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01-16-2021, 11:12 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Andalusia
Posts: 151
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Wheel bearing maintenance
Hey guys I have found a lot of good advice from this forum just by reading of others adventures and misadventures.
Work schedule has finally returned to somewhat normal so I’m gonna replace the original bearings with timken bearings but I was cautioned to measure the bearings first before ordering because Dexter 7000 pound axles come from the manufacturer with two different size bearings. Now instead of doing one wheel at a time I have to get all four wheels off the ground at once to measure bearings on both axles. I have the Lippert 6 point leveling system and have been told it will lift all four wheels off the ground no problem. My concern is possibly flipping one of the shackles. Is there a way to prevent it or am I overthinking this project
Thanks
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01-16-2021, 11:15 AM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,348
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IF the shackles do flip, all you have to do is lift/lower the front and they will flip back. We do it all the time.
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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01-16-2021, 11:30 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Andalusia
Posts: 151
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Thank you Chuckster
__________________
2019 Raptor 356 Toyhauler
Lippert 6 point leveling system
2011 F450 Lariat
Anderson Ultimate Hitch
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01-16-2021, 11:34 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: nm
Posts: 1,833
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It’s a good idea to change your race for each hub when changing new bearings.
__________________
2018 1 ton 4x4 c.c standard bed GMC Denali
Anderson ultimate hitch
2015 311 Impact Fusion toy hauler
2018 Milwaukee 8 FLRTU roadglide glide ultra
2018 800 Z force spot BUGGY.
500 watts of solar enough power for boon docking.
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01-16-2021, 11:48 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Andalusia
Posts: 151
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That’s what I plan to do
Completely replace everything with timken
__________________
2019 Raptor 356 Toyhauler
Lippert 6 point leveling system
2011 F450 Lariat
Anderson Ultimate Hitch
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01-16-2021, 01:02 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Liberty, Texas
Posts: 5,034
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I would take a phone pic of the paper sticker on the axle. Call Dexter and ask them what the Timken numbers are. Ask about the seal as well.
On our previous Montana HC there was possibility of getting a wrong size seal.
Wish I could be more specific.
__________________
2018 Ram 3500 Laramie CC DRW LWB 4X4 Cummins Aisin 3.73
Reese Goosebox 20K
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4 LB Cabover
2023 CanAm Defender SXS
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01-16-2021, 02:05 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Florissant
Posts: 702
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Do you guys/gals use a bearing packing tool to repack with grease, or is the preferred method to use your thumb?
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Skids
2019 Bullet 248RKS
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01-16-2021, 02:19 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: nm
Posts: 1,833
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skids
Do you guys/gals use a bearing packing tool to repack with grease, or is the preferred method to use your thumb?
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I wish I had a bearing packer but I use the strong arm and hand method.
__________________
2018 1 ton 4x4 c.c standard bed GMC Denali
Anderson ultimate hitch
2015 311 Impact Fusion toy hauler
2018 Milwaukee 8 FLRTU roadglide glide ultra
2018 800 Z force spot BUGGY.
500 watts of solar enough power for boon docking.
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01-16-2021, 02:25 PM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,996
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skids
Do you guys/gals use a bearing packing tool to repack with grease, or is the preferred method to use your thumb?
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I've never seen anyone use a "thumb method". That seems like a time consuming method. I use the "cupped palm method" (with rubber gloves to keep my hands somewhat clean). It goes fairly fast, but nothing even close to the $150 pneumatic bearing packer that I just haven't yet found on the shelf when I'm ready to open my wallet (yep, I'm cheap) or the $10 plastic "hand press" version that I still am not convinced will last more than one or two bearings...
Here's a video of the "cupped palm method".
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John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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01-16-2021, 02:35 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Picacho, Az
Posts: 6,809
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH
I've never seen anyone use a "thumb method". That seems like a time consuming method. I use the "cupped palm method" (with rubber gloves to keep my hands somewhat clean). It goes fairly fast, but nothing even close to the $150 pneumatic bearing packer that I just haven't yet found on the shelf when I'm ready to open my wallet (yep, I'm cheap) or the $10 plastic "hand press" version that I still am not convinced will last more than one or two bearings...
Here's a video of the "cupped palm method".
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Been doing the "cupped palm" method for over 40 years, hasn't failed me yet!
The only change is now I wear nitrile gloves, makes a little less mess.
__________________
Full-timed 10+ years
Sold '13 Redwood FB
Traded '13 GMC Denali DRW D/A
Replacement undetermined
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01-16-2021, 02:40 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Liberty, Texas
Posts: 5,034
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I've got a bearing packer, maybe 2, but I use the hand method. Nothing to it. Just nibble away at the grease in your hand.
__________________
2018 Ram 3500 Laramie CC DRW LWB 4X4 Cummins Aisin 3.73
Reese Goosebox 20K
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4 LB Cabover
2023 CanAm Defender SXS
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01-16-2021, 02:41 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Florissant
Posts: 702
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Yes. Thanks for refreshing my memory John. A similar video is on Dexter's web site and that is what I do.
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Skids
2019 Bullet 248RKS
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01-16-2021, 03:52 PM
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#13
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,752
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I have a pneumatic grease gun from years ago when vehichles actually had zerk fittings. Bought an inexpensive bearing packer and tried it once. It was junk so vI returned to using the palm of my had for bearings.
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Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
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01-16-2021, 04:02 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Florissant
Posts: 702
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Marshall, for a fleeting moment I was considering a cheap bearing packer because they say you pump in new grease which pushes out the old grease. Then I started thinking that you can't really inspect the bearings that way for scorching and galling.
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Skids
2019 Bullet 248RKS
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01-16-2021, 06:44 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Andalusia
Posts: 151
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A friend of mine who has 7000 lb Dexter axles under his race car hauler called Dexter and was told all they had information on was the China bearings . And that was all they could get! So he got Timken bearings from an eBay seller that fortunately I had done business with before
__________________
2019 Raptor 356 Toyhauler
Lippert 6 point leveling system
2011 F450 Lariat
Anderson Ultimate Hitch
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01-16-2021, 06:56 PM
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#16
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,348
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JMHO, but I’ve been doing axle services on trailers for a while now. Can’t say I’ve seen many failures of the OEM bearings except in cases of poor maintenance. FWIW, I would clean them grease with good grease and run them.
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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01-16-2021, 07:07 PM
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#17
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,752
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skids
Marshall, for a fleeting moment I was considering a cheap bearing packer because they say you pump in new grease which pushes out the old grease. Then I started thinking that you can't really inspect the bearings that way for scorching and galling.
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What I have is the style that looks like 2 saucers or cones together. I've seen the "push the old grease out styles and would never even consider that. IMO it would be foolish to go to the effort to remove the bearings and seals and not clean and inspect them. That would truly be the definition of doing it half as..
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Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
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01-16-2021, 07:09 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 2,910
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On the Dexter 7,000 lb axle, the inner bearing will be 25580 with the race 25520. The outer bearing will be 14125A with the race 14276. You will use 10-36 seals for this axle. The bearing and race numbers are not Dexter numbers, but are industry standard numbers, so you can get any manufacturer's bearings with these numbers and they are the same. The seal number is the Dexter number K71-305-00, but the 10-36 will get you the correct number seal. If you go to page 80 of the manual, at this link, you will see the bearings, which they refer to as the cone, and the races are referred to as the cup. Page 78 has the seals, and the entire manual is an excellent thing to have, as it has everything you need to know about their axles, torques, and all maintenance. https://www.dexteraxle.com/docs/defa...sn=cfe1e328_42
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Bob & Becky
2012 3402 Montana
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC
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01-16-2021, 07:16 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: USA and Canada
Posts: 873
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckster57
JMHO, but I’ve been doing axle services on trailers for a while now. Can’t say I’ve seen many failures of the OEM bearings except in cases of poor maintenance. FWIW, I would clean them grease with good grease and run them.
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Chuck, what are you using for grease on these bearings? I used the red stuff on aircraft wheel bearings as it was supposed to be high pressure. I don't recall any MIL SPEC numbers though.
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2010 FZ 405
2011 F350 6.7 Dually w/Banks Power making 510 hp and 1065 ft/lbs torque
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01-16-2021, 07:23 PM
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#20
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,348
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Current shop uses the red stuff. Previous shops used cheapest stuff they could get.
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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