EZ lube axle bearings empty of grease?

[The motor guy]

I have a utility trailer and it has those ez lube bearings where you remove the rubber cap with a screw driver. I forget the exact name of them, but I think it's the kind that pushes old grease out as you put new grease in. I bought the trailer brand new and I put grease in and nothing comes out. Am I doing something wrong? The trailer is brand new. Or did they just not put much grease in them? They aren't bearing buddies, they're different. Should I just keep putting more grease in?

 

[The motor guy]

Anyone familiar with these type of axle? I don't want to blow out the seal so that's why I'm asking the question. Thanks

 

[lakewind]

Keep pumping until grease starts to appear. I have these on a boat trailer, and really like them.Just make sure to leave a little room so that when the grease gets hot and expands,it won't push off your rubber cap.

 

[onemig]

You are using a grease gun right?

Just keep pumping until the grease starts to ooze out were the rubber dust cap mounts. Remove the excess grease before putting the dust cap back on.

You will not blow any seals as the grease only flows around the bearing.

 

[The motor guy]

Yes I'm using a grease gun. Are these pressed on just like a bearing buddy? I was thinking of just putting bearing buddies on instead since I'm more familiar with them.

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Should I just keep putting more grease in?

Onemig is correct:

 

[onemig]

The spindle is where the grease flows through.

If I am not mistaken, the bearing buddy is just a fancy metal end cap where you can pump grease and has a mechanism that pops up to let you know that the proper amount of grease has been pumped inside.

The one you have is way different. The grease flows through the spindle via the grease zerk, has holes at the very end to lube the inner bearing which continues to flow through the space between the hub and spindle, then to the outter bearing and finally fills the metal end cap.

I hope what I said makes sense. The illustration above is very clear in giving visual aid on how the grease flows.

 

[Nate1979]

Make sure and rotate the tire as you add grease or you can blow out the seal.

 

[zeng]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I bought the trailer brand new and I put grease in and nothing comes out. Am I doing something wrong? The trailer is brand new. Or did they just not put much grease in them? They aren't bearing buddies, they're different. Should I just keep putting more grease in?



Bearing manufacturers recommend filling up grease housing up to two thirds full, NOT completely full!

IME, man on the ground always see to it that old grease oozes out during greasing.

I'm afraid that's a sure indication of over-greasing.....

JMO.

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted By: zeng
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I bought the trailer brand new and I put grease in and nothing comes out. Am I doing something wrong? The trailer is brand new. Or did they just not put much grease in them? They aren't bearing buddies, they're different. Should I just keep putting more grease in?



Bearing manufacturers recommend filling up grease housing up to two thirds full, NOT completely full!

IME, man on the ground always see to it that old grease oozes out during greasing.

I'm afraid that's a sure indication of over-greasing.....

JMO.

They're called dexter ez lube hubs. Now I remember.

How are you supposed to know how much grease is in the hub if nothing comes out?

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted By: Nate1979
Make sure and rotate the tire as you add grease or you can blow out the seal.


Are you supposed to do this on all trailers? Never knew this. In this case since the grease just circulates around the bearing, how would I blow the seal?

 

[tom slick]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Originally Posted By: Nate1979
Make sure and rotate the tire as you add grease or you can blow out the seal.


Are you supposed to do this on all trailers? Never knew this. In this case since the grease just circulates around the bearing, how would I blow the seal?


You don't have to worry about the seal with EZ Lube axles.

 

[spasm3]

I did not know the ez lube axles were on anything other than travel trailers. Make sure its not bearing buddies. I rotate the wheel and push the grease in slowly, until i see clean grease.

 

[Whizbanger]

You probably are, but just in case, use a manual grease gun. Electric or air have been know to blow seals.

 

[tom slick]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Originally Posted By: Nate1979
Make sure and rotate the tire as you add grease or you can blow out the seal.


Are you supposed to do this on all trailers? Never knew this. In this case since the grease just circulates around the bearing, how would I blow the seal?


You don't have to worry about the seal with EZ Lube axles.


Apparently Dexter has two sets of instructions, one doesn't mention rotating the hub but the other one does.

 

[zeng]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
How are you supposed to know how much grease is in the hub if nothing comes out?



Good question ..... hmm ...... that's tough to respond.
Even tougher to implement or comply with.
Here is my 2 cents.
In a new assemblying works :-
Firstly ,I would refer to owner manual , if you happen to have one, which would rarely provide any quantitative indication.
Secondly I would guesstimate/calculate ,with some steel-rule measurements , amount/volume of bearing housing assemblies.
Thirdly , I would hand-pump say 80-90 % of above calculated volume , while observing if any grease is oozing out from inside .... and stop greasing immediately if oozes is observed and noting cubic centimeter in question.
Lastly , measure and compare temperatures (with IR meters or human fingers if measuring tool unavailable) at external housing closes to an inner/outer bearing location , on first day of operation , and make adjustments accordingly.
For general bearing application , any maximum bearing housing operating temperature below 50C is normal.
On eccentric shaft bearing housings on a rock crusher that oozes during regreasing, I've measured as 60-70 C and it drops to 50-56 C after skipping 'numerous' regreasing at regreasing intervals recommended by equipment manufacturers.

Note: My ambient is 33ish C.

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
I did not know the ez lube axles were on anything other than travel trailers. Make sure its not bearing buddies. I rotate the wheel and push the grease in slowly, until i see clean grease.


Every enclosed cargo trailer I've seen has them.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Originally Posted By: spasm3
I did not know the ez lube axles were on anything other than travel trailers. Make sure its not bearing buddies. I rotate the wheel and push the grease in slowly, until i see clean grease.


Every enclosed cargo trailer I've seen has them.


Thanks, didn't know that!

My TT axles are 10 years old. I've never taken them apart. I grease them before every trip.

 

[The motor guy]

My trailer has tandem axles so I just put a couple 2x4's under the tongue jack and raised it so I could spin the front two tires, then I decided that was ridiculous so I pumped grease in on the back two and it came out just like the front ones did. Worked great. Took about 30 pumps per tire though to get grease to come out.

 

[Bluestream]

Dexter makes two types of ez-lube axles. On one, the grease will flow out the back of a small hole in the swing arm, the other type the grease will come out the front. (as in the above diagram) Neither of these will blow our the seal from over lubing. From the factory, they put in a small amount of grease only, to save money.

Fill the thing up until it flows out.