Dexter 7k EzLube Maintenance

[Timd32]

I need to do some checks on my trailer.

13,800lb 24' Deckover
(2) Dexter 7k Ez Lubes are what's listed.

The trailer guy said make sure you check your bearings before and after my trip, yeah this was the night before my trip, did not have any time to do this and my miles are so low on this I went with it.

1. Can you check bearings by just removing the grease cap and leave the tires on? Then follow the instructions, tighten with a 12" long 1/2" ratchet, then loosen the nut, then finger tighten, seems pretty easy. Just don't know if you need to remove the tires to do a quick check.

2. Is there anything else I might want to look at annually besides the basic mechanical checks?

Here is a cool video I found. And the pdf I ran across for this.



Will need some better pics of the actual axles.

 

[GAmes]

You can only inspect the outer bearing unless you remove the wheel seal to get to the inner bearing, plus wipe all the grease off both. Then you will have to replace the grease you wiped off. IOW, a bearing repack. If the hubs haven't been submerged in water I wouldn't even pull off the dust caps. Either plan to do a complete repack or leave them alone. Whatever you decide to do DO NOT pump grease into the zerk fitting. You will almost certainly end up with grease inside the hub and on the brake shoes. The EZ lube hubs are the dumbest idea ever on a trailer that has drum brakes. Here are a couple pics of the hubs that are on a small trailer I bought where the last owner used the ez lube feature. No problem, because it didn't have brakes.

 

[GAmes]

As far as annual checks go, do you pull your truck's hubs off anually to check the bearings?

 

[BSeyler]

EZ Lube axles - I’ve always thought the best thing to do is take a ball peen hammer and beat the grease zerk flat so a grease gun can’t fit. Some people have not been too receptive to my advice…
They may have their place on a boat trailer.

 

[GAmes]

I had them on my last boat trailer. It didn't have brakes but after using them once I never used them again. It takes an entire tube of grease to purge the bearings and you end up with a hub full of grease. The grease expands when the hubs get warm and spit the grease out of the seals. So the end result is messy wheels and no idea if the bearings and races are serviceable.

 

[Timd32]

I have never greased these, I do get that where is the grease evaporating too?

The mileage is so low and no water submersion I never thought it was needed.

Truck hubs are sealed bearings, but I get the reference. But folks are putting some light grease in the ABS hole for the 4th Gens from what I have seen on here, I have not. I actually would have benefitted from annual wheel and disc removal, then hub checks on my '18 due to rust issues in the NE.

When the guy mentioned it "make sure you check your bearings before you head out" I thought well good luck not happening, and what exactly is that "check". Probably should have been honest and said I never heard of that and see what he said or had suggested.

The procedure I found is so easy as far as the torque goes, I thought this might be something folks were doing. Jack it up, remove grease cap, quick tighten and loosen, cap on and done. But really what is there to be wrong, if it was done properly from the factory it should last a long time.

But no way pulling all the wheels is what I was looking to do.

Unfortunately don't get to spec out the axle mfg on these entry level commercial trailers, maybe if it was a custom build, the place I purchase all my trailers from is a family owned local business that I have been going to for atleast 18 years, so this was not a upsell that they were trying to get some $ out of me.

Will carry on then. Appreciate the look here to see if I was missing something.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I used the EZ lube's on my 8k MORryde IS with disk brakes for 5 years full-time with zero issues. Not a darn thing wrong with that system. Hand pumped grease with someone rotating the tires until fresh grease appeared. Use quality synthetic grease that easily flows. Do NOT use an air driven grease gun.

Would I use EZ lube on drum brakes? I probably would as long as I started out with QUALITY US Made seals. Disk brakes it's a no brainer as you can see the seal.

I have changed to oil bath with National tru oil bath seals, love the system!!!

 

[GAmes]

Truck hubs are sealed bearings, but I get the reference.

.........if it was done properly from the factory it should last a long time.

Two things I wanted to quick comment on.

My front hubs are just like the trailer axles. Bearings and how to install them are exactly the same procedure. I have my truck on a 50,000 mile inspection and repack schedule.

Also, this is an EZ lube brake drum from my brand new 5er that had poor braking when I brought it home. As you can see "from the factory" isn't always good. Three of the four brake drums had grease in them.

 

[Cummins12V98]

GAmes they do not grease the EZ lube from the factory with the ZERK. You simply have PIZZ poor quality seals right front he factory.

 

[GAmes]

Yup, and they were made in the USA, a name brand at that. Kind of tempers your "I probably would as long as I started out with QUALITY US Made seals" Also wondering, just how do you inspect your bearings if all you do is pump grease into the zerk? Also, what do you do with the cartridge worth of used grease that is pumped through the hub?

 

[bcbender]

what do you do with the cartridge worth of used grease that is pumped through the hub?

Clean it up an throw it away, same as you would if re-packing by hand on a traditional setup. I've been doing it that way for 10y and been working fine, I will now pull hubs after the first decade of use and inspect, replace seals, etc, but been good so far on my Dexter EZ lube 7k axle pair

 

[Timd32]

I have not noticed any brake issues, probably should toss a IR gun in the truck and then check after a decent run, I have no good way to get to my house without using the brakes it's downhill both ways to get to my house.

And it's uphill both ways to get out, so always fun first turn out of the road you are on it pretty hard.

So maybe sounds like it's a good idea to check the brakes and not worry about the hubs.

For some reason I thought these were all in one the hub and the drum, I truly don't know never had a reason to have these apart.

No rush on this deal. Will probably try the IR deal first, that should give me some rough temperature numbers to see if a brake is working alot more or less then others.

As always appreciate the feedback, I have not had to work on many trailers, I know this is a smaller deal vs what a lot of folks deal with as well, and my use is so low there are gaps in the checks and information.

 

[GAmes]

Clean it up an throw it away, same as you would if re-packing by hand on a traditional setup. I've been doing it that way for 10y and been working fine, I will now pull hubs after the first decade of use and inspect, replace seals, etc, but been good so far on my Dexter EZ lube 7k axle pair

I've owned three different trailers with ez lube hubs. The first one was brand new. It leaked grease from the seals the first time I purged the grease through both bearings. The second one, the one I posted pictures from, was way less than a decade old when I bought it. The third one, the RV with brakes, never had grease pumped through the zerks. I'm wondering if you understand how the hubs work. The spindles are drilled and grease pumped into the zerk fittings exits two small holes between the seal and the inner bearing. From there, in theory, it travels through the inner bearing, fills the hub and then through the outer bearing and exits around the end of the spindle. Sounds good in theory, but in reality it doesn't work very well. The grease will take the path of least resistance. That path, more than likely, is between the seal and the the spindle surface it rides on because the other path is through the bearing, through the center of the hub, then trhough another bearing.

I can only conclude that you have never really purged the old grease from both bearings in all the hubs on the trailer, instead pumped a couple shots into each zerk and called it a day. But if you are incredibly lucky and have actually purged each hub without leakage the luck was with you in spades because you didn't ever inspect the bearings or races.

 

[GAmes]

............ probably should toss a IR gun in the truck and then check after a decent run.................

No need to buy an IR gun, even though they aren't that expensive. I have one but have never used it in trailer hubs. Instead, I just check the heat with my hand while I'm stopped for fuel or a rest break. I check both the tires and the hubs. If any are so hot I can't keep my hand on them I have a problem.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Yup, and they were made in the USA, a name brand at that. Kind of tempers your "I probably would as long as I started out with QUALITY US Made seals" Also wondering, just how do you inspect your bearings if all you do is pump grease into the zerk? Also, what do you do with the cartridge worth of used grease that is pumped through the hub?

Bottom line your leaking grease was NOT a result of using the ZERK as they do NOT use it at the factory.

I wipe the excess grease off as it comes out and place it in the trash. I did the grab the wheel on opposite sides and did the push pull test and if small to no play I would simply grease the tube. I never adjusted the bearings in 5 years and I was running 17,500-18,000# on 8k axles. I always IR the tires and hubs at every stop. After 5 years when I took the hubs apart the bearings looked NEW. Of course I used AMZ/OIL grease so that is probably why I had no issues.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I ran at least 1/2 tube of grease thru each spindle and maybe more before clean grease appeared. The double lip seal is designed to compress against the spindle.

I personally will never own a drum brake trailer again so no worries about the seals leaking but I am telling you the truth mine never leaked a bit over 5 years with the disk brakes.

I hate drums so much I replaced my axles and went with disks and EOH actuator on my boat trailer. The bearings are sealed and have a 5/100k warranty.

 

[Timd32]

No need to buy an IR gun, even though they aren't that expensive. I have one but have never used it in trailer hubs. Instead, I just check the heat with my hand while I'm stopped for fuel or a rest break. I check both the tires and the hubs. If any are so hot I can't keep my hand on them I have a problem.

I do check all my tires that way every fuel stop. Always wondered if folks thought that was odd when I did that.

I do have a pretty good sense of heat smell, if that's a thing, we work on electrical stuff and it's kinda important stuff does not melt down, I've not noticed any heat realted noises from the brakes and the sort.

That can bite you on customers rides when they wear them thru the cords and you do that and they stab you.

I've been running these on "Light Electric" brake setting, really never read up on the break over but think there is a "Heavy Electric" not sure when that would be used.

Well we killed this one pretty well, the 12mo, 12k myth has been busted. Will keep on keeping on. I do have limited time, but wanted to make sure I'm not missing something here.

 

[GAmes]

Bottom line your leaking grease was NOT a result of using the ZERK as they do NOT use it at the factory.

I'm well aware of that. However, had I been a believer in the EZ lube system and only one hub was leaking I might have never pulled the drums off in the first place. Since three "double lipped" seals were leaking I had minimal brakes between OR and TX. I've also had the internals fail inside the drum, nothing you would find without removing the brake drum. You can rely on the luck you have experienced during your trips. I like knowing what my equipment is doing. BTW, I replaced the drum brakes with elec/hyd discs on the fiver, but when the bearings need repacking I won't be using a grease gun. My deckover flat bed and my enclosed car trailer will retain their drum brakes. I don't double tow with them. My boat trailer came with disk brakes. I've had to replace a hub/disk because a brake pad failed. Probably due to being submerged in water after towing the boat to a lake.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Not arguing simply stating EZ lube had nothing to do with three leaking seals. I hate drums simply for the reason shown in your pic EZ lube or not!

I guess if there was an easy way to keep an eye on the seals on drum's the EZ would be fine but not knowing is not good for sure!!!

 

[Cummins12V98]

These were brand new three seasons earlier. I washed out the salt water every time. Boat trailer.

every time.