# Lubed The Axels Today



## hyewalt34 (May 9, 2004)

Hello All,

It had been a year since I lubed the axel bearings for the first time, and was a little surprised that each one took about 10 pumps. I don't think that's a big deal however I though I'd pass on the information.

For those of you that havn't done this, it's really easy. It won't even take you 10 minutes.

Walter


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Walter

It took me a few extra pumps beyond the 10 mark my 1st time.

Thor


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## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

Yep, mine too almost 30 pumps a piece to see grease. One zerk would not take grease so I had to replace that too.

Randy


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

51 pumps into each of the passenger side wheels, 32 each into the other side







Maybe my grease gun doesn't deliver much at a time


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

3/4 tube of grease here. Pumps


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## RVCarolina (Jul 31, 2004)

About 40 pumps at each wheel on ours. I continued with an extra 10 - 15 pumps till I saw fresh grease ooze out, then wiped up the excess. Seemed like a good idea. Anybody have any thoughts on this?








Also noticed that one of the cotter pins was not bent back far enough, and had really torn up the inside of the little rubber hub plug. Will pick up a new plug this week.
Fred.


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## pasquamd (Jan 18, 2005)

Grease gun very in pressure and hence the amount of grease used per pump. Simply grease guns come in low medium and high pressure. I think low pressure are best. Although that means it takes more pumps to get the grease required.


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## Drew'smom (Mar 18, 2004)

OK.............What are you talking about? How do ya do it and where do you get it?
Please don't think I'm nuts. Hubby is at work and may already have done this and I can't check........but I've never seen him do this...................


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Right smack in the middle of each wheel there is a little black rubber cap that you pry out to expose a "Zerk" fitting. This is where you connect a standard grease gun and pump the grease into the wheel bearings. You don't need to unbolt anything to do this and it's really easy


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## RVCarolina (Jul 31, 2004)

You do need to jack up the TT and turn the wheel by hand as you pump the grease in. This helps distribute the fresh grease. (Thats what I've read, anyhow.)
Fred.


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## Walker Camping Co. (May 17, 2005)

RVCarolina said:


> You do need to jack up the TT and turn the wheel by hand as you pump the grease in. This helps distribute the fresh grease. (Thats what I've read, anyhow.)
> Fred.
> [snapback]39648[/snapback]​


Couldn't you just hook-up to the TV and pull it a little? That's what I was planning to do. Let me know if this is a bad idea.

Also, mine is only about 4 months old when should I do this?

JW


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

> Couldn't you just hook-up to the TV and pull it a little?


That's what I did. Greased them, then pulled forward about a 1,000 miles. Figured it was distributed.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Vdub, Did you distribute forward only? Or was it necessary to do the same distance in reverse









John


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

It was forward only. Reverse and I don't get along to well.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

It is best to jack it up and spin the wheel while you grease. As the grease only comes out at best in 2 places as you pump it in.

The hole down the spindle leads to a cross drilled hole between the inner seal and the inner bearing. I do not know if the cross drilled hole goes all the way through the spindle or just to the center.

Spinning the wheel helps push the grease through the bearing as you grease it.

But I guess you could do this by pulling forward a little with the DW running along side pumping the grease gun. When you do suggest this to her make sure it is a grease gun you hand her as she may have other ideas on what to do with the gun!!


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## katiesda (Sep 30, 2003)

Okay, your talking to a rookie here when you start talking about lubing the axles etc. I have all the info about the grease points etc but what i don't have is info about the actual grease. Is it any special type? where do you get it? any particular brand etc? Thanks in advance for any help and thanks again for all the help I have alreday received from this forum.

Bob


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## cookie9933 (Feb 26, 2005)

Bob,

Did your dealer give you a pamphlet from the axle manufacturer (AL-KO) ? You should have it with all your trailer information. That pamphlet should specify the correct grease.

Since I don't have my AL-KO literature in front of me, I would think that a high-pressure lithium base grease would be appropriate. Usually tubes of grease will state what the grease is meant for and would mention wheel bearings, printed on the tube.

Bill


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## jrayburg (Jan 27, 2004)

Don't you have to take the wheels off to get the center caps off? Then get inside the other cap to get to the Zirk fitting?

My dealer told me that they didn't have to be greased...just repacked every 10k miles or so.

I guess I better get to greasing.

I religiously grease my boat trailer axels and wondered by what magical power the RV didn't need the same treatment.


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## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

jrayburg said:


> Don't you have to take the wheels off to get the center caps off? Then get inside the other cap to get to the Zirk fitting?
> [snapback]49856[/snapback]​


Nope, just remove the rubber seal on the hub. The zerk is behind there.

Randy


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Schantz said:


> I've been told by several trailer techs that the danger with greasing the bearings with a grease gun is its easy to push grease out the back seals and lube the brakes...make them so they don't work.
> 
> Anyone have any problems after they greased the bearings with a grease gun??
> 
> ...


The design of the hubs on the Outback have an open front and you can not over pressure the back seal and blow grease by. It is safe to do but since many people feel they need to do a visual inspection on the bearings and brake pads each year they see the lube system as a waste of effort.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Bob - Was it your Outback where the seals blew out??


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## RVCarolina (Jul 31, 2004)

Bob, Thanks for the "heads-up". I've not had any problems (yet) since lubing the bearings with a grease gun, and I've towed well over a thousand miles since. But to be sure, I guess I'll pull the hubs next time. 
Dexter supplies this E-Z lube feature to a LOT of RV makers - I wonder if this is a wide-spread problem, or just a batch of bad seals.
Just out of curiousity, (no I'm not trying to start an argument







) Why would you lube the bearings on a new '05 trailer? How long after the lube did you notice the problem? Did the dealer confirm that it WAS grease on your brakes that caused the problem? And, did the warranty cover the cost? If it did, I bet Outback passes the repair cost back to Dexter.
Anyway, Just trying to get some peace-of-mind here, for me and maybe some others. Give us more details if you have the time.
Fred


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## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

I am NOT an expert here but I remembered this post and thought it should be mentioned. I'm not claming that this is an Outback issue because I don't know.

Lube issue


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## kjdj (Sep 14, 2004)

To clear up some confusion. The EZ-Lube is a different animal from the "Bearing Buddies" on boat trailers.
It is common for Bearing buddies to mess things up they have a spring loaded plunger. If grease is over pumped the spring would bottom out and blow the inner bearing seal.

I just can't see how this blowing the inner seal can happen in the EZ-Lube system. There is only one inner seal. There is no outer seal so the gease is clear to exit the outer part of the hub.

I think RV techs talk stories to impress consumers.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Has anyone checked the axle manual? Pretty sure I did several months ago and I think it says "feel'er up". Yet, like everyone else, I have been told by my dealer that "just a little bit'l do'er". The conflicting info does add to the confusion. I trust my dealer explictly, but shouldn't manufacturer's manual be the gospel?


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## RVCarolina (Jul 31, 2004)

Err, Yo! vdub! You SURE thats what the manual says??



































Or, could it possibly say "fill-er up" ?








Fred


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

ROTFLMAO!! Freudian slip?


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