Overland Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Anyone else? My trailer is such a unicorn that this doesn't surprise me, but I did waste some time and money getting grease to repack the bearings before our trip. I don't know why I never noticed this before since it's marked plain as day, but it's just one of those things my mind has never registered. (Documentation on my trailer was scarce at delivery with nothing marked Dexter in sight.) Anyway, I've been looking around for info on service and inspection for these things. The Dexter service manual pretty much just says inspect them once a year for smoothness and play. Also says that a little grease weeping out is normal, but I've no idea how much is a little in their eyes. I do have one bearing with what I'd call a 'little' seeping. I can't find much nice that people have said about these things on the net. But I guess that could be because if they work, no one is going out of their way to let the world know. Does seem like a bit of a time bomb though. I'm thinking that from a repair standpoint, I should buy a spare bearing pack since they probably aren't normally carried in stock. Apparently they require a press to fit them, so it's not anything I'm doing on the side of the road. Thoughts? Advice? Congratulations? Condolences? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Davies Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 I’m sorry, I really dislike those hubs. They are completely non-user friendly. You can’t replace the bearing pack beside the road, as you said, it requires a hydraulic press and the bearings are stupid expensive. They work great until one fails, then you are simply screwed. Hopefully you aren’t three hours out on ranch roads in the desert.... https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Bearings-Races-Seals-Caps/Dexter-Axle/31-72-3.html Plus you probably have the same weird special order axles as all the other Elite IIs - 3500 pound spindles and bearings with six wheel studs. You need to make sure that you know the correct part number bearing assembly. You should pop off the cover and measure the end of the spindle to be sure. In your shoes I would be thinking hard about new 5200 pound axles with bigger bearings and IDLER hubs, and Kodiak disk brakes with slip-over-hub rotors. You can easily carry a spare conventional idler hub assembly since they are so very compact and cheap. Dexter parts are idiotically expensive and you should consider aftermarket marine (boat trailer) parts. How did you end up with those bearings? I never heard of an Ollie with that specification.... just Nev-R-Adjust brakes, which I also hate with great passion. John Davies Spokane WA SOLD 07/23 "Mouse": 2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overland Posted April 6, 2019 Author Share Posted April 6, 2019 Long story, but it's all part of the disk brake fiasco. The axles are in fact 5200's and I have no idea why. I'd prefer to save the weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overland Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share Posted April 7, 2019 Some additional research on these this morning has eased my concerns. It doesn't look like early failure is common, though the expected life should be more like 10 years/50,000 miles vs the warranty period of 5 years/100,000 miles. The bearing is a Timken, made in the US and the same size used on many cars, so it's easily sourced in both Timken and SKF versions. Interestingly, Timken has two different part numbers, and the one that's specified for cars is said to have a less reliable seal. No idea why that would be, though the one for cars is considerably less expensive, $25 vs $60. In a pinch, I guess the $25 model will do the trick. I'll just make sure to do a good inspection before each trip, and perhaps even in the middle of a longer trip if I'm feeling particularly paranoid. And I'll erase "repack bearings" from my yearly maintenance list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator+ ScubaRx Posted April 8, 2019 Moderator+ Share Posted April 8, 2019 Long story, but it’s all part of the disk brake fiasco. The axles are in fact 5200’s and I have no idea why. I’d prefer to save the weight. I could 'splain that to you but it would only make the story longer... Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved Storm, Lucy, Maggie and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge) 2008 Legacy Elite I - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #026 | 2014 Legacy Elite II - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050 | 2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD SRW Diesel 4x4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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