Newbie gonna try to repack bearings..Looking for Advice..

[OhioRV]

Hello. Newbie here and gonna try to repack my bearings on 2018 Reflection Fifth.

It has been mostly sitting in storage lot and used rarely from delivery in Nov of 2019, maybe 1000 miles, then towed to Las Vegas from Ohio in Summer 2021, maybe another 2000 miles. I would assume the mileage is ok but probably about timed out on bearing repack.

Can anyone tell me how I can tell if this is a ez lube bearing before I get into removing tire etc?

Thanks

OhioRV

[dryfly]

Check out this video and I think you can identify if you have Dexter EZ Lube system:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT0RKDGgDm8

Now, you will get a lot of opinions on actually lubricating your bearings using the system. Personally I would never randomly push grease into my hubs. Too much chance of pushing grease out the rear seal, damaging it as well as getting grease on the brake pads. I trust the old method of removing the wheels and inspecting the bearings, or completely removing all bearings, cleaning, and re-packing by hand.

[Hoopy Frood]

EZ Lube hubs have a rubber boot/plug/cover at the end of the axle, and behind that is a grease zerk. If you're going to repack then you can ignore them. If this is the first time doing this, pay very close attention when you put everything back together and set the clearance in the axle bearings. Many people will refer to it as "preload", but strictly speaking, it is clearance, not preload. Too tight and the bearings will overheat and fail, too loose and the bearings will not support the wheel correctly and fail.

It isn't hard, but the setting has to be correct. Done correctly you should be good for several years, depending on actual mileage driven.

[Buckskin]

Lots of good advice on on this site, but one thing I learned hard way - repack bearings when it's warm as grease flows much easier. If you use hand packer it's hard to get old grease form between bearings and race when it's cold.

[DECelt]

Dexter has a very good YouTube video on packing bearings, and in it they recommend using rtv silicone when replacing the rear bearing seals. I would suggest following their recommendation. There are other videos out there, but I would follow Dexter's instructions.

Bearing repacking is easy and allows you to inspect your bearings, brakes, magnets etc.and rotate your tires all in one fairly quick little project.

I don't use the ez lube feature. It was really designed for use with boat axles that go in water. Using that system doesn't allow for you to inspect the bearings, seals etc.

Its not necessary, but I recommend using a bearing packer and a seal puller. Always replace the seals with new. Always use a quality grease of the same type used by the axle manufacturer.

I don't soak my bearings in degreaser... I wipe them clean with lint free shop rags and inspect them well before using the bearing packer to push out the old grease and pack in new. I also wipe out my brake drums and then spray the drums and brake pads with brake cleaner. I follow the Dexter axle instructions closely and torque my lock nut...then backing it off as instructions indicate.

I have always used Timbren red grease. One tub is enough for all four wheels. I only use Dexter seals. I have extended my bearing repacking to every two years or 20000 miles because they are always like new when I repack them.

Thats my 2 cents worth.

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[Steven@147]

For us old farts in our 60's - 70's we tend to rely on our age old knowledge and experience with having done things like this for decades. Anything that comes along that tries to make jobs easier, we tend to poo-poo because our experience says just do it the old fashioned way, it hasn't failed us yet.

HAHA LOL's We are stuck in our old ways!

What scares the goo-goo out of me is the things I can't see, hidden from view, those I can not see how they are wearing, like bearings and or bushings. Of course the use and touting of forever bushings just can't be real for us old guys. I haven't inspected our brass bushings after replacing last February when I installed HD shackles and replaced the wet bolts with MorRyde and its nagging at me. Of course that means taking everything apart and detaching the springs to inspect. I have shot some grease into the wet bolts every once in a while.

I repack our bearings by hand every year, in the same manor as described above. Letting bearings run and repacking every other year would cause a nagging feeling running up my spine in year two that the bearings are going to go out at any moment. Once a bearing goes out it usually takes the spindle with it and now you need a new axle. What a PITA to deal with along the road somewhere. Then I would be standing there telling myself, see dummy, you should have done it before the spindle got destroyed!

Just my old age paranoia kicking up.

[Hitsman3]

It's a pretty easy & straight forward job. I did mine for the first time last spring. The only thing I didn't understand is they say to inspect & repack but the rear race & bearing you got to hammer out with a punch. Now maybe it's ok to inspect, clean & re-grease & than put it back in but I figured since I've got everything apart I just replaced everything with new. Wasn't sure about putting the rear's back in? Took the seals and bearings to the local Napa store & they matched with what I had. Job took about 2-2.5 hours total. Just make sure when you put it back together you don't over tighten the castle nut, it's easy to do. I think on mine they recommended to tighten it to something like 25-50 foot #'s then back off, than tighten to something like 5 #'s. You will have to check on what yours recommend's.

[DECelt]

It's a pretty easy & straight forward job. I did mine for the first time last spring. The only thing I didn't understand is they say to inspect & repack but the rear race & bearing you got to hammer out with a punch. Now maybe it's ok to inspect, clean & re-grease & than put it back in but I figured since I've got everything apart I just replaced everything with new. Wasn't sure about putting the rear's back in? Took the seals and bearings to the local Napa store & they matched with what I had. Job took about 2-2.5 hours total. Just make sure when you put it back together you don't over tighten the castle nut, it's easy to do. I think on mine they recommended to tighten it to something like 25-50 foot #'s then back off, than tighten to something like 5 #'s. You will have to check on what yours recommend's.

You shouldn't have to remove the race to inspect the bearing...or the race itself. The wear surface is easy to see and remains inside the drum. Only replace the race if you replace the bearing. To get to the rear bearing just use the seal puller to remove the seal. The bearing should come right out. Hope that helps.


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[Steven@147]

It's a pretty easy & straight forward job. I did mine for the first time last spring. The only thing I didn't understand is they say to inspect & repack but the rear race & bearing you got to hammer out with a punch. Now maybe it's ok to inspect, clean & re-grease & than put it back in but I figured since I've got everything apart I just replaced everything with new. Wasn't sure about putting the rear's back in? Took the seals and bearings to the local Napa store & they matched with what I had. Job took about 2-2.5 hours total. Just make sure when you put it back together you don't over tighten the castle nut, it's easy to do. I think on mine they recommended to tighten it to something like 25-50 foot #'s then back off, than tighten to something like 5 #'s. You will have to check on what yours recommend's.

Sometimes its hard for people to explain how to do something they have been doing all their lives, it leaves a newbie with questions or misunderstandings, especially in just written instructions. Video's are better if they show everything, instead of leaving out something they think is self explanatory.

Just my helpful hints - For drum brakes - don't forget to loosen up the adjuster for the brake shoes, otherwise you may not get the drum off, then remove the outer keeper, nut, and bearing, then once you get the drum off the spindle, turn it over and pull the rear seal out of the back side, you can even use a claw hammer and a block of wood in a pinch to get the seal out, then the rear inner bearing will just fall out in your hand. Never reuse a rear seal.
Old school - The bearing and race is sometimes referred to as cone and cup.

Talking about the rear inner bearing - You don't have to "hammer" out the race, unless the bearing shows signs of failure (pitting, scratches, gouging, dark spots from over heating, flat spots, galling, rust from water intrusion) and needs to be replaced. The same could be said for the outer bearing. You also will notice signs of a bearing going bad on the race surface, same symptoms as listed. In replacing you always replace the bearing and race as a pair.
Never hit a bearing with a hammer of any kind (steel or rubber) and never use a bearing to seat a race into the drum. To seat a new race into a drum, its best to use a race/seal driver tool. In a pinch use and old race on top of the new race to seat it into the drum, tap it in, do not hammer drive it in. If you got to hammer drive it in you got the race started in crooked and to continue you could damage the race and therefore case the bearing to go bad right after replacement.

Rotors for disk brakes are not any different procedure, except to remove the disk brake caliper.

[DECelt]

Sometimes its hard for people to explain how to do something they have been doing all their lives, it leaves a newbie with questions or misunderstandings, especially in just written instructions. Video's are better if they show everything, instead of leaving out something they think is self explanatory.

Just my helpful hints - For drum brakes - don't forget to loosen up the adjuster for the brake shoes, otherwise you may not get the drum off, then remove the outer keeper, nut, and bearing, then once you get the drum off the spindle, turn it over and pull the rear seal out of the back side, you can even use a claw hammer and a block of wood in a pinch to get the seal out, then the rear inner bearing will just fall out in your hand. Never reuse a rear seal.
Old school - The bearing and race is sometimes referred to as cone and cup.

Talking about the rear inner bearing - You don't have to "hammer" out the race, unless the bearing shows signs of failure (pitting, scratches, gouging, dark spots from over heating, flat spots, galling, rust from water intrusion) and needs to be replaced. The same could be said for the outer bearing. You also will notice signs of a bearing going bad on the race surface, same symptoms as listed. In replacing you always replace the bearing and race as a pair.
Never hit a bearing with a hammer of any kind (steel or rubber) and never use a bearing to seat a race into the drum. To seat a new race into a drum, its best to use a race/seal driver tool. In a pinch use and old race on top of the new race to seat it into the drum, tap it in, do not hammer drive it in. If you got to hammer drive it in you got the race started in crooked and to continue you could damage the race and therefore case the bearing to go bad right after replacement.

Rotors for disk brakes are not any different procedure, except to remove the disk brake caliper.

Just to clarify, my Dexter self adjusting brakes don't even have an adjustment window in the backplate...no need to ever back off or adjust my Dexter self adjusting.

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