going to attempt to grease my bearings with the EZ lube feature for my first time. Any advice? I watched the video on the dexter website and it looks easy enough... But any 1st hand experience is helpful..
Also, any suggestions as to a good grease to use??

Thanks in advance

[WVDusty]

One piece of advice. Be very careful not to over grease. You can blow out the seal and allow grease to get on your brakes.

[clubhouse]

My advice is Don't do it.

The seals on my bearings were blown from the factory. Grease filled the hubs, quite a mess. Mine was not an isolated issue, many folks here reported the same issue. If you want to use the EZ Lube zerks that is up to you, but I suggest you do a full manual inspection and repack first just so you know the seals are in good shape.

[bcmorr]

Be sure you continually spin the wheel while pumping grease in. I did mine for the first time this spring and they worked great. Takes quite a bit of grease. I used Pennzoil red wheel bearing grease. 707L I think is the number on tube. I think when the wheel isn't turned is why problems come up.

[Skaling]

Originally Posted by WVDusty

One piece of advice. Be very careful not to over grease. You can blow out the seal and allow grease to get on your brakes.

This I don't understand how it happens, after watching the video on the dexter website, if you spin wheel while greasing, the old grease gets pushed out..therefor creating no excess pressure. Maybe if you apply grease without spinning the wheel the pressure will build and blow out the back??

[dennis b]

Originally Posted by Skaling

This I don't understand how it happens, after watching the video on the dexter website, if you spin wheel while greasing, the old grease gets pushed out..therefor creating no excess pressure. Maybe if you apply grease without spinning the wheel the pressure will build and blow out the back??

Don't know what WVDusty means by over greasing as old grease comes out as you pump in fresh grease. As long as wheel is being spun and pump slow you should be good to go. I had my son spin as I pumped.Used 2 tubes of Lucas red

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by bcmorr

Be sure you continually spin the wheel while pumping grease in. I did mine for the first time this spring and they worked great. Takes quite a bit of grease. I used Pennzoil red wheel bearing grease. 707L I think is the number on tube. I think when the wheel isn't turned is why problems come up.

X2 on this, just spin the wheel till the new grease comes out and you'll be fine. The grease that Jayco uses is a Lithium Complex so make sure you use the same type. It's important to know that all grease is not compatible and you must use one that is either Lithium or compatible with Lithium. AutoZone carries a Lithium Complex in the tube and you'll be good for at least a year.

[Cheddy]

I did mine about a week ago worked fine, and I did spin the wheels as I was doing it. I believe mine were dry from the factory. I added new grease but no old came out, when I started seeing grease it was the same new clean stuff I was putting in.

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by Cheddy

I did mine about a week ago worked fine, and I did spin the wheels as I was doing it. I believe mine were dry from the factory. I added new grease but no old came out, when I started seeing grease it was the same new clean stuff I was putting in.

They would not be delivered dry and their packed by Dexter. If they were dry the trailer would never have made it to your house.
Your trailer must be new and with very few miles on it or the grease would have been just a little watery looking. You did the right thing by filling it up.

[mike837go]

Dexter also clearly states to use a manual grease gun slowly to EZ-repack the bearings.


Pumping quickly will blow out the rear seal.


So pump slowly while turning the wheel. Listen for the air leaving the spindle/bearing area. Don't pump again until the pressure is relieved.

[WVDusty]

Originally Posted by Skaling

This I don't understand how it happens, after watching the video on the dexter website, if you spin wheel while greasing, the old grease gets pushed out..therefor creating no excess pressure. Maybe if you apply grease without spinning the wheel the pressure will build and blow out the back??

Originally Posted by dennis b

Don't know what WVDusty means by over greasing as old grease comes out as you pump in fresh grease. As long as wheel is being spun and pump slow you should be good to go. I had my son spin as I pumped.Used 2 tubes of Lucas red

I can not say for sure how it happens but if you do a search online it wont take you long to find multiple reports. I can say that it has never happened to me but I still grease mine the old fashioned way. To each there own.

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by WVDusty

I can not say for sure how it happens but if you do a search online it wont take you long to find multiple reports. I can say that it has never happened to me but I still grease mine the old fashioned way. To each there own.

This is my first experience with the EZ-lube system. So far, so good. Much easier to repack the bearings and I'll be doing it often.

But you are quite correct in that ABSOLUTLY NOTHING will replace examining the bearing in your hand for wear or other condition issues. Also replacing the inner grease seal every time the hub is apart will add many miles of safe operation to the axle(s).

[Skaling]

Ok, so I did mine. I think I was gun shy with the grease.. I put in 1/4 tube per wheel but no grease came out of centre hub, but I was scared from everyone saying the rear seal blows out. So.. 2 questions
1) how much grease will each hub take?
2) how do you know if the rear seal blew??

Thanks.

[ALJO]

Skaling live and learn..........lol
As long as you slowly turn the wheel and pump grease in it eventually grease will come out the front. Then just stop pumping grease in.
Manufacturers want to cover their a** and does tell you to grease often. If you grease every couple of years or 10,000 miles you're OK. When grease is warm it will finds its way in the bearing.

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by Skaling

Ok, so I did mine. I think I was gun shy with the grease.. I put in 1/4 tube per wheel but no grease came out of centre hub, but I was scared from everyone saying the rear seal blows out. So.. 2 questions
1) how much grease will each hub take?
2) how do you know if the rear seal blew??

Thanks.

Answers:
1) A WHOLE LOT! Keep slowing pumping and turning the wheel. Figure on using 1 entire large tube of grease for 2 axles (4 hubs). Remember, you are filling the bearings and 100% of the empty space between the core of the drum and the spindle as well. (When manually repacking, the empty space just gets 'grease contamination'.)
2) When grease appears at the outer edge of the brake drum.

[Mustang65]

Here is the list of approved grease types from the Dexter website.

Don

[Skaling]

Thanks. I used an approved grease, I just didn't put enough in I guess.

[Icescreamer]

I just did mine for the first time this weekend - I did not spin as much a I should have so we will see what happens when I get it out on the road.. what should I keep an eye out for in reference to a blown seal?

Warning: it went well until the last wheel when the grease gun failed to release and broke the zerk off! I thought no big deal, I'll use an easy out and back the zerk out. That went okay until the easy out broke off in the broken zerk...

ahhhhhhhh! I now have an appt at the shop to fix it up, but it should be okay until then, since the hole is plugged.

Good times.

[bailee21]

i have done them many times ... only thing is take your time do it slow you will be fine

[Bucko06]

I can tell you from experience that pumping the bearings full is not best practice. The reason you get so much grease to go in is because the hubs were not 100% full from the oem. The bearings only need to be 20 to 30% full. We can look at a bearing manufacturer catalog, like SKF or Timken, and find credible recommendations for regreasing frequency and amount.