Conversion to Oil Bath lubrication - Anyone done it/advantages/disadvantages??

[Calbar]

I have been re-packing my own bearings for years now and don't really have an issue with doing it but just wondering if converting to an oil bath bearing lube system such as this from Kodiak is a better idea than packing bearings every year or so.
https://www.etrailer.com/p-XLPROLUBE2440KIT.html

I don't want a less reliable system or one that is going to cause more maintenance so wondering if anyone has done this conversion, do you like it, advantages/disadvantages? Really trying to understand if this is worth the money and effort to do in the spring when it is time to repack the bearings.

Rob

[TucsonJim]

I personally haven't done it, but have a friend who has. It leaked and I helped him try to resolve it. After seeing his mess, I elected not to make the change myself.

JIm

[Cate&Rob]

Calbar
Hi Rob,

The oil bath style is really counting on that rear seal to be oil tight rather than just grease tight. With the issues that some of us have had with grease getting past that seal, I would be really reluctant to try oil. If you go this way, the spindle where the rear seal runs is going to have to be polished to a mirror finish with absolutely no grooves or ridges. A grease seal will tolerate minor smooth concentric wear grooves. I am not sure that an oil seal would tolerate this (based on my engine building experience).

(another) Rob

[Guest]

Used to work on heavy trucks years ago that used oil bath and they worked fine. However as Rob stated, the spindle needs to be precisely machined where I know in the case of my front Lippert axle, it is not. I still see a small amount of grease weeping past the seals on my front axle when servicing bearings.

Have to get back to reading. Too painful typing with my newly reconstructed wrist.

Jim

[Calbar]

TucsonJim Cate&Rob Guest
Jim, Rob and Jim,

Thanks for the great feedback. I do know from reading that the seals for these are different than the seals we use for the greasing of bearings as they don't rotate on the spindle or in the hub. From what I have read the seal is a 2 piece that rotates between the 2 pieces of the seal. I imagine that this can be a better way to seal if done properly. I also know that I get a small amount of grease weeping through on a couple of my wheels as well.

Based on what you guys have said it has reinforced my own concerns so it seems best to stay with what has been working and not make more problems for myself.

Jim (MidwestCamper) hope your wrist gets better soon.

Rob

[Cate&Rob]

the seal is a 2 piece that rotates between the 2 pieces of the seal. I imagine that this can be a better way to seal if done properly.

Well . . . isn’t that interesting. I have never seen a two part seal like this. Might be worth investigating further. Could be a way to “salvage” a less-than-perfect spindle surface. I wonder if these seals would work with grease ?

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Bea...xle/10-63.html

Rob

[bertschb]

My last boat trailer came with oil bath and they worked perfectly for nine years until we sold the boat last year. Replacing the oil was super easy. Since the trailer wheels were submerged every time we used the trailer (which was a lot), I expected leaks at some point but it never happened.

[colan]

A leaking grease seal is a mess and not good for the brakes, but typically won’t leave you sitting along the side of the road.

A leaking oil seal or failed plastic cap is disastrous and will leave you sitting along the side of the road.

The disk brake conversions usually have the same plastic outer bearing cover as used with oil bath set ups. These bearing covers are prone to breaking if the wheel installer misses the studs and drops the wheel onto the hub cover. Seen a few of these when performing bearing service.

Oil level needs to be checked before each trip. Something that would be a real pain with RV wheels that have the hub hid away under the hub cover. More than a simple walk around.

[Cate&Rob]

colan
Great "first hand" perspective . . . thanks Colan.

Rob

[Calbar]

Well . . . isn’t that interesting. I have never seen a two part seal like this. Might be worth investigating further. Could be a way to “salvage” a less-than-perfect spindle surface. I wonder if these seals would work with grease ?

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Bea...xle/10-63.html

Rob

I have been wondering the same thing today but they are pretty expensive. Wonder if you could pull them out without damage and re-use them. I have never tried to pull the standard ones out without damage as you shouldn't reuse them anyway.

Rob

[Calbar]

colan Thanks for the perspective on the plastic caps. I was wondering about checking each time and the center cap problem as well.

Rob

[Cate&Rob]

I have been wondering the same thing today but they are pretty expensive. Wonder if you could pull them out without damage and re-use them. I have never tried to pull the standard ones out without damage as you shouldn't reuse them anyway.

Rob

Reading through the "customer comments" on the Etrailer site, most say that the seal will be destroyed when the hub is pulled . . . which makes sense if there is a tight friction fit of the inner part to the spindle and the outer part to the hub.

Rob

[Second Chance]

Our MORryde independent suspension (installed January 2020) came with the clear plastic grease caps with the rubber plug in them. The Coast Guard naval engineer staying across from us in the military FamCamp looked at them and said, "Man - those are oil bath hubs that they've packed with grease!" So... I called MORryde and had a conversation with them about converting them to oil bath. Here's their response: MORryde is using the clear plastic "oil bath" caps because the ones they were previously using tended to fall off. They said that, besides the inner seals not being designed for oil bath, the volume inside the hubs was not sufficient for expansion of the air and oil when the assembly warms up (and it would warm up more with a smaller volume of oil) and oil would be pushed out of the seal. They contrasted the volume (in cubic inches) inside our trailer hub/spindle assembly with that of a tractor trailer. I don't remember the numbers, but there is a BIG difference. Anyway, I was disappointed (who wouldn't want the convenience of an oil bath setup?), but realized I needed to stick with a packed system and do regular maintenance like I have been.

Rob

[Country Campers]

The "Big Rigs" would hold a quart or two compared to our little spindles holding a cup or two. The bearings in the big trucks are around 6" or so in diameter compared to our puny little 2" diameter ones. The hubs are about 18" around and weigh 40 or 50 pounds or so. On these big trucks there is a lot more surface area for cooling not to mention the tires are around 36" diameter so the bearings are actually spinning slower than our trailer bearings. Although many may think the oil bath would be a good upgrade there are some things that are just not nice. If a seal fails , oil all over the place. If there is any maintenance required , oil all over the place. I agree that the grease we have to clean and replace is a mess but oil is not quite nice either. The oil seal that is 2 pcs. can not be reused. This also needs to be installed with a special tool that presses on the outside as well as the inside at the same time , if not the seal can be damaged.

Brian

[Guest]

I have been wondering the same thing today but they are pretty expensive. Wonder if you could pull them out without damage and re-use them. I have never tried to pull the standard ones out without damage as you shouldn't reuse them anyway.

Rob

Some seal systems will use what we called a "speedy sleeve" back in the day and which is a thin pressed on bearing sleeve that presses on over the spindle. Also an oil seal is different than a grease seal. Good point.

Thank you Rob.

Wrist and hand is fillet'ed with a pisiform bone removal with some nerve canal work and should be fine in a couple weeks. Did I mention getting old is a PITA? Lol.

Jim