Dexter/Lippert EZ Lube trailer axle spindle bearing seal failure - why did it happen?

Seal failure on a Dexter EZ Lube spindle bearing hub, which took out the brake shoes and necessitated a massive rebuild project on all 4 hubs.
This failure was caused by improper use of the EZ Lube zerk fittings. The axle needs to be jacked up and the wheel rotated while grease is pumped in slowly with a MANUAL grease gun, not an air or electric powered gun.
I highly recommend Lucas Red '"N" Tacky grease, as it's what I've used ever since my days on the dairy farm, and have never seen a bearing failure due to this grease.
Red "N" Tacky grease:
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Lincoln manual grease gun:
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LockNLube zerk coupler, the best grease gun accessory ever created:
amzn.to/3iFsZJF

[@toddknox685]

Well, 16 years and counting with Posi Lube axles and Dexter bearings. Yep, raise the wheel, hand pump the grease while turning the wheel first one way and then the other. Old grease comes out when new grease is being hand pumped in. Have pulled the hub several times just to see how things are doing. Just fine so far. I carry a spare hub just in case though. Never have blown a seal and have not lost a bearing so far.

[@bptraveler6608]

Looks like you got everything right up to the castle nut torque. You should slowly tighten the nut to 50 lbs as you turn the hub, then loosen the nut to the first slot to insert the carter pin and then give the hub a good couple of turns to be sure it's free. I personally add a little extra grease to the bearing race and spindle surfaces before putting in the bearings and sliding the hub onto the spindle.

[@slalomking]

Bptraveler, I’ve never heard of a carter key. 😅

[@Seabee_Camper]

Actually, Dexter does not say the EZ lube is for emergency use only. See: kzbin.info/www/bejne/joWTg356fMx3o5o Seal failures result from doing it improperly e.g. not spinning the wheel while adding grease.

[@jeffro221]

I think your repack was good. But I would add one thing.....before placing the bearings back into the hub, get some grease on your finger and smear a light coat onto the races. Putting packed bearings on dry races made me cringe a little.

[@markfrancies8356]

I also make sure to put the bearings back in the same hub. Just something I’ve always done in case there’s a wear pattern.

[@slalomking]

Yes, bearings get used to their races

[@46fd04]

The EZ Lube system works well, WHEN the operator does it properly and spins the wheel. But, manual repacking should be done at least every 2nd year, in my opinion.

[@johnbolt665]

Caused by a kid in the shop using a powered grease gun!

[@guycobham4978]

I never lube the Ez lube. What is the point of filling up the center of the hub, and risk blowing a seal which is what we found when we bought our trailer used. Now, yearly we inspect, then pack inner and outer bearing bearings replace seals adjust brakes and we are good to go.

[@georgef.7434]

I have Lippert axles with what they call Super Lube. Like you said jack up the wheel, and using a hand grease gun, rotate the wheel, while slowly inserting the grease. Never with a stationary wheel. I do this every other year. The off year take the hubs off, inspect the brakes and bearings. Repack the bearings manually, then reassemble with new seals. Then I fill with lube while rotating the wheel again. This fills the void between the bearings also. I've never just trusted the grease I pack into the bearings alone. Grease gets hot, thins out and runs, and where does it go, into the void between the bearings if not full of grease. Just my thing, may not be necessary but don't hurt. The following year, again just lift, rotate, fill, and good enough until the reinspection the following year. Also when reassembling the wheel, I do tighten down the castle nut enough so the wheel no longer turns, or is very difficult to turn, then back off just enough, until the wheel turns freely. I feel the bearings need to be reseated after disassembly. PS: have not blown out a seal yet. Knock on wood LOL

[@billdavis5483]

I have Dexter EZ Lube and I used a grease gun about 6000 miles ago. Yesterday I removed the hub to see how the seals performed and I saw a small amount of old grease right at the bearing seal but maybe not enough to cause harm to the brake. I should have felt the pads to see if they were wet at all. The brake pad did not look wet and I saw no grease on the brake itself. It was very small amount only around the edge of the seal. So I was not sure if the grease was from squirting too fast or if it was from hot grease flowing. So I reinstalled the hub and wheel. I pumped a large amount of grease back in the zerk until if started coming out of the dust cap then removed wheel and hub again. The second time there was no new grease at all that escaped the seal. This makes me confident I did it well the second time but there was something I did wrong the first time. I am thinking I could have pumped too hard or I could have filled up the grease cap with grease and when it heated up it expanded and had nowhere else to expand into but the seal. I will check the other three as soon as the weather allows. I will check the pads. If everything is ok then I can use the EZ Lube method but be more careful to pump softly and empty out the dust cap of grease. Yet I would still want to manually repack at some time for inspection of the bearings.

[@markschultz926]

Great video nice clear voice understood everything thank you

[@johnbolt665]

Look up the how to video by dexter, no where do they say it's for emergency use!

[@donclark7239]

I don’t know why they would pack the hub with grease on this trailer. Pack the bearings and shoot a few pumps of grease in. If it was a boat trailer submerged in water then u would want the grease pressure to keep water out. Had a quad trailer and bearings were still good from factory after ten years. Boat trailers I Repack every season

[@seveng86sg]

Does the inner wheel bearing need to have movement up and down or does it sit without movement beside round

[@NoelBarlau]

Should have no movement outside of rotation.

[@seveng86sg]

@NoelBarlau my inner bearing is wobbly and my rotors are hitting my caliper bracket im guessing its the bearing causing problom thanks

[@bennymountain1733]

Always wondered about those greasable axle bearings, thought it was not a good idea. Always use to have to do old truck front bearings by hand. Think I'll stick to the old ways that work! Thanks for sharing 👍

[@robbypro3370]

Exactly. You should grease those to keep moisture from rusting them. Plus grease like the factory recommends with turning the wheel while greasing the zirc fitting. Works best in warm weather.

[@jeffro221]

Here is the way I am going to do a hybrid method for my EZ lube axle. I have only repacked mine the standard way so far. Have not attempted the EZ Lube way yet. I'm going to do a hybrid version that partly uses both methods....use manual grease gun to pump some grease in while spinning the wheel slowly. Maybe 6 pumps. That should adequately renew the grease in the inner bearing, because the spinning wheel will distribute the grease all around in the inner bearing. Now support the outer nose of the hub with my small rolling jack (not necessary, but that will keep the hub from tipping down on the spindle when the outer bearing is removed), remove the metal dust cap, remove the outer wheel bearing, hand-pack it, re-install the bearing and nut retaining devices, and the cap. This way both bearings get greased, and the whole inner hub cavity does not get filled, and I avoid the more work intensive process of removing the inner bearing. Of course, occasionally pull it all down the standard way for compelete re-pack and inspection. Comments?

[@NoelBarlau]

I've put a lot of thought into a proper response. I believe a lot of folks have good luck with these type of axles. When they're used properly it likely works out a majority of the time. Your technique would work, but if you're going to risk putting grease in via the zerk, consider that even the first few pumps are being held in by the seal. If it's going to fail, it'll do it immediately. But if you spin the wheel while pumping in the grease, it'll probably be ok. I've gone so far as to consider heating up the spindle (carefully) using a radiant space heater while ensuring not overheating the tire or other equipment. Also if you wanted to go the extra mile you could heat up the grease to make it flow better. Anyhow, these are just a few thoughts. Try your method and reply back when you have data on whether it worked or not.

[@nathanielking4464]

You can relube using the fitting if done right. They must have used a power grease gun or air and or not rotated tires. Great video and insight though. Always good to inspect and do manually

[@MrMotoMoto-db3do]

True words (Slow motion)when pressing the handle on the grease gun. And turn the wheel about two turns per full grease gun pump.

[@treg2863]

Thanks for taking the time to make this great video of your work. I purchased a used trailer with Dexter EZlube design and I have 2 out of 4 seals that have blown out even though I used the proper technique of spinning the wheel while slowly adding grease at beginning of the season. I'll just take them apart each year in the future and repack them manually. Doesn't seem like a good design if you are only supposed to use the grease zerk for emergency use. IMHO, that's just plain nonsense but after my blown seals, I'll certainly be following that advice. Thanks again for creating this video!

[@NoelBarlau]

You actually answered one of my questions, whether one could do the emergency service properly and not blow out the seals. I guess your experience settles it. I'll be doing a complete teardown and repack with new seals this winter as well so as to avoid any potential failures. Maybe I'll even throw in a new set of bearings just for fun, although the ones in this video are still going strong after approximately 4000 miles since I filmed it.

[@46fd04]

When I repack my bearings, I adjust the brake when the wheel goes back on, and then I pull the emergency brake pin, to ensure the brake works. I do this 4 times, once for each wheel.

[@Stoutluvr]

After experiencing a bearing failure about 50 miles outside Rapid City, I can tell you that I will never use the EZ Lub function again. The welding shop that I limped into the next Monday morning told me that a lot of his trailer repair work comes from these designs. That little stop costs me around $800 for a half axle and two brake assemblies. I now every year pull all the wheels and hand repack every bearing and install new seals.

[@renonative]

These EZ lubes work fine IF you do it as directed. It's even better if you do it when the bearings and grease are warm.

[@CheekyMonkey888]

seems like a faulty design, yet this axle seems to be prevalent in the rv world, wonder why

[@JOHNM572]

cheap price

[@johnbolt665]

One thing, you would want to make sure it's warm outside and maybe even take your grease gun in the house overnight so that the grease flows freely! greasing wheels on a cold day would almost guarantee blowing grease through the seal!

[@skunkedagain]

Thank you. I didn’t know the wheel turning trick. Now I know why

[@dhillman7522]

Learn from experience. You are exactly right. In my opinion even if you are turning the wheel while pumping grease filling the entire hub until it comes out the front will eventually force it out the seal. Just the fact that when it warms up will cause the grease to expand. It may come out the front or the seal path of least resistance.

[@slalomking]

No that won’t pop out the rear seal. The pressure will push out the front rubber plug.

[@garyp9906]

Thank you for posting. I've had my travel trailer for about 3 years. Believe it or not, I didn't even know mine had these EZ lube Zerk fittings on the end of the spindle. I went out and checked. It sure does. After seeing your video and a few others, now I'm afraid to grease them for fear of blowing out the seal. What is your honest opinion? Use them or not? What about jacking the tire off the ground and maybe giving it a few pumps of the grease gun while rotating and call it good? Now I don't know what to do.

[@NoelBarlau]

Well Gary, by their own description the zerks are for "emergency use only" so I can't recommend using them as a substitute for a complete teardown, cleanout, and repacking the bearings. Just because you might get lucky and actually not blow out the seals if you do it as you described doesn't mean it won't happen. Then you'll be out not only the cost of the original bearing service but you'll also be on the hook for new brake shoes and resurfacing of the drums. Knowing what I know now, I'll never be touching those zerks. I'm planning on pretending they don't even exist unless some really strange circumstances necessitating their use comes to pass.

[@garyp9906]

@@NoelBarlau Thank you for responding! I agree with you. I think I'll go the old fashion way and just take them out and repack. It's amazing what you can find out watching videos like yours. Like I said, I didn't even realize I had zerk fittings in my axle. I've had my travel trailer for 3 years now and I'm still learning about it!! Thank you again for responding and keep those videos coming!!

[@sundancer3700]

@@NoelBarlau Where did you get that emergency BS. The crap people say on YT, why would they make an emergency fitting, once it becomes an emergency its to late, bearing is cooked, spindle may be trashed and adding some grease sure wont help. Stop the madness.

[@gst69man]

I have wide trax like you, can someone tell me how to jack up the axels. I place a bottle jack under the cast iron piece that connects the front and rear suspension springs, then both wheels on the side are off the ground. Maybe there is a better way. tks

[@bryank4649]

Hello sir! First off: great video, thank you for your high attention to detail. I'm EXACTLY like you: *IF* I buy something used I have to tear into it for preventative maintenance measures to ensure everything is in tip top working order for my own confidence in using my equipment. I tinker with everything in my shop but I'm new to trailer bearings. I just bought a BWise 17k GVW gooseneck dump trailer that is equipped with the Dexter EZ Lube axles (hubs) (on 3/21/22). I like everything you pointed out in this video and I will be following this guide when I inspect my hubs. My only question to you is do you feel the very little amount of grease that you hand packed in there is enough? I haven't torn into mine yet, so I don't know for sure, but I get the impression that the void between the spindle itself and the center of the drum would hold quite a bit of grease? Would you be curious to give maybe 15 pumps of grease on that zirk fitting once you put it back together? I know in one of your other comments in here you said you have 4k miles trouble free; if you were to tear the hubs apart tomorrow would you expect to find any damage wear marks on the spindles or heat / burn marks on the bearing needles from too little grease? Just looking for your thoughts sir. Thank you for your time.

[@NoelBarlau]

I wondered the same thing about the grease. Then I came to the realization that other hubs without the zerk fitting don't get any additional grease and seem to do fine. Even if you put another 15 shots of grease in, it'd only do the inboard bearing and it'd take an entire tube to get enough in there to take up the volume and push some into the outboard bearing. But by then you've already risked blowing out your seal again. So I really don't have a good answer for you. It seems to be holding up just fine, I check my hub temperatures regularly with an infrared thermometer and they're all remaining relatively cool. I'm planning on tearing them down again before this summer and maybe I'll do a video on this subject.

[@bryank4649]

@@NoelBarlau when you do, can you put a link in this video's comment section so we all see it?

[@NoelBarlau]

@@bryank4649 I'll try to remember. But no promises!

[@williammoore4673]

So I watched this video last night and found myself tearing into mine this morning. Happy to say all was good. If you repack and replace seals you can inspect all components. Have used the easy lubes but don’t trust them. You do have to take your time while rotating the drum in both directions.

[@bryanmontgomery4050]

Pump WARM grease very very slowly! Only six or eight pumps is all that you need. When old grease starts pushing out, it’s time to remove, clean, inspect and install new grease seals. I see these failures all the time ( I do welding and trailer repair.) also, do NOT mix polyurea and lithium based grease, it will 100% fail in a few thousand miles every time!!!

[@Mountain-Man-3000]

Can't trust any kind of dealership "mechanic" these days. The dealer makes their money by lying to people. Sad.

[@meseahunt]

very good informative video!! this is my next project, where did you buy all the parts/did ya shop around? did you call lippert to get all the part#'s first?? thanks for any response in advance 🤠

[@jlong9436]

Thanks for posting. Checked and repacked mine for first time on a new to us camper. I have the same axle and EZ spindles. I noticed on mine and one of yours (after about 5:20) a slight dark discoloration of one of the spindles where the outer bearing would sit. It is slightly grooved when I run the my fingernail over it. The bearings were fine but I replaced them. Is that spindle condition normal wear and tear?

[@NoelBarlau]

Yes, the spindle is normal and undamaged. As long as the bearing surfaces have a smooth and consistent area to mate to and seat fully without forcing them on, I wouldn't worry about a small groove. But I'm no axle mechanic, I just play one on TV.

[@anthonyspadafora1384]

The EZ spindles work fine, one of the biggest mistakes is people will try to do it with cold grease with the consistency of clay, of course it will blow the seal. Get the grease up to 75-80 degrees for a night and bring your trailer or RV into a heated garage for a night or two. Now push your new grease through, it will push right through the back bearing, travel along the spindle and then push right through the front bearing then you will usually see a color change coming out of the front bearing and you are done.

[@kencraig6526]

My 2019 brand new brakes barely worked, found all 4 seals pissed grease. I believe these things are over filled from the design. So I repack by hand and put about 2 table spoons worth of grease by hand. These things don't need a swimming pool of grease, and I think I'll just get a set of bearing buddies.

[@JOHNM572]

great video get it out on rv sites so people can hear it from somebody thats does it compared to someone that thinks they know what they are doing.

[@NoelBarlau]

Feel free to link to it. I'm not a forum guy, as I can't stand sifting through all the BS to find what I'm looking for. That, and everyone's an armchair expert looking to tell you how you've done it wrong. Well I've got over 4000 miles on this job and so far it's been working like a champion. That's good enough for me.

[@colekiely3865]

Had blown seals on my 5200lbs dextar axles, right front left rear, glad i did it and never using the zerk

[@robbypro3370]

Just did mine after buying from someone who said they were good and already packed. All seals leaked just a little. But adjusters were all locked up, and had one bad bearing. One electric brake wire was cut. Never trust anyone.

[@AnnetteVanDerWall-ph8kc]

Thank you

[@46fd04]

An excellent job done by you!

[@Peter-od7op]

I always spin hub tighten till itvreally slows down to set bearing and loosen to correct feel. I would have change all bearings if the races looked bad.

[@NoelBarlau]

The bearings and races looked nearly new as far as I could see, so I re-used both the bearings and hubs. If they're showing significant wear this fall after we drag the trailer halfway across the country and back, I'll replace everything. The technique I used to tighten the nuts was an aggregation of methods I saw watching hours of KZbin videos on the subject, but I'm sure there are other techniques I didn't see. Thanks for your input.

[@Peter-od7op]

@@NoelBarlau i was surprised with the small leef springs. I thought they be heavier duty.

[@NoelBarlau]

@@Peter-od7op The trailer weighs less than 8000 lbs empty, so there's really just over 4000 lbs per axle. It seems to be enough axle and spring to do the job. I remember seeing somewhere recently that travel trailers are only designed to do something like 33 trips before self-destructing. They're built lightweight and are super flimsy if you look past the fancy trim.

[@Luv2flyMD]

Excellent video! Everyone should know how to check your bearing, brakes and drums. I had the same issue plus some in which I had to replace both of my axles with all new components. That's a whole other story, but I switched from EZ lube to manual lube. This will force me to remove the drums and hubs for any issues.

[@lakegeorgeloyalist2151]

Who turns rv drums?

[@NoelBarlau]

@@lakegeorgeloyalist2151 Allied Autoworks in Peachtree City, GA.

[@jpritch2]

maybe it had more use than they were telling you.

[@Jennifer-007]

They’re called ‘pads’ when it’s a disk break system (with rotors and calipers), those are shoes and trust me, I may be a girl but we know our shoes 🤣

[@sadlert]

I've had to deal with this also. I repack manually, and will still use the ez-lube fitting BUT I only give each hub MAX 1/4 pump every trip.

[@slalomking]

No pump till it comes out the grease cap. Wipe off excess grease then put in the rubber plug.

[@oldkoot5828]

I found that most of the greese passed thru the cotter key hole.

[@frankpaglianite4158]

A good video. I can tell you are not a professional but that’s ok. Your message was what the story is about. Forget the grease fittings and pull the hubs annually and service as needed a well pack bearing with some grease in the reservoir will last for many miles plus a properly adjusted wheel bearing it’s very crucial to this operation

[@NoelBarlau]

It's true, I'm a Captain at a U.S. major airline by trade, and I have nothing but respect for professional mechanics - I could never do their jobs. I just like to show people what I'm thinking when I deem it relevant to a select audience, and it might just save at least one person some serious headaches in the future. And that makes it worthwhile, backhanded complements and all.

[@mikebradford7780]

I can tell that you are not a professional??? Don't even bother saying that you are because you are not.

[@chuckweir5032]

Did you fill the rest of hub assembly with grease gun

[@NoelBarlau]

No I didn't, I was afraid of blowing out the seals again.

[@mrcutlass7133]

Great video

[@543whitey]

the dexter website does not say that the ez lube method is only for emergencies, it states that method is how they are supposed to be repacked.

[@bottmar1]

Completely filling the whole hub full of grease is not good for any axle style. Spinning the wheel during greaseing will not blow the seal out nor push it out. Too much grease in the hub so full and leaving no pocket of air space for grease exspansion is what will push a seal or actually rip the rubber apart. This happens in vehicle axle housings where the housing breather gets plugged. Just plain do NOT fill axle hub full of grease and do not leave "end play" as so many so called repair suggestions state. Leaving end play allows the weight that is being supported by the bearing to concentrate on fewer bearing rollers. No end play assures weight is distributed more evenly among more rollers due to the tapered design of the roller style bearings. After packing bearings for 54 years and having NO bearing failures due to no so called necessary end play. ALL trailer axles come out with excessive free play and not enough grease. Guess what? Bearing failure! None of my trailers have bearing failure even after twenty five years.

[@bryanmontgomery4050]

BTW, you have done everything correctly, it you used polyurea based grease you wouldn’t need to service those for 50k miles.

[@46fd04]

Greasy brakes create MORE friction, and will cause lockup when they are properly adjusted. Your greasy brakes weren't grabbing because the brakes were most likely not in adjustment.

[@icare7151]

Always replace bearings that seals have blown out. In this case I would have either replaced all bearings or gone with new axels. I refuse to use Dexter EZLube axels. They are a defective design at best.

[@NoelBarlau]

Not a bad policy. These felt perfectly fine, so I decided to reuse them. Over 1200 miles on them since then, and so far so good. Fingers crossed!

[@JOHNM572]

you are totally correct i imform everybody to get rid of thr e axle and buy a haul master.

[@icare7151]

The Dexter EZLube Axels are poorly engineered. They fail 95% of the time. I will never use them. Even when people take the bearings out clean and repack, the seals still fail. They should be recalled and redesigned.

[@NoelBarlau]

I've had 3 replies to this video in the last 2 hours after nothing for months. Google must have flipped the switch on to "recommend".

[@icare7151]

@@NoelBarlau I searched the subject matter, selected sort by newest and made sure to “like” and “comment” which drives the algorithm to more viewers.

[@NoelBarlau]

@@icare7151 Well, thanks!

[@jimcollins8097]

Very few people understand correct way to preload the bearing. You got it right. PS, you didn't mention it but the bearings have to go back into the exact races they came out of. You can't mix wear patterns, well, not for long

[@NoelBarlau]

I commented before re-watching the video, then deleted my ill-informed reply. You are completely correct. I forgot that one of the races is permanently in the hub.

[@jimcollins8097]

"...one of the races is permanently in the hub". Not sure what you mean by that. Not to beat a dead horse, but the races are replaceable with a hammer and brass punch.

[@NoelBarlau]

@@jimcollins8097 Good to know. This was my first attempt at axle bearing replacement, and I'm certainly no expert. Thanks for the tips.

[@waltfriedrich7631]

If you use the EZ Lube system you will at some point have this failure....remove the bearings...check the rollers and race...hand repact and reinstall. EZ Lube does not allow bearing inspection plus if you use a different type of grease then the original type the mixing can breakdown both greases causing bearing failure.

[@JoeHahn-dp6ml]

E Z lube spindles are junk!! Takes more force to put new grease into a bearing than what the seal will ever hold back from leakage into brake area. Have seen dozens of brake contamination cases and failed bearings from lack of new grease into bearing rollers in 35years of RV service.

[@1DirtyMutt]

How do you put together pretty much a great video and then royally screw up the most important part of seating your bearings? A crescent wrench? Seriously. You go through all the hassle with the hubs and the bearings and then don’t seat them properly…🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️.

[@NoelBarlau]

I looked on your channel for the perfect bearing seating technique, but found no such video on the subject. Feel free to make your own using your preferred technique and post a link to it here. We're all here to learn and grow, right?

[@markparker4032]

Don't "repack" your bearings with the easy lube......at best this is for emergency use when a wheel bearing is overheating.....ALWAYS repack by tearing everything apart and repacking following the instructions on the manufacturers website.

[@slalomking]

Wrong, it is not for emergency

[@markparker4032]

@@slalomking Do what you want. If you blow grease all over your break shoes because you want to do it "the easy way".....not my problem.

[@Oldtech51]

Lazy Lube is the worst thing to ever happen to the RV industry. It over packs the hub cavity. Hub should not be packed more than 50%. Filling the hubs will cause the grease to churn and make the bearings over heat. Bearings must be run with .001" to .005" end play. Never preloaded!