Bearing Maintenance

qhumberd

I did use the Valvoline full synthetic grease when I repacked last year. Any issues with this? It seemed to exceed all the Dexter manual requirements.

BrianZ

How's this price for bearings?

qhumberd

BrianZ said:

How's this price for bearings?

I think that seems pretty expensive compared to other options

qhumberd

This is the Dexter kit for my 400 on Amazon. Includes bearings and races and seals

BrianZ

Thanks, @qhumberd.  
I do see many kits on Amazon that appear to be the right kit for our 320S and are much cheaper, but all appear to be after-market sources, not from Dexter.
PS: It appears dexterpartsonline.com sells the kit for $49.90 for 2 pair (two wheels/one axle) plus shipping.  Includes the seal, washer & cotter pin..

Sharon_is_SAM

@qhumberd - it looks like it is the same lithium complex grease as the nuCamp recommended blend below:

• Valvoline Multipurpose = NLGI #2 Grade GC-LB Lithium Complex EP Grease

N7SHG_Ham

Just wanted to also mention, if you pull hubs and completely clean out old grease, then zero worries about needing exact same grease as factory install. Just know what you put in meets specs and then use the same next time.

ScottG

BrianZ said:

...
PS: It appears dexterpartsonline.com sells the kit for $49.90 for 2 pair (two wheels/one axle) plus shipping.  Includes the seal, washer & cotter pin..

@BrianZ, where are you finding that listing/price you posted? I found that same kit at Dexter axle but it was $48 for one wheel.

ScottG

N7SHG_Ham said:

Just wanted to also mention, if you pull hubs and completely clean out old grease, then zero worries about needing exact same grease as factory install. Just know what you put in meets specs and then use the same next time.

Along the same line, if you perform this service and have been using the EZ-Lube, note that a bit of old grease will be retained in the drilled spindle. Before reassembly, you can force this out into a rag with new grease. It only took about three pumps of grease in my case.

BrianZ

ScottG said:

BrianZ said:

...
PS: It appears dexterpartsonline.com sells the kit for $49.90 for 2 pair (two wheels/one axle) plus shipping.  Includes the seal, washer & cotter pin..

@BrianZ, where are you finding that listing/price you posted? I found that same kit at Dexter axle but it was $48 for one wheel.

@s@ScottG, try this..
 http://www.dexterpartsonline.com/product/K71-717-00
For me, it shows $24.95 for one wheel.
For 2, it was $67 including UPS shipping.

ScottG

Thanks, @BrianZ. That is definitely a different site from the official Dexter site. Not sure of the affiliation, but regardless it seems to be genuine Dexter parts at a decent price for the kits. 

pak

Took a peak at my bearings. I have been using the ez lube without any other maintenance. Everything looks great. The ez lube appears to be working as advertised. Cleaned things up, inspected axle, brakes, bearings, seals etc. Buttoned it up and ready to roll. I did buy replacements to put into the parts box. On thing I do while on the road is check the wheel hubs for temperature at gas stops.

Slackers

We just did the E-Z lube thing.  The existing lube didn't look that bad.  Our 320 CSS has low miles but considering its age (2019) it was time.  The hardest part of the process was cleaning up the grease gun borrowed from the neighbor prior to filling it with a new tube.

Jay1415

I have a 2018 Tab 400, and I would like part numbers for the axle seals. Are they the same (same axle) as the 320? So numbers referenced above or the “standard 3.5k listed at etrailer? (58846-seal, bearings L68149 inner, L44649 outer, L68111 inner race, L44610 outer race, bearing kit BK2-100). Thanks.

SusanD

I have a 2021 tab 320 with approx 7,000 miles on it and will be heading across the country in a month.  By the time I come home, I'll be around 12,000 miles.  I'm thinking that I should grease the bearings before I go and repack them when I come home.  What I don't understand is why my car maintenance schedule just says inspect wheel bearings at 50,000 miles.  No greasing or anything required. Why the difference and is it really necessary to grease the bearings for such a new trailer before I go?

Horigan

Cars today use more expensive sealed bearings that don’t require lubrication maintenance. I wish trailers did the same. 

SusanD

Thanks @Horigan. Makes sense. Guess I'll be buying a grease gun and grease, watch a few YouTube videos and DIY.

Horigan

Yep. The trailers come with lithium based grease, so get that to be compatible with what’s in there. Raise the wheel and rotate it while you pump the grease in slowly. 

Sharon_is_SAM

@SusanD - nuCamp uses Valvoline GM Multipurpose to grease the bearings.

cbruegge

We recently purchased a 2018 320S-BD and want to repack the bearings.  We are only days away from going to 2022 T@bazona, so don't want this maintenance to be a deal breaker for our upcoming trip.  I see we will need Dexter seals: "K71-303-00 ez lube seal"  which I don't see on the etrailer web site.    The comments here also say we will be able to get this part at any local automotive site.  As auto stores don't necessarily sell Dexter parts, how likely is it that they will be able to sell me an equivalent part if I bring in the trashed seal???

WayneW

@cbruegge. It is a very common seal size. Most parts stores shouldn’t have any problem finding an equivalent seal. 

ScottG

If you look at this parts list you will see an etrailer alternative listed for Dexter K71-303-00.

I don't recall exactly how I got that part number in the first place, but I think it was from the extensive Q&A on etrailer's site. I ordered seals from Dexter so I also can't say with absolute certainty this one will work, but it might be worth checking out if you can't source one locally.

cbruegge

Thank you WayneW and ScottG for your replies.  I was worried the seal would be trashed and not be able to replace in time for our trip, but WayneW was right about them being readily available.  We took the old seal to AutoZone, and they easily found a seal that looked identical to the Dexter part.  All worked out.  Thank you both.