Check Your Wheel Bearings

[Hokensalem]

When doing something as important as wheel bearing maintenance, I don't trust what I can't see.

Well said. And don.t trust other peoples work that you don't know.

[Bamaman]

Well said. And don't trust other peoples work that you don't know.

I know LCI has put time into trying to figure out the proper lubrication to pump into the hubs--to avoid blowing the rear seals and contaminating the brakes. But their carelessness over the years in the guise of saving labor (time) has been a serious safety risk to so many travel trailer and fifth wheel owners. I also don't like to see manual adjusting brakes standard on the first Grand Design products--until recently. In other words, I just don't trust LCI's methods.

Pulling the hubs, cleaning the bearings and handpacking them is just not that big of a job. But it is dirty and greasy.

[offtohavasu]

I know LCI has put time into trying to figure out the proper lubrication to pump into the hubs--to avoid blowing the rear seals and contaminating the brakes. But their carelessness over the years in the guise of saving labor (time) has been a serious safety risk to so many travel trailer and fifth wheel owners. I also don't like to see manual adjusting brakes standard on the first Grand Design products--until recently. In other words, I just don't trust LCI's methods.

Pulling the hubs, cleaning the bearings and handpacking them is just not that big of a job. But it is dirty and greasy.

Not sure about the Imagine line, but the others went with Dexter axles/hubs a few years ago.

[boyscout]

Understand completely. For those who like to wrench, check your bearings.The easy lube is not easy if you do it right IMO. The wheel must be spun counterclockwise and the grease slowly pumped in. Have done this a number of times, never on the current unit, but a number of times on other units. No issues with blown seals so far. A couple of pumps before each trip ensures bearings are not dry.

Wow, really?!

Our dealer has misled us on many things, but I've believed that the dealer's advice of one pump of grease about every 5K-7K miles was reasonable. Seems to me, a couple of pumps before every trip (of how long?) would have grease coming out the seals and onto the brakes in short order.

Also, 'counterclockwise' would be in the direction of travel on the driver's side while it would be against the direction of travel on the passenger side. Which should it be?

[Skiddy]

Wow, really?!

Our dealer has misled us on many things, but I've believed that the dealer's advice of one pump of grease about every 5K-7K miles was reasonable. Seems to me, a couple of pumps before every trip (of how long?) would have grease coming out the seals and onto the brakes in short order.

Also, 'counterclockwise' would be in the direction of travel on the driver's side while it would be against the direction of travel on the passenger side. Which should it be?

Counter clockwise for both sides, has nothing to do with the wheel rotation, it is not like the Dodge products of old with left hand threads on the wheel studs. Counter clockwise spin when purging old grease is to keep the mechanically challenged from spinning the zerk out. Advice was from an RV/mechanic I trust, not the dealer. Dealer advised to bring it in and let them do it for the equivalent of a down payment on a new Tow Vehicle. Also, being out west our typical trip is in the 3000Km range. You make a good point, if your average trip is a couple of hundred klicks in stop and go cottage country traffic, grease attention before a trip is not needed.

[Dick 641]

Counter clockwise for both sides, has nothing to do with the wheel rotation, it is not like the Dodge products of old with left hand threads on the wheel studs. Counter clockwise spin when purging old grease is to keep the mechanically challenged from spinning the zerk out. Advice was from an RV/mechanic I trust, not the dealer. Dealer advised to bring it in and let them do it for the equivalent of a down payment on a new Tow Vehicle. Also, being out west our typical trip is in the 3000Km range. You make a good point, if your average trip is a couple of hundred klicks in stop and go cottage country traffic, grease attention before a trip is not needed.

The zerk cannot spin out no matter which way you spin the wheel, the zerk is in the end of the axle which doesn't move.

[Tim2542]

Id not use the EZ lube Zerks for a couple of reasons, 1 you don't know whats in there now, what grease type, or if they are adjusted properly, about to fail or what. They need to be inspected, period. If you use a grease that happens to be incompatible with whats in there already it can create other problems. 2, you WILL eventually fill the hub completely, when this happens the grease expanding from heat will just push past the seal assuming you have not already done that with your grease gun, and contaminate the brakes. Pull, clean, inspect, repack. If you dont, your just hoping its okay in there.

[donandann]

Will mobile guys so the hubs usually?

Anyone have it done? What should it cost?

I just had it done at our dealer while they were doing some warranty work. I cost us about $200.00

[emessmer1]

Hubs are easy lube are they not? A couple of pumps before each outing is advisable, or so I was told. After first year, pump in enough to exchange the grease, then maybe every couple of years, YMMV.

No, No, No and NO!

I had a Keystone Fuzion 345 and chose to do my own re=packs last year right before we decided to trade it in for a GDRV 395M.


I'm busy with work right now so this is going to be very brief. When you use the quick lube fittings, 2 things happen. You either grease ONLY the back bearing or you use so much grease to get the front ones that you WILL end up with grease on your breaks b/c it takes damn near 3/4 a tube of that stuff to fill the cavity enough to reach the front side bearings.


Pull your tires, pull your hubs and do them the right way by hand! I talked to Dexter, granted, from what I know GDRV uses Lippert, but same deal, and they, CONTRARY to what the manual tells you, told me verbally that their guys ONLY re-pack by hand.

[Saldog]

The thing that is a component of the greasable bearings is having the exit port (small hole) on the in-board side of the hub so the grease can be flushed out of the hub. The problem on a lot of these axle setups equipped with the "ez-lube setup" is there is no exit port so excess grease flows past the axle seals and contaminates the brakes. Look at boat trailers with these setups, you will see a small exit port. The grease contained in that port keeps the water from entering the axle hub.

It is good preventive maintenance to check your brakes and all components periodically.

Some axle manufacturers are offering sealed bearings, like in the auto industry to do away with these issues.