2000 mile axle lube left side dry

[Drwendling]

I bought A 2021 transcend this in December of last year 2020. Was told it was gone through thoroughly. I currently have 2000 miles and went to pack the bearings the right side first needed a little bit couldn’t even see the nub there was lots of grease already. Left side popped off the caps there were dry as a bone. Maybe a couple little dots of grease. Look like the grease gun was empty on the production line on that side. I am concerned before I go any further what damage has been done to the bearings already. So I didn’t pack those bearings I don’t plan on taking the trailer out for a few more weeks. Will call the dealership in the morning after the weekend and see what will be done.
Damaged? Future risk? Any thoughts on what I can expect to be done from anybody?

[Country Campers]

The factory does not use the grease zerk on the end of the spindle. The axel bearings are packed with grease and then assembled. When the maintenance is to be done on the bearings the brake hub is supposed to be removed, brakes checked, rear bearing seal removed, bearings removed, cleaned, inspected, repacked with grease if they are in good shape then reinstalled in the hub followed by a new rear seal, then reinstalled on the axel following the proper procedure for you axel brand. It is not recommended to use the grease zerk because it can cause pressure on the rear seal and then allowing grease to get onto the brake shoes.

Brian

[trkester]

The factory does not use the grease zerk on the end of the spindle. The axel bearings are packed with grease and then assembled. When the maintenance is to be done on the bearings the brake hub is supposed to be removed, brakes checked, rear bearing seal removed, bearings removed, cleaned, inspected, repacked with grease if they are in good shape then reinstalled in the hub followed by a new rear seal, then reinstalled on the axel following the proper procedure for you axel brand. It is not recommended to use the grease zerk because it can cause pressure on the rear seal and then allowing grease to get onto the brake shoes.

Brian

We just got our 297RSTS in Oct 2019 and didn't use it til spring 2020, so this spring was my first time packing the bearings. Everything was fine and I did a thorough cleaning, seals, inspection and repack, but what I did notice though was the dust cap was full (or very nearly) with grease. That makes me wonder if at least some of the time they use the grease zerk. I was puzzled by the grease in the cap. Also, there was a fair amount of grease "rattling around" in the hub. Also puzzling.

In any event, cleaned all the excess out during my repack. We'll see how it all looks this coming spring.

[ncitro]

We just got our 297RSTS in Oct 2019 and didn't use it til spring 2020, so this spring was my first time packing the bearings. Everything was fine and I did a thorough cleaning, seals, inspection and repack, but what I did notice though was the dust cap was full (or very nearly) with grease. That makes me wonder if at least some of the time they use the grease zerk. I was puzzled by the grease in the cap. Also, there was a fair amount of grease "rattling around" in the hub. Also puzzling.

In any event, cleaned all the excess out during my repack. We'll see how it all looks this coming spring.

More likely would be the dealer used it for some reason.

[KrustyKush]

I haven't looked at the wheel bearings on my new 2022 200MK yet, but I did adjust my brakes yesterday. Personally, I wouldn't put any value on the amount of grease showing at the nut when you remove the cap. That grease is just the "overflow" and it does nothing except potentially make a mess. The bearing itself can't be seen from there. The bearing doesn't require as much grease as many people seem to think. In fact, over the years of working on various machinery, it seems to me that more damage is done by too much grease than too little.

Gonna have to remove the bearing, and I bet there's plenty of grease in the bearing to lubricate it for a long time. At least, I hope so. I didn't remove my wheels yesterday to adjust brakes. When I spin each wheel, I get a symphony of noises from inside. But each wheel is good and snug and spins freely, so I think it is OK. I will check the bearings after 3k miles or so.

[flyfshrockies]

FWIW, for the OP, I believe that there is a lot of angst regarding wheel bearings for little reason. If the bearings are actually dry and there is evidence of "blueing" on the bearings then they are certainly damaged and need replacement. You won't know until they are removed and cleaned however. If you have made it a couple K miles without failure I doubt there is no grease. In my experience frequent cleaning and repacking of properly packed bearings can be counter productive due to the inadvertent introduction of contaminants into the grease, races and bearings. A well packed bearing, properly tensioned, should not need cleaning and repacking for a lot of miles of normal use. If the unit sits without use that could cause issues, use distributes the grease real well. I know my opinion is just that, my opinion, no more no less. Our last t.t. went 35K without repack and no issue. I feel that the repacking of bearings should be done on a time in service schedule (5 years) instead of every year. Removing the dust cap and looking at the exposed outer bearing should certainly be done periodically. In 40+ years of r.v. use I have yet to have a bearing fail due to lack of maintenance. Prolonged operation at high speeds, overloading of the trailer, improper tensioning and over heating of the brakes are more likely causes of bearing failure.

Dave

[acoleman43]

After 12 months I had the dealer do the brake/axle service which includes a bearing re-pack. They found one side (both axles) had almost no grease while the other side had plenty of grease. I would have a dealer or trailer place repack your bearings and give you recommendations on what to do. Glad you caught it now rather than going down the road on a trip with smoking bearings...

[familytruckster4]

The fact that the cap didnt have any grease in it is meaningless. The only way to tell if the bearings are properly greased is to pull the hubs and do a repack. Only then will you know if they were packed properly and be able to take whatever (if any) corrective action is needed. Its time for a repack and inspection anyways.

[Jlawles2]

I know on the replacement axles from Dexter, the nipple on the end had a smear of grease on all 4. Hard to tell if they were packed or not, and they were fresh off the assembly line.

[familytruckster4]

My last 3 trailers (2 of them GD) have been power greased via the EZ lube at some point before I took possession, all 3 had hubs that were packed full and had the seals blown out and required cleaning and or replacement of the brakes. I have no idea who greased them but the grease was consistent in color throughout, no way to know what that actually says though.