Clearly I had no idea how to grease trailer wheel bearings that have zerk fittings.

[mcmxi]

I picked up 8,500lb of firewood today with the 16ft PJ dump trailer, and before heading out checked tire pressure and put a few pumps of grease in each of the four wheel bearing zerks. On a whim I Googled "greasing wheel bearings with zerk fittings" this afternoon and clearly I had no idea how to grease the bearings properly. I have five trailers that have zerk fittings on the wheel bearings, four tandem axle and one single axle so 18 zerks in all, so it's about time I learned how to service them.

 

[OntheRidge]

1 tube per wheel seems.....excessive?

 

[mcmxi]

1 tube per wheel seems.....excessive?

Yeah, I don't know about the quantity, but the method of spinning the wheel and pumping in grease, and having the old grease work itself out of the bearing was a revelation. I'll have to try this in the spring since I don't plan on pulling trailers in the winter when there's salt on the roads. I got lucky this week with clear, dry roads so I was able to get down and up my driveway and not expose the dump trailer to salt.

 

[Vigo]

There are a lot of zerk fittings that almost seem like they are there for the placebo effect because they lead into giant chasms that 99.9% of people would never pump enough grease into to actually fill it up.

 

[mcmxi]

There are a lot of zerk fittings that almost seem like they are there for the placebo effect because they lead into giant chasms that 99.9% of people would never pump enough grease into to actually fill it up.

Zerk fittings seem to be common now on trailers and I have no idea if they're a good thing or a bad thing. In theory they should be good if they're used properly and in a timely manner. I have a couple of older (cheaper) trailers that have the standard wheel bearings, but the three PJs, MidSota and Coyote are all 2016 or later, and all have the zerks at each wheel.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

ah.... yes on the internet (better yet someone made a youtube video) so it must be correct and true??

Dexter the system manufacturer says....
Check the hub grease level before every launch. Additional grease isn’t
required if the piston or blue ring can be moved or rocked by pushing on
its edge. If the piston doesn’t rock or move, add grease until the piston
moves outward about 1/8”. Do not fill the protector beyond 1/8” piston
movement. Always be sure to check before your first trip of each season.

for me this is usually 2 or 3 pumps.

A whole tube per wheel?? could only imagine the mess that would make once you hit highway speeds. grease sh@rts everywhere.


but heck it was on the youtube by a guy who trolls for likes and subscriptions to make advertising bucks so for sure better source than the engineers that designed.

Me I will stick with a single top shelf brand and 2 or 3 pumps every couple 1,000 miles when dry and 1 pump if submerged like at a boat launch.

 

[Tarmy]

Tear apart a hub and take a look at it…learn why the manufacturer says what MapleLeafFarmer posted. There is an external spring in there that expands and settles pushing in the center of the hub to keep grease packed in there as it heats/cools and spread out or leaks out. Couple pumps and that center eases out a bit and your done as the reservoir is replenished with the new grease which will eventually be forced into the bearing by that spring pressure. That is what is on my trailers.

there are several types of hub styles, some don’t have an external spring.

 

[jimh406]

Yeah, from all I’ve ever heard, too much grease blows the seal which is super common. I guess once the seal is gone, an entire tube per hub makes sense.

 

[Outnumbered]

The ones I have on my boat trailer (tandem w/brakes) are mounter directly on the spindle. The grease fitting is mounted to the spindle and it is drilled and ported just inside the inner bearing which allows for you to push out the old (likely water contaminated) grease past the outer bearing where the excess can be easily removed before replacing the rubber cap. A little messy from time to time but effective to protect the water from sitting in the voids in the bearings and corroding things up.

 

[lynnmor]

There are two different types of the greasing systems, the Bearing Buddy type that feeds grease in with spring pressure that is often used on boat trailers to help eliminate water, and the other type that is simply a hole in the spindle to direct grease between the rear bearing and the seal.
Since the drums need to be pulled regularly to inspect the brakes, my suggestion on the latter type is to whack the grease fitting with a hammer so it will never again destroy your brakes.

 

[jaxs]

ah.... yes on the internet (better yet someone made a youtube video) so it must be correct and true??

Dexter the system manufacturer says....
Check the hub grease level before every launch. Additional grease isn’t
required if the piston or blue ring can be moved or rocked by pushing on
its edge. If the piston doesn’t rock or move, add grease until the piston
moves outward about 1/8”. Do not fill the protector beyond 1/8” piston
movement. Always be sure to check before your first trip of each season.

for me this is usually 2 or 3 pumps.

A whole tube per wheel?? could only imagine the mess that would make once you hit highway speeds. grease sh@rts everywhere.


but heck it was on the youtube by a guy who trolls for likes and subscriptions to make advertising bucks so for sure better source than the engineers that designed.

Me I will stick with a single top shelf brand and 2 or 3 pumps every couple 1,000 miles when dry and 1 pump if submerged like at a boat launch.

Well he knew how much the trailer he was working on weighs ,doesn't that show he knows all about trailer axles? Wait a minute, did he say that 5 lug trailer weighs 6,500 pounds ? Well maybe it isn't ever supposed to carry more than 1,000 lbs payload.

 

[Poohbear]

1 tube per wheel seems.....excessive?

It takes close to that on my RV with the Dexter E-Z Lube bearings. With " bearing buddy " type caps probably way over lubed.
Never use anything but a hand pump grease gun on the EZ Lube system and should be trouble free.

 

[GrizBota]

I picked up 8,500lb of firewood today with the 16ft PJ dump trailer, and before heading out checked tire pressure and put a few pumps of grease in each of the four wheel bearing zerks. On a whim I Googled "greasing wheel bearings with zerk fittings" this afternoon and clearly I had no idea how to grease the bearings properly. I have five trailers that have zerk fittings on the wheel bearings, four tandem axle and one single axle so 18 zerks in all, so it's about time I learned how to service them.

Well if you discount every analytic piece of data he stated in that YouTube video, he has the concepts about right. Although not sure why he thinks the jacking point has to be the frame whereas a nice spring perch on the axle ought to be fine too.

 

[dirtydeed]

My favorite was my last boat trailer. It had oil filled hubs with a clear sight glass. Doesn't get easier than that.

 

[mcmxi]

ah.... yes on the internet (better yet someone made a youtube video) so it must be correct and true??

Dexter the system manufacturer says....
Check the hub grease level before every launch. Additional grease isn’t
required if the piston or blue ring can be moved or rocked by pushing on
its edge. If the piston doesn’t rock or move, add grease until the piston
moves outward about 1/8”. Do not fill the protector beyond 1/8” piston
movement. Always be sure to check before your first trip of each season.

for me this is usually 2 or 3 pumps.

A whole tube per wheel?? could only imagine the mess that would make once you hit highway speeds. grease sh@rts everywhere.


but heck it was on the youtube by a guy who trolls for likes and subscriptions to make advertising bucks so for sure better source than the engineers that designed.

Me I will stick with a single top shelf brand and 2 or 3 pumps every couple 1,000 miles when dry and 1 pump if submerged like at a boat launch.

I have a process when it comes to learning about things I've never thought about. Making mistakes and sifting through erroneous information is part of that process. One of the goals is to end up more informed than I was at the beginning, with the ultimate goal of having a good ownership experience which includes not having to replace parts due to lack of proper maintenance.

 

[mcmxi]

I found this article with a nice drawing that some might find helpful.

How to Lubricate Dexter EZ Lube Axle Bearings

casitalife.blogspot.com

 

[mcmxi]

And this video from Dexter is informative. It shows that the author of the first video I posted covers the repacking process quite well.

 

[mcmxi]

I ordered a 20-pack of grease plug hub dust caps for the Dexter EZ Lube trailer axles. I noticed yesterday that the ones on the PJ 16ft dump trailer are split, and one was missing.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9G6MBNH/ref=pe_386300_440135490_TE_simp_item_image?th=1

 

[6869704x4]

And here's me stuck in the dark ages

How to Grease Wheel Bearings

Jeremy of Carcass demonstrates how to properly grease new wheel bearings before installation.

www.youtube.com

 

[The Evil Twin]

I found this article with a nice drawing that some might find helpful.

How to Lubricate Dexter EZ Lube Axle Bearings

casitalife.blogspot.com

View attachment 118991

That picture shows exactly why the hub should be turned as grease is injected. The port at the inboard side is only a single 3mm (or so) hole. The holes on my 7500 lb axles are pretty small. If it's not turned, the new grease only purges through the bottom couple rollers. I learned by watching my dad do this in the 80's with boat trailers.
For those not familiar, a pressurized bearing cap (Bearing Buddy) is only a cap and can be added to most any hub. They are IMHO a waste if not submerging the axle. Especially since they should be removed annually to purge the entire hub as in the Dexter video.