Maintenance free wheel bearings.

[Likes to tow]

No maintenance items are a big marketing idea. Beware of anything that makes it appear easy!!

[Flat top]

I have been thinking about oil bath setup, big rigs and Boat trailers have been using them for years.

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Keep us informed on what you find out. We had oil bath bearings on high speed equipment at work. And I only recall one ever needing to be replaced. After about 15 years of service running on average about 15 hours a day. And my boat trailer, about 11,000lbs, used EZ lube hub fittings. I never blew out a seal and in 8 years, in and out of water several times a month, only had to adjust the breaks. I put about 4 thousand miles a year on the boat trailer.

[Tim2542]

Replacing the grease seal with an oil seal (and hub cap) will decrease the maintenance interval, how much is the question. Id say a lot. But they will still need inspection and if you get a seal leak its a bigger mess and you can lose all the oil, greased bearing wont do that.. Wheel/hub retention may be one reason they use tapered Timken's. Sealed types are going to be ball bearings and they dont take the same side loads a tapered roller bearing will..

[merrittbtgd]

I have used Bearing Buddies for several years. In addition, you need to check for play in the bearings and tighten the nut to remove any play. Hand tight only, no preload

[Second Chance]

I have used Bearing Buddies for several years. In addition, you need to check for play in the bearings and tighten the nut to remove any play. Hand tight only, no preload

Bearing Buddies were designed for axles that are regularly submerged in water (i.e. boat trailers). The slight positive pressure of the spring helps keep water from invading the bearing cavity. Using a Bearing Buddy in lieu of other methods of lubricating the bearings on an RV puts you at greater risk of pushing grease out the backside of the grease seal and greasing the brakes. Not recommended by the experts for RV use. I'm not anti-Bearing Buddy, either - used them for decades on the trailers that hauled my fixed-keel sailboats. They're just designed for a specific purpose.

Rob

[Da Breeze]

And my boat trailer, about 11,000lbs, used EZ lube hub fittings. I never blew out a seal and in 8 years, in and out of water several times a month, only had to adjust the breaks. I put about 4 thousand miles a year on the boat trailer.

Hi MJ,

My rig has 6K Dexter axles wt E Z Lube hubs. I'm not that mechanically astute, yet, to pull the wheels and repack bearings.
Plus, the storage lot I'm in doesn't allow working on rigs on property.

I want to try to use the EZ Lube system to relube bearings but most here. say nay.
Can't imagine doing it once would result in a problems..... but !
Driven about 10K miles thru NC mountains in last year and brakes all grab well.
Do you have any tips that might help avoid problems ?
I've seen the Dexter video and only worry about a seal failure that winds up greasing the brakes.

Michael

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Using the E-Z lubes I would only pump in about 2 pumps every couple of thousand miles, or until the floating cap started to move. The floating cap is on the side with the zerk fitting so after the grease gun is attached, don't push on it while pumping (better yet use a gun with a hose on the end). If the cap is near the outer edge of the hub, your good already. If it takes much more pressure to squeeze the handle on the gun when it's attached then when it's not, your either full or the fitting has a blockage. Simply unscrew the fitting put it on the end of the grease gun hold it on with your hands and blow it out with the grease. Then when you put it back in, put it in finger tight and then just snug it up with a wrench. Other than that I never had a problem with mine.
And always use E-Z lube grease caps over the end of the E-Z lubes, they have about 3 sizes, and 2 of them are very close in size, but if you get the wrong one it will fly off pretty quickly.

[Da Breeze]

Thanks...but,

One question though. In your procedure you're mixing the old grease with new.
This is not recommended by anyone.

The Dexter video shows to pump in new grease until all the old grease is pumped out ??
That's where I fear the seals might rupture before I'm aware of it.

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It is interesting that they are putting them on more and more RV's now. Mine had a weep hole that pushed grease out through a valve if you over filled the spring pressure to avoid damaging the seal.