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Old 01-06-2022, 07:13 PM   #341
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Upon first serious wheel bearing service of our 2017 21c the shop found a broken brake wire, no electric no work. Inspect upon delivery.
I am requesting the dealer pull the wheels and inspect the bearings upon delivery on our upcoming purchase.
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Old 01-07-2022, 07:08 AM   #342
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I think I will just pick up a set of 4 seals/bearings and will just keep them in my little "box of tricks" so I will just have them when needed. Might be handy down the road someday.
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Old 01-07-2022, 07:33 AM   #343
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Originally Posted by Randy in Maine View Post
I think I will just pick up a set of 4 seals/bearings and will just keep them in my little "box of tricks" so I will just have them when needed. Might be handy down the road someday.
I know a couple folks that do this, but in my opinion it is just not needed. I have always had two or three trailers and have only occasionally checked the bearings for but tightness and appearance, and grease when the distance in the trailer warrants it. I've never had a failure or issue.

Besides, bearings are really available most anywhere.

Just one guys opinion. [emoji6]
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Old 03-10-2022, 07:16 PM   #344
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Brakes & Bearings - gouged drum; hanging up magnet arm We got our 2015 Escape 21. A

Quote:
Originally Posted by oldwave View Post
Upon first serious wheel bearing service of our 2017 21c the shop found a broken brake wire, no electric no work. Inspect upon delivery.
I am requesting the dealer pull the wheels and inspect the bearings upon delivery on our upcoming purchase.
Hey, I had the same thing happen with my 2012 Nash trailer from BC RV Sales. It had a broken wire on delivery and no one noticed. 2 years later Traveland RV did a brake/bearing service without noticing the issue (lack of wear should have been obvious). I found the issue myself when I did it on my own the following time. The break in the wire wasn't noticeable, with no wear marks or cut in the wire coating. I rewired it and immediately my braking improved. I now prefer to do this work myself. Not only do I save a ton of money, but I know exactly the status of my brakes and bearings.

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Old 03-10-2022, 07:22 PM   #345
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Brakes & Bearings - gouged drum; hanging up magnet arm

Here are two issues I encountered with my Escape trailer, plus and awesome video for newcomers to DIY brakes and bearings:

Magnet gouging brake drum surface:
We got our 2015 Escape 21. After 3 years I inspected the brakes and bearings, finding that the brake shoes/drum surfaces and wheel bearings were in new shape but the magnets had gouged the magnet surfaces on each drum so badly they needed turning, plus new magnets. I opted for new drums (came with bearings) and new brake plates. I was told (Tedco RV) that I hadn’t adjusted the brakes each year, so the magnets were being applied with more force to compensate and therefore the magnets gouged the drums.

So since then I have regularly adjusted my brakes . (DUH!) Since 2018 I didn’t use the trailer much due to Covid restrictions keeping us close to home, so I didn’t do my brakes or bearings again until this past week. This time the brake shoes, magnets, drums and bearings were all in great shape, so I just cleaned everything up, lubricated the appropriate brake surfaces (star wheel, plate friction points) and repacked the bearings. I share this because I may not be the only person stupid enough to not adjust brakes regularly.

Brake magnet arm hangs up, locking wheel:
Also, I had a problem as I exited the freeway close to home on a return trip last fall. The rear driver-side wheel locked up as I applied the brakes on a curve on the freeway exit and came to a stop. I dragged it across the intersection and to the side of the main road, SMOKING AND SQUEALING (the tire, not me). Backing it up freed the locked wheel and I was able to drive home. The YouTube video is an excellent guide on doing wheel bearing maintenance on a Dexter Easy-Lube axle/brake setup and addresses the lockup that I experienced. Unlike the fellow in this video, I did not replace the bushing on my magnet arm for any of the wheels, because they are only 3 years old. If it happens again I will try replacing the bushing like this fellow does.
There are a lot of good tips in this video. I saved it to my hard drive for next time I do this job.

YouTube video:



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Old 03-10-2022, 07:43 PM   #346
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Awesome post Bob; thanks
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Old 03-10-2022, 07:46 PM   #347
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I know a couple folks that do this, but in my opinion it is just not needed. I have always had two or three trailers and have only occasionally checked the bearings for but tightness and appearance, and grease when the distance in the trailer warrants it. I've never had a failure or issue.

Besides, bearings are really available most anywhere.

Just one guys opinion. [emoji6]
Missed this post: I disagree wholeheartedly! Takes such little space that at least it belongs in the "if I have it won't need it" category.

And with a Torflex axle without a removable spindle it is a different animal vs. a construction trailer. If you let your bearings cook the spindle the whole axle has to be replaced.
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Old 03-10-2022, 08:25 PM   #348
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I have a spare pair of bearings, a spare seal, some Brake Kleen and grease that would get me by on one wheel. In addition I have some good Emery cloth, shop towels and some Lucas Red and Tacky grease for where there are sliding surfaces and pivot points. Spare wire, tape, butt connectors, are in the “electrical bag” in the components box. On turning the drums to get grooves out, I think I remember seeing .010 stamped on the drum as the allowable reduction. That ain’t much on a deep groove.

Just added this to the post for those less experienced. Even if you can’t do the work, you might luck out and have an old geezer camped next to you who says, “I could get you going if you had the parts.”
I’ve been at rallies where bike racks were fixed, a weight distribution hitch was installed and sewer valves were changed out. All for a couple bottles of beer.

Last time I was at the Niagara rally a big foot fell off the support because the wheels weren’t chocked. Took 4 guys whose combined age was 280 and a small floor jack but we got her stood up again. There is room for wood in a modern machine shop, believe it or don’t
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Old 03-11-2022, 12:00 PM   #349
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Good video in that it shows the basics quite well and might encourage some hesitant person to maybe take a look and try doing it themselves.

A couple of things I don't like. Using side cutters to grab the spring. Yes, it's hard material but depending on the length of the handle and sharpness of the sidecutter it's possible to nick the spring and that's not a good thing. Vicegrips are a better option. And using a hammer to tap in the grease seal can lead to it going in crooked. A small wood block to seat it squarely is a better option. Not a biggie but a misdirected blow can damage the seal.

Not a fan of pumping grease in unless the wheel is on a boat trailer. All that extra grease in the center does nothing otherwise and it's just more grease to remove when packing the bearings.

Yup, a pair of extra bearings and grease etc. are cheap insurance on the road that you won't be stuck in the middle of nowhere. Unlikely for folks who keep up with their maintenance but it can happen.

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Old 03-11-2022, 12:09 PM   #350
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I remember the first time I replaced my brakes myself. I was in the military, using their facilities, and upon completion looked back and was quite proud of myself. So I climbed up the lift and got in the car and pumped the brakes.......without first reinstalling the drums. I had to start from scratch to the sounds of laughter in the garage.....but first cleaned all the brake fluid all over the place.....
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Old 03-11-2022, 03:35 PM   #351
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So I climbed up the lift and got in the car and pumped the brakes.......without first reinstalling the drums. I had to start from scratch to the sounds of laughter in the garage.....but first cleaned all the brake fluid all over the place.....
Been there, done that. There was that horrible micro second of realization that the pedal was going down so easy. And by then it was too late.

At least you provided some entertainment for others. Nothings funnier than watching someone else make a boo-boo.

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Old 04-05-2023, 07:42 AM   #352
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AtomLube Ultra Heavy Duty Red Grease

I have the E-Z lube grease fittings. I just ordered Atom Lube in the red tubes.
Will this grease be okay to use?
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Old 04-05-2023, 08:22 AM   #353
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I have the E-Z lube grease fittings. I just ordered Atom Lube in the red tubes.
Will this grease be okay to use?
Not sure about that particular grease offhand but here are the Dexter specifications and grease recommendations. It's not to say you can't use something that is not on the list it just needs to meet the specifications.
Attached Thumbnails
axle grease.JPG  
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Old 04-05-2023, 08:29 AM   #354
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I have the E-Z lube grease fittings. I just ordered Atom Lube in the red tubes.
Will this grease be okay to use?
As noted in rubicon327's post a lithium complex grease is recommended. lots of people use Lucas Red N Tacky which is a lithium complex grease and is available at most auto parts stores.
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Old 04-05-2023, 08:31 AM   #355
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Tried and true

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As noted in rubicon327's post a lithium complex grease is recommended. lots of people use Lucas Red N Tacky which is a lithium complex grease and is available at most auto parts stores.
That's what I recently used on a dual axle boat trailer that I rebuilt. Great stuff.
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Old 04-05-2023, 09:16 AM   #356
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Looks like that grease has “wheel bearing certification” I’ve not seen that product before but wouldn’t be afraid of it. Once you get it buckled back together, I’d advise tightening the axle nut down pretty tight to seat everything, then loosen the nut and snug it back down so there’s no play, spins easily and you can’t hear any “rumble” when the drum is turned. Then put the spring clip that holds the nut back on carefully so it seats the way it’s designed.

As my dad said many years ago, only do one wheel at a time so you have one to compare to your work. ( Followed by a couple additional admonishments that today’s psychologists are pretty sure “Scarred me for life”) And I thank him every time I pick up a wrench. I can still hear his bell clear baritone, vocalizing this old Ink Spots tune as I tackled new mechanical territory many years ago.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ink+...ile-gws-wiz-hp
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Old 04-05-2023, 02:09 PM   #357
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Not sure about that particular grease offhand but here are the Dexter specifications and grease recommendations. It's not to say you can't use something that is not on the list it just needs to meet the specifications.
I called the manufacturer. They sent me this PDF printout. It appears this particular grease is used for heavy duty trucks, Class 8 type stuff, earth moving equipment, and so on. I'm hesitant to use it. Hate to have shelled out $23 for two tubes... But, I'm thinking it might be prudent to go with something on the list you provided.
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File Type: pdf AtomLube Ultra Heavy Duty Red Grease_TPDS.pdf (514.1 KB, 5 views)
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Old 04-05-2023, 02:10 PM   #358
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Originally Posted by Iowa Dave View Post
Looks like that grease has “wheel bearing certification” I’ve not seen that product before but wouldn’t be afraid of it. Once you get it buckled back together, I’d advise tightening the axle nut down pretty tight to seat everything, then loosen the nut and snug it back down so there’s no play, spins easily and you can’t hear any “rumble” when the drum is turned. Then put the spring clip that holds the nut back on carefully so it seats the way it’s designed.

As my dad said many years ago, only do one wheel at a time so you have one to compare to your work. ( Followed by a couple additional admonishments that today’s psychologists are pretty sure “Scarred me for life”) And I thank him every time I pick up a wrench. I can still hear his bell clear baritone, vocalizing this old Ink Spots tune as I tackled new mechanical territory many years ago.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ink+...ile-gws-wiz-hp
Take your time and don’t get frustrated.
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Loved the Ink Spots. Appreciated the feedback. Mulling over whether I should go with a lighter grade product.
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Old 04-05-2023, 02:17 PM   #359
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That's what I recently used on a dual axle boat trailer that I rebuilt. Great stuff.
The Red Tube stuff? Did you manually repack the bearings or use the EZ-Lube system?
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Old 04-05-2023, 08:28 PM   #360
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The Red Tube stuff? Did you manually repack the bearings or use the EZ-Lube system?
My apologies. I just checked my grease gun and I used an STP premium marine grease. This makes sense since the boat trailer is regularly submerged. I think they were out of Lucas Marine grease when I was at the parts store. Manual repack. You would be well served by the Lucas Red n’Tacky for travel trailer bearings.
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