My owners manual says to replace the sae90 gear lube in the front hubs each year. Doors anybody have any experience with this? I am at a repair facility because a semi driver forgot to set his air brake and rolled back into me at a fuel pump. The shop is willing to help by getting the huge nuts on the wheel covers off and on. How hard is this? Thanks
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There is an aluminum cover (hub cap) with a plastic window so you can see the oil level. This cover usually has a drain plug on it - if not you remove the cover to drain (oil is added by removing the center rubber plug).
Most people just drain the hub then refill with fresh oil. This doesn't get all the old oil out as some will be left in the bearing hub, but that old oil is then diluted with fresh oil, and then the next year you do it again , and so on. So you end up replacing all the original/old oil over a two or three oil changes this way. You just need a container to drain the oil into, plenty of rags and some spray cleaner ("Brake Clean" spray is commonly used). If you don't have the drain plug on the hub and need to remove it to drain, you will want a new gasket or some Permatex #2 to seal it up after cleaning thoroughly. Not hard but messy.
Or you can pull the wheel hub completely (pull bearings, replace wheel seal, etc.) and then completely flush and fill with new oil. This is the factory recommended way and allows inspection of the bearings too. That's a big job.
Also to add - those lug nuts are torqued to 450-500 ft-lbs. You don't really want truck shop just tightening them an air gun. A torque wrench should be used.
On my coach there is a center chrome cap that just prys off for access to the hub (no need to take any lug nuts loose.
Perhaps a photo of your setup or saying what make/model coach you have will help get better advice. Good luck
Sorry about hijacking the thread but I thought the post said front wheel maint the pictures show a oil filled hub like I have on my tag. I was going to repack my front bearing and was going to ask if there were any tricks to it but now a little confused.
Country, have you ever done yours?
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“06” Beaver Patriot Thunder , 525 HP C13 Cat
MH 4000 Allison
42 ft Vicksburg, 4 slides
These Coaches may have "oil bath" front hubs or "grease packed" front hubs.
I have the oil bath style on my Tag axle and the Grease style on the front axle.
I prefer the grease style (although there are a number of threads from people that have, or want to, change to oil bath).
I have not done them on my coach, but as a former truck mechanic I have done a bunch. There is nothing difficult about the job - but if your going to pull the wheel and inspect the bearings (or repack them) then there's some heavy weight involved (and usually a wheel dolly) and you will need a new wheel seal and a torque wrench to adjust the wheel bearing.
My owners manual says to replace the sae90 gear lube in the front hubs each year. Doors anybody have any experience with this? I am at a repair facility because a semi driver forgot to set his air brake and rolled back into me at a fuel pump. The shop is willing to help by getting the huge nuts on the wheel covers off and on. How hard is this? Thanks
My 07 Neptune on the rr4r chassis has grease filled hubs from the factory. I had them repacked a few years ago at Josam's in Orlando. Barry said they didn't need it then but I went ahead and had it done anyway. It's getting close to needing it again.
Country,
Haven’t looked up the torque yet do you know it off the top of your head. I have looked up the cost of the seals $30. Looking like the costs of parts for conversion would be the same. On the fence about just grease pack or conversion. Mind sharing why you prefer grease.
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“06” Beaver Patriot Thunder , 525 HP C13 Cat
MH 4000 Allison
42 ft Vicksburg, 4 slides
Do you mean the torque for the wheel bearing adjustment?
Or something else (lug nut torques is 450 to 500 ft-lbs).
I think Grease is better because...
1) On coaches that sit a lot, the grease will stay on the bearing surfaces whereas the oil runs off the exposed side of bearing and then surface rust can form.
2) the Grease will not leak out as fast (or at all) if the wheel seal is slightly worn.
3) Grease can tolerate some water getting in and will stay separate from the water, whereas if any water gets into an oil bath hub it contaminates the whole batch.
Here's the wheel bearing adjustment procedure. For the Standard wheel end procedure where you tighten the bearing nut to some torque then back off the nut.
Note that is also a Low Maintenance Service (LMS) Wheel End that uses a "spacer" inside the hub so you tighten the bearing adjusting nut then do NOT back it off. Also attached is the procedure to adjust the LMS type.
When using spray cleaner, Brakleen etc, be sure not to get any on the plastic window, as it it will cloud the window, making it harder to see the oil level.
Linear Mode
