Sure lube bearing system ( EZ LOADER )

[Jonboat 1850]

I hope someone can help me out here . I have a 98 ez loader trailer with the sure lube bearing system. Last year I lost my bearing caps (dust) on the highway so I bought redeye caps @ Walmart, anyways, I noticed one side of my trailer the orange ring wasn't visible so put in one squirt of grease with a grease gun when I heard a popping noise & seen grease from the back of hub ! I was pretty sure I screwed up & blew the rear seal but after looking @ the sure lube sticker on the trailer it looks to be designed to do that. I'm confused is that the way it's designed to work or did I blow the rear seal? Thanks for any help you can give me !

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Sure lube bearing system ( EZ LOADER )

You probably blew the inner seal, but it's not the end of the world. Look at the inside of your wheels....a blown inside seal will fling a layer of wheel grease all over the insides of the wheels after a long highway run. If there's a lot of grease in there, you need new seals.<br /><br />If you haven't repacked your bearings yet on a 1998 trailer, it's well overdue. Disassemble, inspect, replace bearings and races if necessary, and repack. Reassemble with new seals. This process is considered annual maintenance by many...sounds like it's time for yours.<br /><br />By the way, I'm not exactly sure what "Sure lube" is, but I have several trailers with Dexter Axles that have what is called "EZ lube" hubs. This is a grease nipple inside the dust cap....when you squeeze grease in there the grease feeds thru a small hole in the hub directly to the inside bearing, then after lots of pumping will gradually work thru the hub and feed the outside bearing, then it oozes out all around the nipple where your squeezing the grease in, and you collect the old purged grease in a paper towel and discard. It's a wonderful system that allows a complete bearing repack without having to disassemble the hub. If this is like your setup then you probably blew the seal by not properly adding the grease. On those axles it is recommended to jack the wheel up and spin it WHILE you are pumping the grease, unlike a conventional Bearing Buddy where you can add grease with the wheel stationary. If you don't spin the wheel while slowly adding grease it is very easy to blow the seal on a EZ lube hub.<br /><br />Even if that is your system, most owners manuals for such axles recommend periodic disassembly and inspection/manual repack of the bearings...a process that necessitates replacing the inner seals. I still feel this is what you need to do....

 

[jtexas]

Re: Sure lube bearing system ( EZ LOADER )

It seems very unlikely that they would be designed to let grease out the rear seal - but don't panic - if you want to test it, just wipe it completely clean and drive it a few miles - that won't hurt it - it's well enough lubricated as is - then take another look. If it's clean, you're in good shape - and be sure to report back with that news. Otherwise c1c outlined your procedure for ya. Just don't do too many launches with blown seals - that grease can only absorb so much water before it breaks down completely.<br /><br />welcome to iboats!

 

[imported_Curmudgeon]

Re: Sure lube bearing system ( EZ LOADER )

There is a type spindle that has an overflow hole on the inside end of the spindle (outside the grease seal). You know the hub is full when grease exits that hole, and the grease plugs the hole so no water intrusion. Don't know if that's what you have, but there is such an animal out there ...

 

[Jonboat 1850]

Re: Sure lube bearing system ( EZ LOADER )

Thanks for all the responses! I did a little checking on the companys website it sounds alot like the EZLUBE system but I didn't see anywhere they said to rotate tire while greasing.It says it's designed so you can repack without taking anything apart. It had a picture that may show you why I'm confused but I couldn't figure out how to attach it to this post the site is www.reliabletool.com. Another reason I thought that it may work like that is because the grease that came out the back was perfectly round & about 2" long coming from what looked to be the center of the hub.<br />I think I'll take it for a little drive after cleaning the rim & check it again as was suggested. Would I be able to tell after a few miles? Thanks again for all your help

 

[njlarry609]

Re: Sure lube bearing system ( EZ LOADER )

I have sure lube on a caulkins trailor and love it. It makes "repacking" the bearings an easy routine job. I doubt you blew the rear seals as the path of least resistance is through a "vent" hole in the spindal inboard of your axel spring. As you pump new grease in you can wathch for any water or color change in the old grease coming out. I have thousands of miles on my trailer and sure lube is my favorite bearing system by far.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Sure lube bearing system ( EZ LOADER )

Ahhhh...Sure lube is definitely different from my EZ lube setup. Based on that site, it appears there is a hole back there that is designed to purge out the old grease, just like njlarry says. Mine purges it's old grease out the outboard side...SureLube does it form the inboard side. So if the grease came out like a straight ribbon as you state, it is likely NOT a blown seal and simply dumping the old grease as the hub is designed to do. Wipe the squirted grease off and inspect closely where it came out. If you see a hole there it's obviously dumped the grease by design. Should be easy tell by close inspection. But if the vent hole is inboard of the axle springs, then the purged grease should be nowhere near the wheel. So maybe the vent hole is plugged or not working properly, and therfore the grease took the next easiest route by leeching past the inner seal.<br /><br />I still do feel it would be smart to disassemble your hubs and inspect the bearings on an 8 year old trailer if it hasn't been done yet. It also sounds like you may need to clear a plugged grease passage in the Sure-lube axle. And from the statements on that site, it sounds like you have to buy their brand-specific seals if/when you need them.

 

[Jonboat 1850]

Re: Sure lube bearing system ( EZ LOADER )

Thanks for clearing that up for me, I'll take a closer look if it ever stops raining I had a problem with the brakes ( surge) locking up last year the shop said I also had a blown seal (opposite side). They replaced the seals on that side & repacked bearing on both sides. Now I'm wondering if the side they replaced has the right seal in it. The redeye caps I put on , the side they replaced the seals the orange ring seems to show but the reason I added grease to begin with was because the ring wasnt showing on the other side. I stopped as soon as I heard & seen the grease coming out.Maybe I should add more to the side the grease came out to see if the orange ring will show? Heck it couldn't hurt could it... if it's blown it's blown right? I'll have to take it to the shop & make sure I have the right seals on the side that was replaced it might be a good idea to try to get sure lube caps while I'm at it. Thanks again & sorry for the long posts!

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Sure lube bearing system ( EZ LOADER )

Ok....I probably should have mentioned this earlier but it didn't click till just now. I really think your "red-eye" or Bearing Buddy spring loaded grease caps are incompatable with this system, and that might be part of your problem if you keep trying to get that ring to show. The spring pressure of the cap would tend to push the grease out of the rear weep hole of you Sure-lube hub, and I believe you'll NEVER get the orange ring to stay visible for long at all because it will constantly be pushing grease out the back side.<br /><br />I feel there's no harm in leaving the redeye's in place, but just use them as dummy dust caps and not as a constant positive pressure system the way they are designed. In other words, ignore the orange ring. With Sure-lube hubs you'll just want to pump a bunch of grease into it every 1,000 miles or so (or every so many dunkings), and collect the purged grease out of the back side and throw it out. This keeps moisture out and clean fresh grease in.<br /><br />By all means try to add more grease and see where it's squirting out. If it's squirting out of your seal, it's time for a new seal. If it's squirting out of the proper weep hole in the axle, then everything is peachy and you're simply repacking your wheel bearings the way you're supposed to.

 

[Jonboat 1850]

Re: Sure lube bearing system ( EZ LOADER )

I took a closer look & it does appear to be coming out of hole in the axle. I'll cleaned it up good & will keep close eye for any grease coming out & feel hubs from time to time to make sure they're not gettting to hot.<br />I think I may still make sure I get the original caps & make sure the seal on the other side is the right one to use with the system. <br />Thanks everyone hopefully I can return the favor sometime !

 

[Lou C]

Re: Sure lube bearing system ( EZ LOADER )

I had this system on the original axle on my Load Rite. The grease went into the interior of the axle, and I never really had a problem with it. The new axle I had made (added brakes) had the spindle lube system with the rubber caps. That works well too. I'd get the right caps for the system and just keep using it!