How To Repack The Bearings On Your 5th Wheel | Grand Design 5th Wheel Bearing Maintenance

Wheel bearings can often be an overlooked part of maintenance on a 5th wheel or travel trailer. In this video we will show you how to repack the bearings on your 5th wheel or travel trailer. There are a few items you will need to repack the bearings on your 5th wheel, but the most important is new grease seals! Finding the correct seals can be a challenge. You can look at the axle label to determine which axles you have, but the foolproof way to get the correct grease seal is to remove one from the drum and get a part # off of it. Below is the website I used to find the correct seal for our Grand Design 28BH (Dexter 5200 lbs axles) grease seals. I have also listed a link to the wheel bearing packer that I used, this makes repacking the bearings much less messy and guarantees the bearings are full of new grease. If you have a question about this process, feel free to ask in the comments!
Grease Seal Cross Reference: www.trailerparts4u.com/files/2...
Lisle Bearing Packer: amzn.to/3f8IJRj
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
1:45 Supplies needed to repack the bearings on your 5th wheel
5:45 Removing wheel bearings
12:10 Using the bearing packer to grease the wheel bearings
14:08 Installing the new grease seal
17:39 Adjusting the brakes
18:18 Reassembly of the brake drum and properly tightening the spindle nut
23:13 Greasing the leaf spring hangers
26:30 Final thoughts

[@thdizzy]

I've watched thousands of 'How to' videos on KZbin and have saved tens-of-thousands of dollars fixing everything; cars, boats, jets skis, pools, appliances, you name it. This is hands-down one of the best videos I've seen for servicing travel trailer bearings!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you! Appreciate the feedback and thanks for watching!

[@gtogreg2811]

Best video on KZbin showing how to repack your wheel bearings. Just play it step by step as you do it & anyone can do it. Great video!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@rolfeliason5950]

Went to a local trailer dealer to get four trailer wheels repacked, and "check" the brakes. What they charged........I will never go back! Especially after seeing how relatively easy the job is. THANK YOU.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome, it’s a little time consuming but well worth doing yourself if you can! Thanks for watching!

[@markfraser695]

Sir, you have done a great service for this 5th wheel owner. I like to do maintenance myself and your video is fantastic. Thank you for taking your time to present this valuable information. MUCH APPRECIATED!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Glad the video was helpful!!

[@javieraceves942]

Informative and well made video. Thank you sir.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you!

[@richmondcoffey2819]

I appreciate your time making this. I packed mine for the first time following your guidance. Extremely helpful

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Glad the video was helpful and thank you for watching!

[@ElizabethChiapuzio]

oh my gosh! thank you for this video. I packed all of my bearings today! your instruction made it so easy

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Awesome! Glad the video was helpful! Thank you for watching!

[@traffictr3229]

I just did this today and your video was a huge help! Couldn’t have done it without ya. Thank you!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching!

[@ConsidertheWonders]

Handy little tip on how to get that back bearing off by using the nut.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

I had an old school mechanic show me that after he watched me struggle to remove a stubborn seal! Thanks for watching!

[@garyp9906]

Again, you did an awesome video!! I've learned so much from you. I watched your video on changing leaf springs and you covered everything. Same thing on this video. Keep these videos coming!!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you for the kind words! I’m glad you found the videos helpful and we will absolutely keep them coming as we do repairs and maintenance to our 5th wheel. Thank you so much for watching!

[@marvcline9495]

This was an awesome video. I just purchased a used Solitude and going to do this before my first trip. I like how you showed the brake adjustment and grease bolts all in the same video. Way to knock out all your wheel, suspension, and brake maintenance at the same time.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching!

[@cammoll6717]

Gerat video easy to understand and to the point.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you! Thanks for watching!

[@user-ds8ds8wx3m]

I will be greasing the seals for the first time this week. Just purchased a used grand design 5th wheel. I will be following your instructions step by step. Just want to say thanks for helping me out with this task. Great video

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome, glad the info is helpful!

[@albertsanchez8007]

Outstanding video! Easy to follow instructions. Thank you!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching!

[@tonyshirk6059]

I enjoyed your video and found it very informative. Thanks for taking your time to make this video

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you! Glad the video was helpful, thanks for watching!

[@carldreitlein1376]

Great video , very thorough and very helpful

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@CLTNY1]

This was a super helpful instruction. Thank you!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Glad you found it helpful and thank you for watching!

[@OnkelDude]

Thanks for all the helpful hints David - gloves, shop towels, garbage bag, bearing packer, etc. Just got done with the fifth wheel and the horse trailer. I did end up purchasing a seal puller at Harbor Freight for $8 as your trick about pulling it off with the axel didn't work for me. When that didn't work on the horse trailer, my neighbor suggested hitting it from the other side with hammer and metal pipe. That worked great. Also so excited to see your new smile! Lisa

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Popping the seal and bearing out can be tricky sometimes using the axle nut can be tricky sometimes. Glad you found this helpful, I’m enjoying the new smile as well! Thank you so much for watching!

[@OnkelDude]

Tell Erica she's up next time to do the bearings. If I can do it so can she! ;) Lisa

[@rsmith2786]

This was a really helpful video. Thanks!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching!

[@andresd9146]

Great video. Gonna do this job soon so this will be the video I will use for reference. 👍

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Wonderful! Glad you found it helpful, thanks for watching!

[@davidwatko4046]

Great video. Good information. Gotta do mine in a few weeks before the big trip to Myrtle Beach.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you and thanks for watching! Safe travels and enjoy Myrtle Beach!

[@gtogreg2811]

Great video with great tips. Thank you!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful. Thank you for watching!

[@MrSoundofmusic]

Thanks for making this, I purchased a used Grand Design and I'm finding out that it wasn't as maintained as I hoped. So I'm getting on it and checking off the list....which for a newbie like myself has been "interesting", but I'd rather learn early and not the hard way. (Which I already have had to do) :D

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Glad you found the video helpful and it is DEFINITELY better to learn now rather than after there is a breakdown. It’s not completely unavoidable but you can definitely mitigate the risk! Thanks for watching!

[@KorHiOfficial]

Great video! 👍

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@dagobertogomez1213]

Thank you, well explained I will try to do myself.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@housesOTR]

Thanks. Very complete. Still don't know if I have the courage to do it myself though.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you! I’m sure you could do it! Just take your time and you’ll be fine. Thanks for watching!

[@randyp8295]

Great video

[@erichansen5017]

Awesome Video Brother!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thanks! And thanks for watching!

[@robertkaplan6600]

Great job 👍

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you and as always, thanks for watching!

[@americanrvtraveler2446]

Dexter Axle recommends jacking up a trailer on the trailer frame, not on the axle or suspension system. To avoid damaging the trailer, do not place the jack on the axle. Instead, place the jack under the frame of the trailer or at a specified jack point on the side that has the flat tire. For added stability, add a flat piece of wood under the jack.

[@danielgallegos8455]

Great video thanks

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome, thank you for watching!

[@jasonwolfe8094]

Thanks for the video!

[@jasonwolfe8094]

And I had no idea there were grease fittings on the rear of the shackle bolts until you pointed that out! Thank you!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome, thanks for watching!

[@jondrew7473]

Darn good video. Thanks

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome and thank you for watching!

[@somewhereinoregon]

Great video. I'm going to give this a try on my 390RK. I have the MORryde Independent Suspension and disc brakes, but the repacking should be the same. Thank you.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

The axles will be the same, so this process should apply to yours. Thanks for watching!

[@RandyK1ng]

Thanks again. After watching this video, I decided to do the 4 wheels on my Keystone Montana. Everything exactly as you showed here. With one exception - the last person to do these wheels (maybe even mfr), really packed these babies. The spindle cavity between the bearings was packed full, as was the dust cap. FULL. And I get the impression that the speed lube thing is really not used. I see the Zerk on the spindle end and the hole at the back of the spindle, but it is far more satisfying and more assuring when you pack 'em manually. And I have noticed there are a few RV peeps in the community that are in the "pack it full" camp, but I don't see a good reason to pack those other voids. Comments?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Most likely the cavity was filled because someone used the ez lube hub grease zerk to try and grease the bearings. It is supposed to work by pushing grease through the rear bearing, filling the cavity, and pushing out through the front bearing. This system is great in theory, however, if the grease seal does not hold up, you will pump your brake drum full of grease and have a mini-disaster on your hands. Packing them by hand is much more reliable. As far as filling the cavity, the grease is packed in to the bearings, extra grease in the cavity serves no purpose as it will never make its way in to the bearing. It doesn’t hurt to have the grease in the cavity, but it serves no benefit to the bearings. Glad you found the video helpful and thank you for watching!

[@davidcook4544]

good job!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you! And thanks for watching!

[@salalmaraz7103]

Great video.. Thx buddy

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@sammydavis408]

Thanks man 🤙🏼

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome, thanks for watching!

[@jamesdarneal6356]

You're a good teacher :-)

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you, glad you found it informative! Thanks for watching!

[@tommiij]

Thank you!

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@hardtruth2039]

Great video! I carry a Milwaukee 1/2” stubby impact with 2 6ah batteries, a lug nut kit that fits all lug nut sizes, the Milwaukee m12 inflator and the Milwaukee 12v m12/m18 battery charger in my truck and the wife’s Honda CRV. Works great and doesn’t take up a lot of space. I also carry several other Milwaukee m12 and m18 tools including the m12 grease gun and caulking gun and a couple of fast chargers in the 5th wheel.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

I’ve been looking at the Milwaukee impact and inflator, thanks for the recommendation!

[@hardtruth2039]

@@JouppiOutdoors it has saved my bacon as well as several friends on the side of the road. Works great to blow the water lines down in the rig. I love that I can set the pressure and not have to worry about it. They wife can use it to inflate tires and not worry about over pressuring them.

[@jdog1297]

Good job, only thing I take issue with is putting that jack under the axle instead of the frame. I've seen axles collapse under the weight, making for a very expensive replacement. Dexter and Lippert make the majority of axles for RVs, absolutely advises against doing this. Food for thought 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@JouppiOutdoors]

I see your point, most of the weight was being supported by the leveling jacks. The bottle jack was used to finish getting the tire off the ground.

[@46fd04]

I use a rubber mallet to remove the centre cap, to drive the new seal in place, and to reinstall the centre cap.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

That definitely works too!

[@46fd04]

FYI You can get proper orange caps for those Lynx Levellers. It will avoid the damage to he top of them

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Awesome, thanks for the info!

[@randyp8295]

FYI, RV dealer quoted me 300$ to do this job. Good savings for a DIY project.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Good savings and you know it’s done right! Thanks so much for watching!

[@46fd04]

Those are self-adjusting brakes, but, I believe they only adjust in reverse. Adjusting by hand, using a brake spoon, with the wheel attached & raised off the ground, is highly recommended, at least twice a year in my opinion.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You are correct, checking and adjusting manually is the way to go.

[@wendellrobinson8977]

Great video just one question the seal you pulled off was solid on one side and open channel on other side and the new seal was solid on both sides does this matter?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

I don’t know if there is any advantage one way or another. I just used the National part number and that’s how the new seals were made. I have done this job twice since this video and the seals have been closed on both sides. Just have to pay attention when installing to make sure the seal lip is facing up (or toward the backing plate when installed on the spindle).

[@raylyndaschilke8686]

Great video. After you are done do you recommend a couple pumps of grease into the bearing buddy?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thank you! There is no need to put grease in the grease fitting, it will never reach the bearings unless you pump a tremendous amount into it…and that is when you risk blowing out the rear seal.

[@joeyherring5942]

Thanks for the suspension tip! It looks like the bearing buddy favors the inner bearing; the outer was dry, not the inner.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@steveb7674]

there was no bearing buddy on these axles

[@kcconaty5270]

Nice info. Thanks for sharing 👍 Sub’d

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thanks for watching!

[@RandyK1ng]

Thanks for the vid. Do you switch to a white lithium for the leaf springs?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

I used Red N Tacky grease on the leaf springs. I just replaced the leaf springs due to them flattening out and the bushings and wet bolts still looked great, so I will stick with that. Thanks for watching!

[@ronaldphillips8750]

How many miles before you do this if you regularly put grease in with grease gun? Very Good Video.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

I do this once per year and grease with the grease gun every few months. We are full time so the miles rack up pretty quickly. We put just over 20,000 miles on the trailer last year. Thanks for watching!

[@wooddawg4868]

I got ez lube hubs, all I need with those is a greese gun and spin the tire while I pump until I see old greese come through the front and done.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

We put over 20,000 miles on our rig last year, I felt much better tearing it down and making sure the bearings were packed correctly. Thanks for watching!

[@Melendezdj]

Everthing was great, I do have just one question. How much PSI torque should I tighten the log nuts on the tire?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

The lug nut torque is 110 ft lbs. I should have clarified that! Thanks for watching!

[@Melendezdj]

Thank you soo much! 👍

[@Melendezdj]

Is there a book or chart that I can find online with the specific?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Here is the link I used for our Grand Design lug nut torque: gdrv4life.granddesignrv.com/knowledge-base/pre-travel-information/wheel-nut-torque

[@reneesalipante4611]

Do you recommend tire removal or can you leave the tire on, remove the spindle nut to pop out outer bearing first by pulling on tire, then remove tire to access inner bearing? Trying to discern if tire removal is necessary vs optional, or what advantage is. Thanks.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Yes, the tire needs to be removed. Technically, IF you can access the spindle nut you could remove it and the outer bearing and pull the entire drum and wheel assembly off together, but it will be extremely heavy and cumbersome to work with. The time it takes to remove the tire in the beginning is going to save a lot of hassle and headaches. Thanks for watching!

[@xy404]

I've seen some vids where after they repacked the bearings, they used the zirk valve to fill up the whole cavity with grease. Is that the way to go or just like you did it ?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Filling the cavity is not necessary. I have done mine like this for 4 years with no issues. Thanks for watching!

[@cwtex59]

Looks like to me you would clean and degrease old bearings before putting in bearing repacker so there is no contamination of good grease.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Good point and good idea! Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for watching.

[@TylerDurden775]

Do you sometimes find it hard to press down on the grease packer? My one suggests using a vice if necessary.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

It can be, i usually put it on the ground and put all my weight on it!

[@stevebeaulieu2617]

Hello, I need your opinion on that, I did brakes and bearings this week-end and I thight the castle nut to 50 pound torque and loose it and tight it by hand until it stop. I did a little road test and find out a bit of a play when I jack the wheels to see if I have play. Do you recommand to have realy no play when you push on your tire rignt to left and top to bottom ? Thanks you very much for your help.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Hi! There should be no play when pushing on the tire when it’s jacked up. I have found that hand tight is not adequate. I tightened mine hand tight plus a little more (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 turn). That slight bit of extra tightening is not enough to cause any damage but it will eliminate the play in the wheel.

[@stevebeaulieu2617]

@@JouppiOutdoors Ok thanks, did you drive a lot of mile wile using that method ? No overheat ?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

We put around 20,000 miles a year on it from 2020-2022 with no issues. I have used this method each time I repacked the bearings. Basically you’re going just snug enough to remove the play….the nut is not really “tight”, if that makes sense.

[@stevebeaulieu2617]

@@JouppiOutdoors Thanks for all thoses recommandation, I decided to follow your procedure today, I will take it to a road test and see with an heat meter gun how is the heat. I have no play right now, just border line to have play. Do you beleave that if there is no play those bearings will expend when hot and over heat cause there is no play ?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

The bearings should be free but no play when pushing side to side on the tire.

[@barrytaylor6257]

On the bearing buddy grease fitting. Were you Greece the wheel bearing without taking tire and hub off. I noticed it only greases near the back of the inner wheel bearing. How is that supposed to help the outer wheel bearing? Looks like you would have to feel the whole hub full of grease before it ever reached the outer bearing.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

The theory is that you pump enough grease to push through the rear bearing and keep pumping until it pushes through the front bearing….all while spinning the wheel while jacked up. The problem is that if your rear grease seal fails, you will be pumping an entire tube of grease into your brake drum…this is why I just repack the bearings manually every year or two depending on how many miles we travel.

[@barrytaylor6257]

Okay. Yeah that's kind of what I was thinking is the way it was designed. It would take almost a whole tube of grease to do all four hubs lol. I'm with you. Just repack them every year or so. Thanks great video.

[@jessicadegraff7265]

what grease do you recommend?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

I have always used the red high temp wheel bearing grease, I purchased it from Oreilly Auto Parts but any parts store will have it.

[@BillyWhisnant-tw9fz]

Where do you put the bottle jac

[@JouppiOutdoors]

I placed it in between the U bolts.

[@yesenodf]

Where did you place your bottle jack on axle. Can you show a picture. Is axle simply resting on the tip of the jack or did you use a piece of wood

[@JouppiOutdoors]

I jacked it up right under the U-bolts. I did not use a block of wood, but that’s not a bad idea. I have jacked up the axle in this spot on multiple occasions with no issue. Thanks for watching!

[@ronaldphillips8750]

Is this the Dexter Easy Lube system or Bearing Buddy?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

It is the Dexter EZ lube system.

[@Dickj203]

I thought the ez lubes didn’t need re packing? Don’t you just pump new grease in while spinning tire until you see old grease flow out?

[@ronaldphillips8750]

@@Dickj203 I think the EZ instructions mentions about checking seals and bearings at 10,000 miles and if you did that you might repack the bearings the old way and then pump the grease in to maintain good grease, I have heard different opinions on this. You might want to ask a professional to get a opinion.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

The flaw with the EZ Lube system is that it takes a tremendous amount of grease to push through the rear bearing, fill the cavity, and then push through the front bearing. If the rear seal fails during this process, you will fill your brake drum with grease and not know it until it’s too late. In theory, it’s a super easy way to grease the bearings, but in reality, there is a high probability of blowing out the rear seal.

[@Dickj203]

@@JouppiOutdoors I have heard this as well but more so with pneumatic grease guns.

[@bobmartens1089]

I thought u could re pak your bearings with that system with the bearing buddies?

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Unfortunately, that is a great system in theory only...in reality, you would need multiple tubes of grease for each wheel and then, the risk of blowing out the rear grease seal is extremely high. There have been many rear seal failures from using the grease fitting to try and lube the bearings.

[@brandonehrke4549]

What kind of grease u use

[@JouppiOutdoors]

I use high temp red wheel bearing grease available at any auto parts store. Thanks for watching!

[@sundancer3700]

Suggest to watch this Dexter Axle video on how to do it correct, Clean out all the old grease to inspect, dont mix grease brands then fill with new grease. And buy a torque wrench, this preload to 50 pounds is important. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ-rXptpjJ6LrKssi=EoB1sQRHHohLNJ66

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Thanks for watching!

[@waltfriedrich7631]

NEVER use the EZLUBE fitting. At some point you will blow past a seal and destroy your brakes. Seen it way too many times even when the procedure was done perfectly. If you pack your bearings correctly most people can go 30K miles w/o a repack. Years ago cars all had front wheel bearings like these and were rarely repacked.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Agreed! Thanks for watching!

[@46fd04]

Step 1 remove wheel Step 2 loosen the brake so the brake drum comes off easy....

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Typically the brakes will not be adjusted to the point of the drum not coming off. But if it is binding, loosening the brakes will definitely help.

[@anthonyguess5528]

Notice his front bearing was dry? Follow the mfg instructions for best results. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jau6Yp6BbdSKocU

[@JouppiOutdoors]

Following the instructions from Dexter is definitely an option. However (as mentioned in previous comments) there is a risk of the rear seal failing, causing grease to be pumped into the brake drum. For me, it is worth the extra time to manually repack the bearings once a year. Plus I can inspect the brake components while I’m in there. I’m not saying DO NOT follow Dexter’s instructions, I’m just saying it may cause unintended problems that I would rather avoid. Thanks for watching!

[@rickbrown7067]

You probably damaged your inside bearing doing it that away! Spend 5 bucks and get a seal removal tool.

[@JouppiOutdoors]

No damage to the bearing, but if I had a seal removal tool, I would have definitely used it. Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for watching!