Adding Grease to the Wheel Bearings

[Denny_A]

Originally Posted by BobRederick

....snip..... So 3 wheels took grease nicely but the 4th wouldn't seem to take grease, also evidenced by little surplus grease under the rubber cap. After a trip and then reading this post, I tried again tonight and was successful. I'm not sure why and am wondering if the bearing might stop the passage way depending on how it is located.
......snip..........
Since I was greasing the wheels tonight after dark, I used a headlamp with 4 LED diode lights. This is the greatest light source for all the camper things that happen after dark.

Zerk (sp; dzerk? dzus? zuess?) fittings sometime clog from small particles lodged behind the one-way valve. Usually, the obstruction will dislodge if you get really angry, hold the nozzle on the fitting really tightly, pump and jocky the angle of the nozzle until the grease stops oozing out around the sides of the fitting. Otherwise, replace the zerk fitting.

Re: LED headlamp. Nice device, that. I use mine for walking the dog in the campground (and oops-scooping) AND then supplementing ---marginal--- lighting in the trailer whilst reading. Dog gets concerned when I set it to strobe mode, but that's the kind of stuff up with which he puts to earn free room and board!

Denny_A

[B_and_D]

It's nice to know that others like the headlights too..I just bought one (not LED) and although the kids make fun of me when I'm wearing it, it's the most useful thing I've bought in quite a while. I use it to read at night too. Tried to check out the REI site but it was down for maintenance. The one I have uses up my rechargeable NiCad batteries more often than I'd like, so will have to check out the LED ones.

I guess we've got another trip or so before we have to do the wheel bearings again...

The manual says that you're supposed to pull them out and look at them...to see if they're OK...we do feel them for excessive heat when we pull off to a rest stop, but haven't pulled them out yet.

Has anybody done that?

This looks like an old thread, but I hope someone is still around. I have owned a 97 2619 for almost 4 years and I have never greased the bearings! I tried to clean and pack the bearings on our popup every spring. I didn't think these EZ lube bearings needed much if any attention (and very little grease when neccessary). We have at least 10000 miles of use in these 4 years.

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by Glenn in TN

This looks like an old thread, but I hope someone is still around. I have owned a 97 2619 for almost 4 years and I have never greased the bearings! I tried to clean and pack the bearings on our popup every spring. I didn't think these EZ lube bearings needed much if any attention (and very little grease when neccessary). We have at least 10000 miles of use in these 4 years.

EZ Lube is not the same as the Nev-R-Lube.

Actually the EZ lube bearings need attention at least annually and, in some respects, need a lot more grease than a traditional bearing assembly. Considering how black the grease is that comes out when flushed using the EZ lube mechanism each year, I strongly suspect the grease in your bearings is in very bad shape and the bearings themselves are possibly suspect.

Quoting from Dexter's website FAQ
"The E-Z Lube option was designed specifically for the marine application where the axles are constantly being immersed in water. This feature provides a convenient method for purging the water from the hub cavity without having to pull the hub every time. The hubs should be removed every 12 months or 12,000 miles to inspect the bearings and it is imperative to replace the seal at this time to assure that the grease does not leak out the back onto the brake linings rendering the brakes non-functional. "

Since your trailer's bearings have had no maintenance in at least 4 years, I strongly recommend you disassemble your bearings ASAP for a close inspection, replace bearings/races/seals as needed, and then hand repack the bearings just like you did with the popup's bearings. Thereafter use the EZ lube mechanism at least annually to fully flush the old grease out and do a full bearing disassembly every 12,000 miles.

Originally Posted by Bill

I'm about to do my EZ-Lubes again, as we prepare to leave Maine for Arizona. Having learned from the last couple times, and after discussion with MikeD about his Nev-R-Fails, I think that this time I am going to pop off the little sheet metal hub cover before I connect the grease gun. It's just a friction fit, and should come off fairly easily if I tunk it with a piece of wood. With the cover off, it will be a lot easier to see what I am doing, get the old grease off the hub, avoid cut fingers, and avoid grease splats all over the wheel as we travel. If anything goes wrong with this approach, I'll post - but I think it will be a big improvement.

Bill

Removing the hub is a HUGE improvement. Place several sheets of newspaper under the tire and the grease just drops to the ground as you add more. In no time clean grease appears, a simple wipe around the edges with finger and clean up is done. Just make sure you get the hub seated all the way back in when you put it back on.

Okay, so two greasy questions:

1. Does everyone use the general purpose black grease cartridges, or wheel bearing specific stuff?

2. Upon removing my rubber cap and hub cover, I noticed that the zerk is off-center such that I'm not convinced I can get the gun over the end of it.
Should the zerk be perfectly centered in the cavity??

Thanks,

Steve

[Bill]

The zerk fitting should be centered, and pointing straight out of the cavity. Sounds like someone yanked the grease gun off the fitting last time, and nearly removed the fitting from its receptacle. Many zerk fittings are threaded into the hole, some are simply pressed in. Either way, you should be able to straighten it or replace it. BTW, replacement zerks are cheap at any auto-supply store.

No, general purpose grease is NOT adequate. You need to find grease that says, somewhere on the package, "NLGI 2" or "NLGI No. 2". It might also say some other things, like NLGI 1 or NLGI 1.5. It is OK if they say these things, as long as they also say "NLGI 2".

Bill

Well, I cleaned out all the grease from around the zerk, and then remembered that these fittings are threaded. Got my little socket and removed the zerk, carefully threading it straight when re-installing. Now all is well, and I was able to grease the bearing just fine. Took a lot of pumps before any old grease came out, so I'm guessing things were well overdue. Will see if the other side is similar. I love this ez lube concept!

[Bill]

Whoa! Threaded zerks - glad you mentioned that. I have corrected my post above.

Bill

[ripp1202]

Two tubes of NGLI#2 grease,two boxes of towels, cut fingers ,But now I have the bearing greased !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Took longer then I thought but was easier then taken the wheels off ! Love the E-Z lube bearing! Leaving for Myrtle Beach,SC tomorrow at 5:00 for the week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Rip