how to use eze lube system?

[Scott'n'Wendy]

I believe they are dexter axles under your trailer. Installed by lippert.

[jmbopp]

I'll admit to using the EZL lube zerks. Before the first time using them, I'll repacked the bearings by hand to ensure I use the same grease both for packing and my grease gun.
I jack up the axle and remove the wheel and grease cap. Then I pull the cotter pin and check the bearing end play. When pumping grease I continually rotate the brake drum and pump slowly.2-3 pumps will flush the rear bearing. If you continue pumping until fresh grease come out you'll have flushed the old grease and the front bearing.

[duke13]

JMBOPP , Thanks for the info . how often do you use this method (zerk fitting ) We only put about 2000 miles a year now days.

[huntindog]

I'll admit to using the EZL lube zerks. Before the first time using them, I'll repacked the bearings by hand to ensure I use the same grease both for packing and my grease gun.
I jack up the axle and remove the wheel and grease cap. Then I pull the cotter pin and check the bearing end play. When pumping grease I continually rotate the brake drum and pump slowly.2-3 pumps will flush the rear bearing. If you continue pumping until fresh grease come out you'll have flushed the old grease and the front bearing.

You will only flush the old grease out the first time.

Doing as you state, here is what SHOULD happen.As you pump, new grease enters the inner bearing, pushing the old grease into the hub cavity. As you continue pumping, it will travel towards the outer bearing, When it gets there, it will then push thru the outer bearing, pushing the old grease out of it, and what you SHOULD see is old grease from both bearings exiting...... Now this is if everything goes perfectly, and your inner bearing seal holds the grease from exiting onto the brakes..... You will be taking a leap of faith here, as there is NO WAY to tell if it went well....... And this will take almost an entire tube of grease for each hub.....
The next time you do this, it will work somewhat differently. Since the hub is now filled with grease, in order to get all of the old grease out, you must push almost an entire tube in again! What you SHOULD see is TWO areas of dirty grease exit. First the outer bearing grease, followed by a lot of clean grease, then the dirty inner bearing grease SHOULD exit.... Now again,this is if all goes perfectly. Odds are it won't. Your pumping and turning of the wheel must be perfectly coordinanted each time, and you will be working blind each time. No way to telll if you got the hub cavity filled entirely the first time, or if there is gaps in the grease.... On the second application, the old grease probably will not make a consistent/even trip all the way around the spindle towards the outer bearing to exit,,, so it is likely that some of it will remain in the hub... In fact it may very well be entering the outer bearing when you call it good and stop pumping!
Remember, you are working blind. Without xray vision cannot tell just what is going on in there. With all of the pumping of grease that MUST happen in order for there to be a CHANCE of getting the all of the old grease out, it is very likely some will push out past the inner seal, onto the brakes.

So to sum it it up, you need to be lucky for this to work perfectly, and as the miles/years go by, and the seals degrade. You will need to be luckier each time you do it.

So do you feel lucky---- Well do ya?

[larry0071]

I've been feeling lucky with this system for 20 years. So far I've not had a seal leak in. I've always had my wife or a buddy spinning the wheel as I slowly pumped grease in. The only time I remove, clean out the hub and put new bearings in is when I decide to replace backing plate/brake assemblies and magnets/drums.

[DAVLIN]

The question I have is this . Do lippert axles work the same as the dexter axles as shown here
https://www.dexteraxle.com/docs/defa...sn=cfe1e328_42 Does the lippert zerk fitting feed both bearings, the rear and front bearing ??

Yikes. After years of travel trailering with Dexter axles and always using the E-Z Lube method for wheel bearings, now I'm concerned that somehow Lippert rear seals aren't robust enough. I did pretty extensive inspections of rear bearings after using E-Z Lube and found the rear bearings to be as thoroughly packed as if I did them by hand. Never had a bearing or rear seal problem, but you must, must, must spin the wheel while applying the grease. Failure to do so will prevent the complete removal of the old grease and thorough distribution of the new. My biggest complaint with the Dexter rear seals is that they are impossible to remove without damaging them. If you must remove a rear seal, make sure you have the proper replacement on hand!

[huntindog]

I've been feeling lucky with this system for 20 years. So far I've not had a seal leak in. I've always had my wife or a buddy spinning the wheel as I slowly pumped grease in. The only time I remove, clean out the hub and put new bearings in is when I decide to replace backing plate/brake assemblies and magnets/drums.

It is not a matter of if but when

[larry0071]

It is not a matter of if but when

So if in 20 years, it's not happened... I think I'll take my chances. You folks act like if it does happen, your parts store doesn't sell brake cleaner for $2.50 a can? It's not a big deal. Do your annual jack it up and spin/pump. Adjust the brakes while it's jacked up. When done, do your test drive. If you lost the brakes for the time in a couple decades.... do it again but this time remove and replace the seals. I've always done the bearings/seals/brakes/magnets all at one time/ My last 1999 equipment trailer that I sold last year had the full service done 2 times in 21 years. I never saw grease leakage.

You people make it out to be a much much bigger deal than it really is and you try to intimidate every owner into thinking it is total taboo and a near guaranteed failure to use the engineered system. Not so at all. Yes, user error can screw you almost every time.... And yes a seal failure can happen. But is it typical, normal or expected? Not at all.

User error = Wheel on the ground. Wheel in the air but not being rotated. Wheel in the air and rotated, but grease being pumped in fast or with a pneumatic gun. These will all help cause you pain and misery. But I hope that after a fellow reads all of the misinformation about the E-Z Lube, he's already seen/read the right way to do it more than a couple times.

Whatever, you do you.
Wear your mask, get your flu shots, pay $400 to have your bearings greased annually and don't forget to change your engine oil at 3500 miles because your grand-pap did.

I'll just be over here doing my thing as I've been doing for decades with equipment trailers that have the Dexter E-Z lube system spindles that give me many thousands of miles of service while being overloaded and beat on half the time.

[Nogrey]

So if in 20 years, it's not happened... I think I'll take my chances. You folks act like if it does happen, your parts store doesn't sell brake cleaner for $2.50 a can? It's not a big deal. Do your annual jack it up and spin/pump. Adjust the brakes while it's jacked up. When done, do your test drive. If you lost the brakes for the time in a couple decades.... do it again but this time remove and replace the seals. I've always done the bearings/seals/brakes/magnets all at one time/ My last 1999 equipment trailer that I sold last year had the full service done 2 times in 21 years. I never saw grease leakage.

You people make it out to be a much much bigger deal than it really is and you try to intimidate every owner into thinking it is total taboo and a near guaranteed failure to use the engineered system. Not so at all. Yes, user error can screw you almost every time.... And yes a seal failure can happen. But is it typical, normal or expected? Not at all.

User error = Wheel on the ground. Wheel in the air but not being rotated. Wheel in the air and rotated, but grease being pumped in fast or with a pneumatic gun. These will all help cause you pain and misery. But I hope that after a fellow reads all of the misinformation about the E-Z Lube, he's already seen/read the right way to do it more than a couple times.

Whatever, you do you.
Wear your mask, get your flu shots, pay $400 to have your bearings greased annually and don't forget to change your engine oil at 3500 miles because your grand-pap did.

I'll just be over here doing my thing as I've been doing for decades with equipment trailers that have the Dexter E-Z lube system spindles that give me many thousands of miles of service while being overloaded and beat on half the time.

This is a very interesting discussion to read. My question is: If the EZ Lube system isn't to be used, why is it there, and for that matter, why are millions of EZ Lube systems sold and installed every year on trailers. I'm not taking sides here, it would be nice to really know the answer.

[huntindog]

This is a very interesting discussion to read. My question is: If the EZ Lube system isn't to be used, why is it there, and for that matter, why are millions of EZ Lube systems sold and installed every year on trailers. I'm not taking sides here, it would be nice to really know the answer.

Follow the money
Lots of people have to replace their brakes because of EZ lube
Guess who sells them the parts

Even the manuals state that a annual disassembly/inspection is required maintenance
That is their CYA