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Old 03-17-2016, 01:08 PM   #41
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Originally Posted by Jack L View Post
Dexter, Al-Ko and Lippert all offer the same system. I'm not sure they all call it EZ lube but the design is the same. Dexter bought Al-Ko recently. EZ lube type systems must work or everyone else would not copy the design.
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Old 03-17-2016, 01:10 PM   #42
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Originally Posted by Darral T. View Post
I disagree. From everything I've read about bearing buddies...they're basically useless....by not sufficiently getting grease to the rear bearing.

A Dexter engineer is the one that told me they developed the EZ-Lube for helping displace the water in boat axles. So you need to disagree with them. Look up the "E-Z LUBE" article on their site. Quote: "E-Z Lube is designed to allow for immersion in water."
No problem... I spent a good part of my life disagreeing with engineers and fixing their screw-ups!
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Old 03-17-2016, 01:14 PM   #43
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No problem... I spent a good part of my life disagreeing with engineers and fixing their screw-ups!
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Old 03-17-2016, 01:25 PM   #44
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No problem... I spent a good part of my life disagreeing with engineers and fixing their screw-ups!

I'm glad you believe that you know more than engineers, Floyd, and in many cases you possibly do. However, that does not necessarily mean you are the ultimate authority on every topic related to mechanical maintenance. While I respect your opinions and would strongly defend your right to express them, the fact that you may not agree with the opinions of others on the E-Z Lube function does not mean that their opinions carry no validity. It just means that you have a different opinion. And engineers are not always wrong.


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Old 03-17-2016, 01:26 PM   #45
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Perhaps someone else will be able to confirm one way or another but I am not so sure that you would actually see the grease behind the wheel. May all be piled up in the hub around the brake assembly. If it was me I would take the 5 min. need to pull the wheel off and check it rather than waiting to drive down a steep hill to find I was wrong and have no brakes
If the trailer has brakes, the breached seal will not likely show. As you say it will fill the brake hub.
If no brakes, the grease will just exit the hub and make a visible mess.
One point generally ignored here...
When you disassemble for repack, a mechanical mistake can cause the loss of a wheel bearing or even the wheel/drum assembly itself.
A five minute repack could certainly have that end result!
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Old 03-17-2016, 01:32 PM   #46
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Wow... yes, the truth lies somewhere in the middle here. There's nothing wrong with the EZ Lube grease delivery service, and you probably get 90% of the old grease out the front eventually... Provided that the old grease isn't so hard that it won't displace and the new grease doesn't push the seal out in the back... and even that's not a big deal if you carry an extra set of bearings and seals, and the proper sized sockets to seat the new seals. OTOH, if you blow that rear bearing seal out the back and don't know what you're looking at, or not prepared to fix it, that can be problematic.

I had a new "sealed vault system" hub blow it's rear seal all of it's own accord on my NEW tow dolly after about 500 miles last year. It happens. UFP covered the repairs under warranty and sent me new parts... but the point is that it happens even under light service.

The larger issue I see with the EZ Lube feature is that it's easy. It's so easy that folks "forget" that there are other parts to wheel bearing maintenance, like checking for bearing tightness, wear, and pitting. The lubricants in bearings these days are pretty good and will easily last for years... its the bearing surfaces that still wear, pit, and get loose. You can EZ Lube your bearings all you want, but you should still repack them every couple of years by hand to make sure they're tight enough and that the wear is acceptable.

Boat trailers should probably be done annually. Which reminds me I need to do my boat trailer's bearings this year. *sigh*
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Old 03-17-2016, 02:04 PM   #47
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A five minute repack could certainly have that end result!
While I do the bearing repacks myself Floyd I would be happy if I could get it down to the hour some suggest it takes :lout

My suggestion re 5 min's was not in regards to repacking the bearings but to taking the wheel off to find out where the 2 cartridges of grease on the one wheel actually went. Lets just say I am sceptical as to the suggestion that both tubes contained mostly air.

OP said they would check their brakes once on the road which suggest to me they do have brakes on the trailer that could well be holding a tube or 2 of grease around them and waiting to find it out one way or another while on the road is probable not a great idea.
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Old 03-17-2016, 02:23 PM   #48
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Originally Posted by Roger H View Post
Wow... yes, the truth lies somewhere in the middle here. There's nothing wrong with the EZ Lube grease delivery service, and you probably get 90% of the old grease out the front eventually... Provided that the old grease isn't so hard that it won't displace and the new grease doesn't push the seal out in the back... and even that's not a big deal if you carry an extra set of bearings and seals, and the proper sized sockets to seat the new seals. OTOH, if you blow that rear bearing seal out the back and don't know what you're looking at, or not prepared to fix it, that can be problematic.

I had a new "sealed vault system" hub blow it's rear seal all of it's own accord on my NEW tow dolly after about 500 miles last year. It happens. UFP covered the repairs under warranty and sent me new parts... but the point is that it happens even under light service.

The larger issue I see with the EZ Lube feature is that it's easy. It's so easy that folks "forget" that there are other parts to wheel bearing maintenance, like checking for bearing tightness, wear, and pitting. The lubricants in bearings these days are pretty good and will easily last for years... its the bearing surfaces that still wear, pit, and get loose. You can EZ Lube your bearings all you want, but you should still repack them every couple of years by hand to make sure they're tight enough and that the wear is acceptable.

Boat trailers should probably be done annually. Which reminds me I need to do my boat trailer's bearings this year. *sigh*
The middle being of course using the EZ-Lube between scheduled brake inspections, thus allowing a greater time between disassembly.
Modern grease doesn't harden unless it is mixed with a grease with a dissimilar base.
Start with a good lithium based grease and stay with it to insure good service.
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Old 03-17-2016, 02:31 PM   #49
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Originally Posted by Roger H View Post
and even that's not a big deal if you carry an extra set of bearings and seals, and the proper sized sockets to seat the new seals. OTOH, if you blow that rear bearing seal out the back and don't know what you're looking at, or not prepared to fix it, that can be problematic.
Hey while we're at it...what are the correct size sockets for pressing seals/bearings in & out?
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Old 03-17-2016, 02:45 PM   #50
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I'm glad you believe that you know more than engineers, Floyd, and in many cases you possibly do. However, that does not necessarily mean you are the ultimate authority on every topic related to mechanical maintenance. While I respect your opinions and would strongly defend your right to express them, the fact that you may not agree with the opinions of others on the E-Z Lube function does not mean that their opinions carry no validity. It just means that you have a different opinion. And engineers are not always wrong.


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You to have a right to infer anything you like even when no such thing is implied or even considered.
It is not clear to me how anyone (you included) could come to the conclusion that I have somehow seen EZ-Lube as a substitute for Brake inspection and hand repack.
I claim no authority, but I do claim adequate credentials to "truly understand how it works" and still see EZ-Lube as a useful innovation.
It was not I who stated that anyone who truly understood it would not use it. I'm only saying that I do and I do!
You are of course right on the point that "engineers are not always wrong"!
Of course...I only disagree with the ones who are!
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Old 03-17-2016, 02:56 PM   #51
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This thread is almost as exciting as Tires and Towing threads get
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Old 03-17-2016, 03:03 PM   #52
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Fifty replies on how to use a grease gun? Really?
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Old 03-17-2016, 03:38 PM   #53
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No problem... I spent a good part of my life disagreeing with engineers and fixing their screw-ups!
Yeah, all engineers are idiots.
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Old 03-17-2016, 03:45 PM   #54
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I don't understand what brake adjustment or inspection has to do with repacking the bearings. They are separate components. Normally one would do both while up on a jack, but you don't have to. You can check the brakes without doing the bearings. No?
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Old 03-17-2016, 03:51 PM   #55
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Yeah, all engineers are idiots.
I haven't met them all, but some of my best friends...
I even knew one, now deceased, who operated a Steam locomotive.

Seriously;
The only idiots would be those who never question the engineers, many of those are now deceased as well. The key is to work with them and not for them, the ones who are not idiots appreciate it.
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Old 03-17-2016, 03:57 PM   #56
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Grease gun question

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Originally Posted by floyd View Post
You to have a right to infer anything you like even when no such thing is implied or even considered.
It is not clear to me how anyone (you included) could come to the conclusion that I have somehow seen EZ-Lube as a substitute for Brake inspection and hand repack.
I claim no authority, but I do claim adequate credentials to "truly understand how it works" and still see EZ-Lube as a useful innovation.
It was not I who stated that anyone who truly understood it would not use it. I'm only saying that I do and I do!
You are of course right on the point that "engineers are not always wrong"!
Of course...I only disagree with the ones who are!

Floyd, I'm not sure why you think I came to the conclusion that you have somehow seen EZ-Lube as a substitute for brake inspection and hand repack; never said or implied that. I was alluding to the fact that you think E-Z Lube is great while others, including me, do not view it as particularly useful and potentially detrimental.
I think you know me well enough to know that I wouldn't infer anything from your posts. If anything, I find your refusal to admit (or at least you haven't admitted it here) that the use of the E-Z Lube could potentially displace the seal and contaminate brake components. And I repeat "could potentially," not "will." Should this happen, I know for a fact that you have the "adequate credentials" to correct the situation. But the real question is does everyone who sees your unconditional support of E-Z Lube have the same credentials and/or the ability to correct the situation. And are they going to be happy spending the money to replace parts unintentionally or unnecessarily contaminated by runaway grease.
My only point is that people on this forum should be exposed to the possible drawbacks of using the E-Z Lube, even if those drawbacks are remote, and not just a glowing post from someone (who, for the most part is respected here) that could lead them to believe E-Z Lube has no potential to be problematic.



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Old 03-17-2016, 03:57 PM   #57
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I don't understand what brake adjustment or inspection has to do with repacking the bearings. They are separate components. Normally one would do both while up on a jack, but you don't have to. You can check the brakes without doing the bearings. No?
You can adjust the brakes without disassembly, but you must remove the brake drum/hub in order to inspect the brakes.
The outer bearing falls out when the hub is removed and the inner bearing comes out with the hub and held in only by the seal.Seems like a good time to repack while you have them out, but I guess you really don't have to.
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Old 03-17-2016, 04:14 PM   #58
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Floyd, I'm not sure why you think I came to the conclusion that You have somehow seen EZ-Lube as a substitute for Brake inspection and hand repack; never said or implied that. I was alluding to the fact that you think E-Z Lube is great while others, including me, do not view it as particularly useful and potentially detrimental.
I think you know me well enough to know that I wouldn't infer anything from your posts. If anything, I find your refusal to admit (or at least you haven't admitted it here) that the use of the E-Z Lube could potentially displace the seal and contaminate brake components. And I repeat "could potentially," not "will." Should this happen, I know for a fact that you have the "adequate credentials" to correct the situation. But the real question is does everyone who sees your unconditional support of E-Z Lube have the same credentials and/or the ability to correct the situation. And are they going to be happy spending the money to replace parts unintentionally or unnecessarily contaminated by runaway grease.
My only point is that people on this forum should be exposed to the possible drawbacks of using the E-Z Lube, even if those drawbacks are remote, and not just a glowing post that could lead them to believe E-Z Lube has no potential to be problematic.



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While my support of EZ-Lube has clearly been conditional upon the scheduled use of brake inspection/hand repack, it seems to me that your condemnation is pretty much unconditional and certainly an adequate counterpoint!
Those who read this thread will certainly be exposed to a more than sufficient variety of opinions and I trust them to draw their own conclusions, after all,there can hardly be a more astute group on the planet than fiberglass RV owners!
I have known those who could demolish an anvil with a rubber mallet, so be assured that it is not my motive to encourage the incorrigible. I hope your concern is unfounded.
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Old 03-17-2016, 05:45 PM   #59
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While my support of EZ-Lube has clearly been conditional upon the scheduled use of brake inspection/hand repack, it seems to me that your condemnation is pretty much unconditional and certainly an adequate counterpoint!
Those who read this thread will certainly be exposed to a more than sufficient variety of opinions and I trust them to draw their own conclusions, after all,there can hardly be a more astute group on the planet than fiberglass RV owners!
I have known those who could demolish an anvil with a rubber mallet, so be assured that it is not my motive to encourage the incorrigible. I hope your concern is unfounded.

I, too, hope my concern is unfounded. Perhaps my first post was overly strong. I like your anvil/rubber mallet comment as it is true. While I will never use the E-Z Lube myself, those who do should realize the potential pitfalls. And I cannot argue that everyone should draw their own conclusions.


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Old 03-17-2016, 06:06 PM   #60
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Hey Pat. As a Disclaimer, stating what I do is by NO means a suggestion to others on how they should maintain their trailers. If in doubt, go by the manufacturer's recommendation.

But for me? I've been around mechanics (am a former machinist) ALL my life. Keep in mind, my Scamp 13' weighs only 1800lbs on a 2200 lb rated axle and I do NOT load it down traveling. When I'm not traveling, I keep my Scamp off the ground on jacks, spin the wheels regularly year-round. I take my Scamp out in the spring and pull for a min. 15-20 miles at apx 65 mph steady. I have an exit ramp on a 4-lane where I pull off....get out and check the temps. I do NOT use my trailer brakes when stopping to check the hubs as you WILL get a higher reading!! And this can throw you for a loop! I also check for "play" by placing my hands one on each side of the wheel and try to shake it back and forth. Vigilance is EVERYTHING on anything/any vehicle.

My hubs still run the same temps as when the Scamp was brand new in 2010 and 10000 miles ago from Scamp. I did adjust my brakes last year.

Again, this is just MY opinion and I dont recommend it for others. But do you pull the front wheels (or rear wheels on front wheel drive) vehicles and check the bearings every year regardless of the few or many miles you put on it?? That's basically what the axle makers are saying.

I'm not saying whether to grease through the EZ Lube regularly or not. Just dont know without thousands of miles of tests whether what is 100% right or wrong. Many feel to pull, clean, inspect, replace, repack their bearings EVERY year. I do not and will not unless I have a trailer that I KNOW is running borderline. If I have that trailer, I dont want it for long. Mine has built-in safety margins on both the axle and tires as you can see. My tires are rated at 1326 each. I have apx 900 at full load MAX!

Good luck and do you what you feel you should do.... I've seen/heard of some doing the maintenance job, and they get the bearings too tight going back together and REALLY have trouble. So, regardless..... KEEP A WATCH ON YOUR HUB TEMPS AT ALL TIMES!! I spot check mine at every fill-up.
Thanks Darrel for responding . I pull with a Ford F-250 . It was what I had . I think to see what condition bearings are in , I will do now . Kind of like sensors for tanks really don't read right but I know what I can do now . I have felt hubs when I stopped and they were not hot at all . It was a long trip last one . Thankyou again for the advice . Pat
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