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Old 08-20-2016, 09:28 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by C&G in FL View Post
If one goes to the Dexter website and look at the E-Z Lube diagram, it is evident that E-Z Lube delivers grease through the spindle to the backside of the inner bearing. Yes, spinning the wheel while pumping in grease will more easily allow grease to flow through the bearing to the void in the hub toward the outer bearing. However, the void in the hub must be fully packed with grease in order to be able to displace the grease in the outer bearing. The fallacy of the system is that when turning, hubs heat up and grease, like most every compound will expand when it heats up. This alone could result in grease leaking out of the rear seal and contaminating the brake shoes/drums.
This shouldn't be a problem, because the cap end does not hold pressure (it has a rubber plug in it for easy access to the grease fitting, which won't hold any significant pressure), so grease expansion should just push more out into the cap. Some people with E-Z Lube have reported finding excess grease in the cap, and that would presumably be why.
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Old 08-20-2016, 09:30 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
I gotta find the original EZ lube literature (probably on one of my old computers) that never spoke about the Dexter EZ-Lube (original brochure) and boat trailers. Isn't it interesting when someone has a dollar dedicated reason for their opinion? You'll probably never find an RV person that likes the EZ-Lube, because it means less $$ in their pockets. I can PROMISE you, that I can convince YOU of anything if it means more bucks in my pocket. (in today's world, that's called "politics.")


Carl, as I mentioned before... just because it's available doesn't mean you need to use it. Do you know how many posts from the other all-molded-towable forums (AND Facebook) where I've read where folks are SCARED to turn on the furnaces or stove... because they're read "horror stories" about propane.


Be well, be safe.
You are right, Donna. But I will tell you I run the furnace on propane and the refrigerator on propane sometimes when traveling. I make it personal policy to understand how things function, and when I choose not to use something, it is not out of fear, it is a result of logical analysis. I occasionally imbibe alcoholic beverages even though it could lead to health problems, and I drive on the highways even though several people die daily on our nation's highways. And two things that can be said about wheels and hubs: one, grease on brake components is not a good thing and, two, neither is a fully packed hub. Now if Dexter could create a system that would apply grease to both bearings without entirely filling the hub, then perhaps the system might have some degree of merit. But as it stands, using the E-Z Lube is a "feel good" procedure. In other words, I'm maintaining my bearings so they stay lubed. But in some 50 years of servicing wheel bearings the conventional way, I have never seen a bearing that had "lost it's grease." And I don't follow the so-called recommended service interval. I typically service bearings at 20,000-25,000 miles or every three years. The primary reason for servicing bearings is to examine them for wear, and to put fresh grease in them to eliminate any contamination that may have gotten into the grease. Yep, YMMV. If it makes you feel good to blindly pump grease into your bearings then by all means, do it. But do not try to convince me that E-Z Lube is a good thing. As for the contention that RV service personnel do not recommend E-Z Lube because it takes money out of their pockets, that is as ridiculous as saying that car manufacturers are in bed with the oil companies because they recommend oil be changed at 5,000 mile intervals. It could be said it is an easy way to justify the continued use of a questionable procedure. Furthermore, not everyone who makes a living in the service industry is a shyster.
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Old 08-20-2016, 09:38 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
This shouldn't be a problem, because the cap end does not hold pressure (it has a rubber plug in it for easy access to the grease fitting, which won't hold any significant pressure), so grease expansion should just push more out into the cap. Some people with E-Z Lube have reported finding excess grease in the cap, and that would presumably be why.
That is true, Brian. All I am saying is that there are individuals who pump a little grease into their E-Z Lubes and believe that doing so constitutes proper wheel bearing maintenance. It isn't, as the bearing does not get visually inspected, and if the wheel isn't immersed in salt water, there is no need to pump grease into the bearings between visual inspections/repacking. Or should I say, E-Z Lube might be the mechanical equivalent of mammary glands on a male bovine animal. My opinion, of course!
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Old 08-20-2016, 09:43 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by C&G in FL View Post
As for the contention that RV service personnel do not recommend E-Z Lube because it takes money out of their pockets, that is as ridiculous as saying that car manufacturers are in bed with the oil companies because they recommend oil be changed at 5,000 mile intervals.
That's a good example. If anyone thinks that 5,000 miles is unnecessarily frequent for oil changes, and done only to sell more oil (the conspiracy theory) or to make more service business (the business greed theory), then I note that many (perhaps most, now) vehicles have condition-sensitive service reminder systems that tell the driver when to change oil... usually far beyond the fixed interval which would otherwise be used. I don't think dealership service departments are losing sleep over the lost business, or advising customers to disregard it and change often.

RV service shops might not like E-Z Lube because it reduces their bearing re-pack business, but with annual inspection and repack services recommended by Dexter, the business comes in anyway. RV trailer sales operations, on the other hand, like E-Z Lube because it is a feature which they can use as a selling point, which only costs a few dollars and axle to include. I can only guess that Escape now includes E-Z Lube as standard equipment because a significant number of customers were asking for it, and it was economically better to just include it (and advertise the feature) than to order twice as many types of axle and get the right one in each trailer.
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Old 08-20-2016, 09:52 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by C&G in FL View Post
All I am saying is that there are individuals who pump a little grease into their E-Z Lubes and believe that doing so constitutes proper wheel bearing maintenance. It isn't, as the bearing does not get visually inspected, and if the wheel isn't immersed in salt water, there is no need to pump grease into the bearings between visual inspections/repacking. Or should I say, E-Z Lube might be the mechanical equivalent of mammary glands on a male bovine animal. My opinion, of course!

All very true!
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Old 08-21-2016, 02:08 AM   #26
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And "I know a guy" who has a business in Chilliwack---when I call--he does my bearings and brakes for me---I give him a plastic card and it all works out!!! LOL

MUCH easier for us--glad we don't have to even think about things like that---but I know we are lucky we live where we do--plus gives me a visit with my sister while work is getting done....

Hmmm need a visit what do I need to do (No not really--we are off to Europe next Sunday for a month)
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Old 08-21-2016, 06:15 AM   #27
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And "I know a guy" who has a business in Chilliwack---when I call--he does my bearings and brakes for me---I give him a plastic card and it all works out!!! LOL

MUCH easier for us--glad we don't have to even think about things like that---but I know we are lucky we live where we do--plus gives me a visit with my sister while work is getting done....

Hmmm need a visit what do I need to do (No not really--we are off to Europe next Sunday for a month)
Hi: amirie... "I know a guy", and that reminds me I have to see him about a leaky faucet!!! Have a nice trip. Are you taking the trailer? LoL Alf
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