Bearing Maintenance on 2016 Tab Outback S Max

Bert

I had the wheel bearings repacked on our 2016 Tab Outback S Max, thinking that it might be important to do so. The trailer has only been towed for 3,000 miles or so over the past couple of seasons. Apparently there is a zerk fitting behind the shiny cover on the end of the axle. I have been told that all I have to do is squirt grease into the fitting until some comes out the front or back each year and I will never have to have the bearings repacked again. Is that true? How often would I want to have someone check the bearings to make sure everything is in order if I'm not worried about having them repacked every few years?

ChanW

Good question. 

Some would say check them annually (clean, inspect, and repack them), even though that zerk seems to negate that plan.

Some say just squirt some grease in there often enough to keep any water or dirt out.

I go with the second method, 'cause I'm lazy. I do keep an eye on hub temperature, sound, and tightness. 

I'll probably check them (clean them etc) in the next year, which would be 5 years and 20,000 miles or so, for us.

rkj__

Oh, I was wondering about this.  I'm glad to hear there is a zerk fitting.  

Estancio

After the summer, I just removed, cleaned, and repacked mine, and replaced the seals. It was a convenient time since I was getting new tires. T@B has 6 years and about 12,000 miles on it. Each year I squirted a little grease into the zerks. Bearings were in perfect condition. In fact there was a small amount of grease oozing out from behind the grease seal, suggesting that I added a bit too much grease each year. They really take very little grease!

ChanW

On ours, when you add grease, the excess is pushed back out the front, around the edges (going through the bearings).
I think it's recommended that you continue adding grease until the grease coming out is relatively 'new' looking, thus having pushed out all the old 'used' grease. 

From my experience, when grease is 'old' it can have moisture mixed in, or it can be separated & liquefied some (and be more prone to leaking through the seals), even if it doesn't have any real dirt in it, it can be pretty dirty looking.

@Estancio, if you had grease coming out the back, do you think your seals might have been failing? Or maybe pumping the grease in too fast? Bad for that grease to get in there with the brakes.

That's a good point, in any case. It's good practice to check your seals, and brakes, which would involve pulling the wheels, and you might as well be checking the bearings while you're in there. 

Hrrrmph. Ok, now I've talked myself into another maintenance item that I was avoiding... 

leenscottfl

You Tube video.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzW1kK8oWkc

Be careful. I did just as shown and had a problem on the road. It seems that I blew the rear seal out. since I habitually feel my bearings when on the road I discovered the problem before there was any damage.  

Estancio

ChanW, you are absolutely right that grease oozing out the rear seal and into the brake area is a very bad thing. My seals might have been bad simply from age, and I was lucky to catch it in time before any grease contaminated the brake shoes.

ChanW

Now, after reading your stories here, @Estancio and Scott, I'm sure I want to check my seals.

I wonder how often these fail. If they are really as unreliable as it sounds, you'd think they'd have a liability problem, considering we're taking about trailer brakes.

Bert

Thanks so much for posting the video SHOWING how to grease the bearings!

ChanW

I've done a bit of google searching regarding problems with Dexter E-Z-Lube hubs, and there are a quite a few negative stories.

Now I'm convinced that pulling the hubs, cleaning and checking the bearings, and the brakes, and re-packing the bearings in the 'traditional way' is the best way to go...

It shouldn't ought to be necessary more often than every 2-3 years/20000 miles, I'd think, unless they're exposed to extremes, or submerged in water. 

Makes sense to check the brakes on that schedule anyway.

Cleaning out all that grease each time, that's packed into the hub by the e-z-lube system, would be a real pain in the neck.

riooso

Thanks for the vid... loved it! 

rkj__

Estancio said:

They really take very little grease!

Except the first time you use the EZ Lube method.  It seems that from the factory, the channel between the front and rear bearing is not filled with grease.  So, it takes a ton of pumps on a grease gun to fill that cavity.  After that cavity is filled, then you get grease flow with every pump. 

riooso

rkj__ said:

Except the first time you use the EZ Lube method.  It seems that from the factory, the channel between the front and rear bearing is not filled with grease.  So, it takes a ton of pumps on a grease gun to fill that cavity.  After that cavity is filled, then you get grease flow with every pump.  

Took almost 1/2 tube the first time for me, on each hub.

WilliamA

Wheel bearing maintenance requires replacing the grease annually.  Grease mixes with water diluting it and thus reducing its viscosity.  Bearings, races and cages (the thin shell that keeps the bearings separated) wear as a normal part of use and that material stays in the grease, accelerating wear.  Bearings must be cleaned in a good solvent, dried (you cn blow air on bearings to dry them but DON'T use air to spin them! It will quickly ruin them) and then hand-repacked with new grease annually.  
One of the primary causes of premature bearing failure is too much grease in the hub.  There must be a little air space within the hub to allow for expansion of the grease as it gets warm.  Otherwise it will be forced past the seal, get into the drum and ultimately destroy the brakes.  
Wheel bearings on trailers are stone age technology.  Modern cars have huge bearings and are sealed for life.  Trailer hubs are no more advanced than the front spindles on a 56 chevy belair. 
To live long and prosper, Looky looky, checky checky... Annually, irrespective of mileage...
WilliamA 

Michigan_Mike

The manufacturer recommends that bearings be serviced every 12 months or 12,000 miles.  

http://www.dexteraxle.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/light-duty-maintenance-schedulee47a839d2ba463c18d7aff64007a4014.pdf?sfvrsn=0