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twinboat · 01-03-2015, 03:54 PM

There are 3 types of common bearings " Tapered Roller Bearings " , " Ball Bearings ", and " Roller Bearings " .

Axles with nuts and cotter pins holding them together use tapered roller bearings. Used on most trucks, trailers and non drive, car axles.

Ball bearings, among thousand of other uses, are used, mainly on front wheel drive cars ( Pressed into place and sealed for life ) and some tow dollies. ( Maybe this is the " EZ Lube " thing, working it's way into the trailer axle field, where you force grease past the seals )

Roller bearing are used in machinery that have no lateral forces against them, or with thrust bearings.

You can push grease thru a tapered bearing set, using a grease gun, although in doing so, you are pushing the seal open, but it is still a good idea to take them apart to look for wear or pitting and damage to the seal, once in a while.

rrray · 01-03-2015, 05:50 PM

Well, a wealth of information. All interesting and appreciated.
With 20,000 and three years on em, I will have them re-packed and ask that the spring hangers; the magnets; the brakes all get a good look over. Wish they would put regular bearings on trailers like on my truck & cars. Wouldn't have to worry about it. Must be cheaper for the mnfg's to use the ez-lube thing on trailers. Only explanation I can think of.... Tks to all for replies
ray

09 harley · 01-03-2015, 06:56 PM

Easier is not better! Take the hubs off and clean and lube the bearings. If you want to risk pumping grease onto your brake pads then follow the directions for using the zerk fitting. Your chances of grease getting on the brakes doing it the old fashioned way are almost zero.
There are always easier ways to accomplish a task but in this case they are not better.

Ray,IN · 01-03-2015, 08:31 PM

re: EZ lube axles; I agree with Harley, and a few others about using a grease gun. When we sold our 05 5er in 13, the EZ lube zerks had never been used. I hand-packed the bearings every year. It's the only way to know if a bearing is beginning to fail or if the electric brakes need attention.

Timay · 01-04-2015, 09:10 AM

Don't forget the old standby - Nev-r-lube bearings. They are a cartridge that is lifetime lubed. Just for trailers, right? No, I have the same system on my tow vehicle!

Tim

3ares · 05-14-2015, 03:08 PM

When you repack your wheel bearings; how do you jack up your fith wheel?

Scottybdivin · 05-15-2015, 05:44 AM

On my 5th wheel, I used to place a 20T bottle jack under the U-bolt and jack up one tire at a time, just enough to barely clear the ground. No way I was going to try to lift up the whole side by the frame.

Franka548 · 05-15-2015, 01:16 PM

I have 2- 20T bottle jacks, I jack up on the frame, in front of the front axle and behind the back axle, this is where the manufacturer recommends jacking on my unit. 1 jack will lift 1 tire at a time, I usually do a 5 tire rotation at the same time, this lets me keep all 5 tires in use and not have the spare just sitting there. Where you jack yours will depend on where the manufacturer recommends, it should be in your owners manual. By jacking on the frame, it allows me to take a look at the suspension travel and have a look at the shocks at full extension. By the way, I put a jack stand under the spring plate on each axle from the time that the tire comes off, till the tire is back on.
Frank
Frank