Hi, I was wondering how many have had a lot of experience with the E-Z Lube system of the spindle/axles... I hear that they leak out of the rear seal and I've heard from others they are great and they hadn't have any problems.. Something to remember, these are NOT Buddy Bearings!!! The Buddy Bearing system simply pushes grease through the first bearing, etc... I do know that with Buddy Bearings, if you push hard enough with the grease gun, you can blow the rear seal simply because of the pressure and that it has no place to go but out the rear seal...
The E-Z Lube system has machined/drilled channels in the spindle/axle and purges the contaminated grease (out the front) around the Zerk fitting/bearing without removing the hub...
One guy said: Never failed. Key is "spring loaded double lip seals" and never use a air powered grease gun. Always pump by hand and rotate while pumping. My experience has always been to pump when bearings are warm after a long drive, grease goes in much easier.
Another thing, There was one person that said the rear seal leaked... Well, as I ask him a few things, he said he rotated the wheels while greasing and his wife turned to him and said the camper was not off the ground and was not rotating the wheels and he immediately corrected himself... It's hard diagnosing a problem with bogus information...
One thing I know for sure, the pumping procedure for pumping grease into a Universals, or ball joints should NOT be used on the EZ Lube system. Universals and ball joints are made so that the grease is suppose to exit under pressure to the outside. The rubber on these items are nothing more than dust covers. Now, for the EZ lube system the grease goes through the spindle, pushes against the rear seal and comes back through the bearings than exits... The problem here is that the rear seal is the BACK BOARD for causing the grease (with resistance) to go through the bearings. Therefore, I would think you CAN NOT pump FAST, let alone not spin the tire, etc... Since the rear seal (made of rubber or whatever) is the weakest part of the system, I would pump VERY SLOWLY and stop for a few seconds or whatever and allow the grease to squeeze through the bearings and then repeat the pump... I believe this would keep the rear seal from giving out...
I'm adding pictures here and the link to the PDF file brochure...
You are correct on all your assumptions..... I never use it and simply feel the hub everytime i stop for fuel and it should never be more than "Warm to the touch"..... That trick alone will give you hundreds of miles early warning.
When i did use the EZ Lube i did like you say..... pump very slowly and lightly while a light spin on the tire and i never put more than four pumps into the hub....let alone have it squeeze out the front weep hole.
Joe & Linda
New River, Arizona
2013 Casita SD 17'
thanks for the reply... Have you since removed the drum to see if it leaks even while being easy on the greasing etc? I would think logically everything should be ok, but you know how that can go...
Yes...... and all was fine
You can easily feel the pumping action .....when you first start pumping of course it's not breaking the rear seal loose yet..... If you feel it getting harder to pump then that's when it's pushing against the seal..... to fill that whole cavity in the center of the hub with grease is just too much.
When running within a few hundred miles i did nothing but when i crossed the country a few times i would put 4-5 squirts in each side...done
And just for safety sake i carried a complete extra drum with bearings installed when cross country..... probably overkill but it made me feel better
Joe & Linda
New River, Arizona
2013 Casita SD 17'
That's what I was hoping to see... As to the overkill, I do a lot of that... Once in a great while, the extra things (like overkill, extra fuses, spare tire, scissor jack etc) pay's off in a positive way.
Thanks again, Scott