How often do you grease?
- Thread starter simsfmly
- Start date
Bob&Patty
Founders of SoCal Chapter
You should pack the wheel bearing, replace the seals every 12 months or 12K miles. Using the jerk fittings can cause problems. Either not enough or too much grease. If you use the jerk fittings you must turn the wheels while doing it. Which means you must jack up the axles. Keep in mind if you, if you pack the wheel bearings yourself...DO NOT jack the trailer by the axles. Only by the frame, which will take alot of cribbing and a 10tn jack. It cost me about $200 to have mine done and I don't have to mess with jacking it up. Every 3K grease the suspension.
Westwind
Well-known member
With all the bad luck folks have had with the exterior hub/bearing grease fittings you wonder why manufacturer's persist in putting them on the wheels. I've read that new trailers have been checked by owner's and have had grease in the brakes etc. straight from the factory.
dave10a
Well-known member
I have the easy lube and they are great and have no problem yet after 15,000 mile. However, if they are greased improperly, I could imagine how the seals could get compromised. There are video's on Youtube and manufacturers web site showing proper grease procedure. I notice Heartland is not using Easy Lube any more -- not sure why and also they still are not using wet bolts. Also the new Landmark I seen has 17.5 Goodyear tires which may be standard-- definite improvement along with the alignment stuff.
The axles come from the supplier with the bearings and brake assemblies ready to go.
There was a problem with Lippert grease seals failing and causing contaminated brake shoes as well as problematic springs.
Then Heartland changed suppliers for their axles. They went with Dexter.
Now, same problems, different name.
Go figure.
Looks like the suppliers need to revisit their assembly process.
JMHO.
Peace
Dave
simsfmly
Ohio Chapter Leaders-retired
Almost embarrassed to ask, because it looks pretty forthright, but I couldn't get the hubs off to even get to the grease zert on my wheels. Looks like there's a slot where a flat screwdriver would drop in to pop it off, but I certainly didn't want to force it when it seemed like it was going to crack rather than pop off.
Am I missing something?
Thanks in advance.
Am I missing something?
Thanks in advance.
Frequency of wheel bearing maintenance is probably the most dominant issue with fifth wheels.An rightfully so because if the wheels turn freely and safely on your RV you are mobile.Don't spare the cost of wheel and tire maintenance as basically its what keeps you moving on the highway.Have an experienced maintenance RV repair person service your RV drive train.You don't really want to think about bearings when travelling on a 6 lane highway.You will never feel good using zerk grease fittings .
Normally I wouldn't have responded to this thread because I've done it so many time before but it's in my nature to try and inform people. I've got 35 years experience teaching and servicing vehicles. I may not have all the answers but I do have a few. I do not like and would never use any system that employs a zerk (grease fitting) to force grease into a wheel bearing system). To often the inner seal gets blown out and ruins a set of drums and brakes. Why take the chance???? I know not every wheel has these issues but if it's 1 out of 500 that's to many. When wheel bearings are serviced on cars/trucks it is required about every 30-40,000 miles. WHY do TT manufacturers seem to think that they have to be done every 12 months or 12,000 miles??? No body will answer that question satisfactorily. Here's what I did with every TT that I owned. Bring it home from the dealer and replace the china bearings with TOYO wheel bearings. Hand pack the bearings with Amsoil synthetic lubricant. Replace the inner seals. Correctly adjust the wheel bearings to a clearance of .003 and forget about bearings for at least 2-4 years. Here's another point that deserves some consideration. If you either pay someone or perform the service yourself it costs you $$$$ every time you do it but more importantly it opens you up to either making or having some tech make mistakes. Now if you do the work yourself well OK. If you have a tech you trust and have the $$$$ that's OK. I still think performing services sooner that is necessary is just asking for trouble.
JMHO
TeJay
JMHO
TeJay
Doublegranch
Mountain Region Director-Retired
I used this procedure for 30 years and it never failed me. Anytime bearings are packed, bearing races are removed, or seals are replaced it is always advisable to do this. Using a socket and a 1/2" ratchet turn the hub nut 1/4 to 1/2 of a turn and spin the hub or wheel. This does several things. If races, were removed the over tightening assures that the races are seated down to the shoulder in the hub. It also assures that the seal is seated as well and third it assures that the grease is spread around the rollers. If for some reason the races were replaced and not seated on the shoulder the ratchet may actually turn more than 1/2 of a turn. That's OK and exactly why you do it. You will know when everything is seated because the ratchet won't turn any more. Now back the ratchet off about 3/4 of a turn.
Here's how to do the adjustment. I always have the tires installed onto the drums. It's just easier. Grabbing the wheel at the top and wiggle the wheel in and out and at the same time adjust the hub nut inward until the movement just goes away. You should feel little or no movement of the wheel. .003 is not very much movement so you are where you need to be. Some may say to adjust the nut until all perceptible movement is gone. Either way you're good. Now install your cotter pin.
If you installed a dial indicator on the bearing hub it would would move in an out about .003" or three thousands of an inch. If I remember correctly standard typewriter paper is about .015-.002 thick. That should give you a good idea how little .003 movement is.
TeJay
That bearing adjustment procedure I learned from a Hunter alignment specialist who spent the month of May at the Indy track and that's how they adjusted the wheel bearings on race cars.
Here's how to do the adjustment. I always have the tires installed onto the drums. It's just easier. Grabbing the wheel at the top and wiggle the wheel in and out and at the same time adjust the hub nut inward until the movement just goes away. You should feel little or no movement of the wheel. .003 is not very much movement so you are where you need to be. Some may say to adjust the nut until all perceptible movement is gone. Either way you're good. Now install your cotter pin.
If you installed a dial indicator on the bearing hub it would would move in an out about .003" or three thousands of an inch. If I remember correctly standard typewriter paper is about .015-.002 thick. That should give you a good idea how little .003 movement is.
TeJay
That bearing adjustment procedure I learned from a Hunter alignment specialist who spent the month of May at the Indy track and that's how they adjusted the wheel bearings on race cars.
Doublegranch
Mountain Region Director-Retired
Great stuff....thanks for the help.
