What does any one use to grease the bearings on their trailers? Going to tow from Casa Grande AZ to Houston TX.

 

I use the red stuff they sell in Tractor Supply. Travelers Premium brand, I think. I buy it by the case and use it on everything.

 

I've been using Mobil I synthetic on the Dexters on my enclosed. Pulled them apart the other day for thr first time in 10 years and bearings still looked new. I went and replaced all my brakes and turned the drums and repacked with the red stringy Valvoline wheel bearing grease. Also use Mobil I 75-90 weight gear lube in the oil baths on the GN.

 

If I recall correctly I've got Mobile 1 synthetic in my grease gun also.

Whatever you use, I'd make sure it is rated NLGI GC-LB.

Personally I'm not a big fan of the EZ-Lube things, and tend to just tear them down for inspection and hand packing.

In a trailer, I don't think it's lack of grease that causes problems as much as it is grease that has been contaminated by condensation or that has broken down and seperated from sitting... The zerk thing might give you a vein of fresh grease through the bearings, but it doesn't seem to remove all the old grease.

Anyway, I suppose they are way better than not servicing the bearings at all, but I still prefer to fully clean and inspect the bearings, at least some of the time. JMHO.

 

Are they the axles that you pump fresh grease into the zerk and the old grease is supposed to come out thru the outer wheel bearing?

 

Yeah, that's the Dexter EZ lube.

Essentially there's a hole bored down the center of the spindle, threaded on the end for the zerk. The hole runs into another hole bored cross wise in the spindle so the grease squirts into the hub between the inner bearing and the seal.

The hole for the cotter pin on the end is just bored through at kind of a tangent, so it doesn't intersect the grease channel.

 

I just wanted to make sure before I shouted DON"T ADD GREASE THROUGH THEM!!!

I have the same type of axle on my Ranger boat trailer. (No, I do not have Bearing Buddies) The trailer does not have brakes, so if the seal leaks it is just a little mess to clean up. In order to get any new grease to the outer bearing the entire cavity of the hub has to be full of grease. Two things bad about that. One is that the grease retains heat so the hubs run hotter which leads to the other problem which is expansion. The grease seal leaks and grease gets into the brake linings. Now instead of a fairly simple and inexpensive repack of the bearings the brake shoes have to be replaced as well. You will discover this the first time you realize the trailer brakes don't seem to work as well as they should.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much why I said I'm not a big fan, and prefer to pull them down for hand cleaning.

In addition to getting all the old grease out, it gives you a chance to inspect the bearings, replace the seal, and clean and inspect the brakes...

Plus if you pump grease in there on a trailer with brakes, you don't really have a way of knowing if the grease blew past the seal...

A buddy had me over to help with his trailer. He had the EZ lube, and we had all four disassembled, cleaned, repacked, reinstalled, and brakes adjusted in an afternoon.

It took a couple hours more time, but now he knows with certainty that the bearings are in good condition, the brakes are clean with lots of pad left, and no grease inside the drums.

 

I have a 2001 Pace trailer with Dex EZ Lube axles... I have 400K miles on them and still running the original hubs and bearings... I pull the hubs every 2 years and clean them out and check them and then repack them.... I always add through the zerks until it pushes out by the nut and haven't ever had a problem....
I use Schaeffer #229 Moly Aluminum complex grease >> It kicks the pooh out of any lithium based grease!!!

Oilguy

 

I have read that a lot of people have problems with the EZ lube. I you put too much grease in them, they leak past the seals into the brakes. I read that, ideally, you shouls jack up the trailer and spin the tire some while doing this. 3-4 pumps on the grease gun, max.
No wonder they went to permanent lube axles!
Buddy Bearing sells a good seal that will not leak(in theory). You can buy them on line. They eliminate most complaints about that product.

 

Officially, you are supposed to repack and install new seals every 12000 miles on the dexter EZ's.
So they told me, AFTER I brought my blown seal and cratered brake system in for repair. The factory (wells cargo) told me I could pump as much grease as I liked thru the EZ, the repair guy said NO.... just a pump or 2 and only if the res around the zerk is empty. So, I guess every 6 mos or so I'll do the bearings and seals, repair shop charges 85.00 per axle, might just do it myself, depends how hot it is outside!