mowermech
Billings, MT
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Joined: 06/28/2003
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It is quite simple; READ the instructions that came with your trailer. FOLLOW the instructions EXACTLY!
Bearing Buddies are for boat trailers. I don't think you have Bearing Buddies on a fifth wheel trailer. However, anything is possible...
CM1, USN (RET)
'94 Dodge 3500 4X2 CTD, 5 speed, 4.10 LS diff., Jacobs Rambrake, 274,000 Miles
'99 Monaco McKenzie 32' triple slide
'95 Tioga 29H Ford-based Class C
Daily driver: '08 Subaru Outback
Towed: '06 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited/Load Trail 16' flatbed
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Likes to tow
Huntington WV
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Joined: 01/13/2006
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On cars and trucks you hand pack the wheel bearings. They are good to go thousands of miles. What makes camping trailer bearing different?? They are not submerged like boat trailers. So what is the big deal about EZ Lube axles? Why would you want to keep putting grease in the bearing cavity? It does not evaporate. If your seals are good why not check them once a year and hand pack if necessary. I had a real bad experience on my 5th wheel that has EZ Lube axles. The previous owner had done a real good job of keeping the bearings greased. However he also coated the actuator magnet and brake shoes with lots and lots of grease. The grease seals had let go on all four wheels and all the lube when into the brake drum area. Why do people think they need to keep greasing wheel bearings?? Camping trailers are not submerged like boat trailers!!!
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Gunpilot77
Killeen, Tx
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Joined: 10/06/2000
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Bipeflier wrote:
Oh, wait, folks never lube the front wheel bearings on their truck! Same miles, more load (turning). What is the difference?
Wrong. I clean, inspect a pack the wheel bearings every 50k miles on my pickup. There is a difference in the loading on the bearings of tandem axle trailers which IMO causes more stress and heat than the front wheel bearings of a pickup. I wouldn't pump the hub full of grease if I had EZ lube spindles either. I do have them on my boat trailer (no brakes) and they DO leak grease past the seals after awhile. I wouldn't take a chance with them on an axle with brakes.
Fifth wheel pulled with a pick-up
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KSadler1
Albuquerque, NM
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Joined: 05/30/2007
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jliveit wrote:Hey let the old farts that like to play in grease play, they just have know idea how the new systems work.
New systems? Wow, you must be pretty young. I'm still under 50 but that probably qualifies me as an "old fart" to you. I've learned a lot from your so called "old farts". Do yourself a favor and start listening to the people who have "been there and done that".
There was a post on here a few weeks back about a guy losing his whole wheel when the bearings burned up. I know a guy that has a 5er that is ten years old and has never taken the hubs off or packed the bearings. He has the E-Z Lube system and squirts grease in all the time. It has worked for him and he's never had a problem. I wouldnt recommend doing that for that long but he seems fine with it. It would make me nervous. Like I said, to each his own.....
Ken
2008 Ford F250 XLT Super Duty SB Crew Cab 6.8L V-10 4x4 4:10
2005 Keystone Copper Canyon Sprinter
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jliveit
ohio
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Joined: 02/21/2008
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KSadler1 wrote:jliveit wrote:Hey let the old farts that like to play in grease play, they just have know idea how the new systems work.
New systems? Wow, you must be pretty young. I'm still under 50 but that probably qualifies me as an "old fart" to you. I've learned a lot from your so called "old farts". Do yourself a favor and start listening to the people who have "been there and done that".
There was a post on here a few weeks back about a guy losing his whole wheel when the bearings burned up. I know a guy that has a 5er that is ten years old and has never taken the hubs off or packed the bearings. He has the E-Z Lube system and squirts grease in all the time. It has worked for him and he's never had a problem. I wouldnt recommend doing that for that long but he seems fine with it. It would make me nervous. Like I said, to each his own.....
Ken
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jliveit
ohio
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Joined: 02/21/2008
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Quess I have you beat then because Im 59 and and still beleive in learning and the changing times. Like I said if you have nothing better to do and like to play in grease then by all means keep up the hand packing.
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cwit
new york
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Joined: 07/20/2008
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I can tell you the brakes on my camper don't auto adjust so I jack up camper every 3to 4,000 miles and adjust my brakes and give a good look over. If you can see greese on backer plate area it's to late,shoes are covered. I pack my bearings about 12,000 miles. Why because this has been the way I was taught some 40 odd years ago. If you feel safe grabbing a greesegun than do your thing but I just want to know what is inside.
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up2nogood
Utah
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Joined: 02/20/2008
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jliveit wrote:Quess I have you beat then because Im 59 and and still beleive in learning and the changing times. Like I said if you have nothing better to do and like to play in grease then by all means keep up the hand packing.
Have you ever played in the grease ?? Have you ever hand packed a bearing in your 59 years ?? It is pretty simple to pump a grease gun, and my thoughts is the manufacturer thinks this is better than nothing, and having you fry your bearings because you do not want to play in the grease. Anyone that has packed a wheel bearing knows that pumping grease into a cavity is not going to force grease into a bearing, it will coat the outside, but not the inside, but by all means keep pumping.
* This post was
edited 07/03/09 09:52am by up2nogood *
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SlickWillie
Coastal Bend Texas
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Joined: 12/01/2006
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up2nogood wrote:Anyone that has packed a wheel bearing knows that pumping grease into a cavity is not going to force grease into a bearing, it will coat the outside, but not the inside, but by all means keep pumping.
I could care less how everyone maintains their wheel bearings, but I don't understand that statement. The only route the grease has to the outside is through both bearings, and if you rotate the hub as recommended, it will distribute the grease through out the bearing. We have the EZ-lube hubs on the Mountaineer, but I've never used them. Neither have I disassembled the hubs and hand packed either. I had them on a cargo trailer I bought used, and not knowing it's history, I used the zerks to replace the grease. They worked just like advertised.
Will
2009 Chevy CC D/A 2500HD 4X4
2006 Montana Mountaineer 303RLD
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cwit
new york
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Slick I have one question for you and that is how do you know when to stop pumping that gun?
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