[Dave W]

If your shop used a powered lube gun, and they did a wheel bearing inspection (??) there is probably close to a 100% chance that that so called tech blew grease past the seal. If you look at those seals, you will find that they are far from optimum even usual the double lipped type.


There is only one safe way to lube those bearings and that's the grungy, dirty, slimy way and hand packing the old fashioned way. Yes, you can jack the axle, spin the wheel and use a hand grease gun on that Zerk but that's a stop gap measure until the grungy way - and according to Dexter as well as LCI, it's every 12,000 miles or 12 months which ever comes first. The 12 months, in my opinion is CYA but 24 months or thereabouts is just good maintenance practice.

If you have grease on linings, they are junk. If you have grease on the drum, clean it up with a good solvent, install the freshly hand packed bearings and a NEW seal and be on your way. Also, find a competent shop and tech if for some reason you can't do the work yourself.

Oh and another note - Dexter shipped two new axles to me for our last 5er when I switched from Nevr Lube axles. All four axle ends had contaminated linings directly from the manufacturer. Dexter overnighted all new brake linings to me.