Learned My Dexter Lube Lesson

[Kevin21]

I lubed my Dexter axles 3 weeks ago per Dexter instructions and watching videos. I will never do this again.

Got out on the road for our next trip and thought my brakes were soft. Miles ahead they were a little worse. Next I knew I had no trailer brakes. Nursed it to our first stop and it finally hit me that grease had gotten thru the seal onto by brakes.

After using two cans of brake cleaner as best I could from the back side, I had cleaned them off enough so that I had brakes on the way home.

Next time the bearings will be removed and greased by hand the old fashioned way.

[Jagiven]

What a pain. Glad you where able to get home safely.

[Kevin21]

Now that we are safely home, is it OK to remove the hubs and clean everything thoroughly with break cleaner?

[norty1]

Don't feel to bad, I pulled mine for the first year with grease contaminated brake shoes. Finally had to have the whole brake assemblies replaced on all 4 wheels.

[tharasym]

Is that the bearing buddy or ez lube?

[norty1]

Originally Posted by tharasym

Is that the bearing buddy or ez lube?

Mine are ez lube. Bearing buddys are for boat trailers that are submurged from time to time.

[SmokerBill]

Originally Posted by norty1

Mine are ez lube. Bearing buddys are for boat trailers that are submurged from time to time.

I believe that EZ-Lubes are also designed mainly for boat trailers. With a dry running RV, just clean the bearings, repack with fresh grease every 12 months/12,000 miles, and forget about them until the next time.

Good grease lasts a long time, and it doesn't take a lot to do the job.

[Kevin21]

Mine are EZ-lube. Just wondering if it is OK to clean the hubs, brake shoes and everything else with brake cleaner.

[Dustdevil]

Brake cleaner shouldn't hurt any metal parts, but rubber parts should be cleaned in soapy water or some other non-volatile solvent like maybe kerosene. You won't likely fix the brake linings/shoes with anything. Once soaked with grease, oil, or brake fluid (not usually found in a TT electric brake system), the linings are typically impregnated with the lubricant, which is the last thing you want involved between your lining and the drum.

[Firefighter78]

Being s fellow member and camper on here, I would caution on just spraying brake cleaner on the lining and calling it good. I would pull all the brakes apart and clean the hardware and replace the lining, it's not expensive. Lining will absorb the brake cleaner and grease residue. Be sure to clean and inspect bearing, and use the dexter seals. I had two local camper dealers try to sell me cheap crap one way seals that if you were ever to use the EZ lube grease zeros, it would permit grease to bypass seals. Also had a near disaster with wheel bearings. Dexter does not manually pack bearings before assembling EZ lube axles, they put them together dry and pump grease into the zeros. On my unit the outer bearings were dry. Good thing I pulled my hubs, disaster averted.

[Ela1948]

You are far better off to replace the brake shoes. The grease will impregnate the shoe no matter how much cleaning. In years past on farm tractors that got grease on them, I would remove the shoes, wash them in parts cleaner and then heat them with a*torch to burn off grease residue. It worked but truthfully new shoes don't cost that much. When you put in the cost of new grease seals, washing and repacking the bearings and the labor invested, you want to do it right the first time.

[goducks]

Throw those cheap lube zerks away. Hand pack only.

[Bigmoo315]

What do I need to do a repack ? I bought a packer and some high temp grease,do I just need to figure out the p/n for the seals... I believe they are d52 axels if I'm reading the tag right. I bought it last year and by the looks of the tires there are not too many miles on it but I am taking an eight hour trip to Nova Scotia so I want to make sure they're good

[RVhiker]

Originally Posted by Bigmoo315

What do I need to do a repack ? I bought a packer and some high temp grease,do I just need to figure out the p/n for the seals... I believe they are d52 axels if I'm reading the tag right. I bought it last year and by the looks of the tires there are not too many miles on it but I am taking an eight hour trip to Nova Scotia so I want to make sure they're good

The Dexter ID number for axles made after 2001 is a nine digit number pressed into the axle directly underneath the words "DEXTER AXLE". If you will e-mail Dexter that number and ask for brake and seal information they will send you the correct Dexter numbers, which you can use to order or cross reference to other manufacturer's parts.

If you bought your trailer used and are unsure of the service history, you've got the right idea to pull the drums and check the brake components and bearings.

By the way, the Dexter Complete Service Manual is on this site - at the top of the forum, "Home, Forum, Photos, Manuals". Lots of information in that manual.

[Bigmoo315]

Originally Posted by RVhiker

The Dexter ID number for axles made after 2001 is a nine digit number pressed into the axle directly underneath the words "DEXTER AXLE". If you will e-mail Dexter that number and ask for brake and seal information they will send you the correct Dexter numbers, which you can use to order or cross reference to other manufacturer's parts.



If you bought your trailer used and are unsure of the service history, you've got the right idea to pull the drums and check the brake components and bearings.



By the way, the Dexter Complete Service Manual is on this site - at the top of the forum, "Home, Forum, Photos, Manuals". Lots of information in that manual.

Thanks I will crawl back under and look for that...

[norty1]

As I have posted before, when mine were contaminated when I bought the rig, Dexter and Jayco covered all 4 new brake assemblies. That is the easiest way to make sure the problem is gone.

Read on the forum the many problems cause by lubing EZ lubes improperly!

[clutch]

When we bought our new Jayco I commented about how poor the brakes were to a dealer we were getting some warranty work done. They pulled the hubs and all were full of grease from the factory. They replaced everything, springs and all. The dealer felt that the shoes were impregnated with grease and would never come clean. They replaced the drums too. I paid the bill and Jayco reimbursed me 3 months later. $1200.

[popjim52]

Brakes have to be replaced. You can not clean the brake pads and expect them to stop the camper anymore.