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Thread: LCI Axle Update

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    Rolling Along RVRunners's Avatar
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    LCI Axle Update

    These photos are from a flat bed trailer we have in our business that has two Lippert 7K axles with a build date of 9/11/17. We have owned this trailer a year so I just repacked the bearings and serviced the brakes for the first time. I took these photos immediately after removing the hub before getting started. All four wheel positions were in the same condition. You can see that no seal failure is noted and a better quality grease was used at the factory. This is an improvement over the LCI 7K axles on our GDRV fifth wheel with a build date of 6/20/16 which had the watery grease and seal failures at each wheel position. No problems on the fifth wheel since repacking with Lucas Red N Tacky and replacing all four backing plates with new self adjusting models.
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    The Adams - 2017 Reflection 367BHS, 2019 F-350 6.7L PSD 4x4 CC DRW, B&W hitch on Ford pucks, Air Lift Loadlifter 5000 Ultimate Plus air bags, "Rupert" the Weimaraner.

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    Site Sponsor JCR GD's Avatar
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    Funny thing... I just started repacking the bearings in my rarely used flat bed trailer with Dexter axles (build date 2012) and they are over loaded with oily grease and leaking like the pictures we used to see on the Lippert Axles. The EZ-lube zerk had been used (by someone prior to me buying it new) to pump way too much oily grease into the hubs. Replacing brake assemblies and repacking with Red N Tacky grease.
    Jim (& Sharon)
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    Rolling Along RVRunners's Avatar
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    The grease zerks on the hubs are a bad thing in my opinion they should stop putting them on the spindles. I believe I t is wise to break everything down to examine/adjust/change the brakes & check the wiring and to check the bearings/races/re-lube. If you have an issue and use the zerks you’ll have no idea and it could land you on the side of the road.
    The Adams - 2017 Reflection 367BHS, 2019 F-350 6.7L PSD 4x4 CC DRW, B&W hitch on Ford pucks, Air Lift Loadlifter 5000 Ultimate Plus air bags, "Rupert" the Weimaraner.

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    Site Sponsor JCR GD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RVRunners View Post
    The grease zerks on the hubs are a bad thing in my opinion they should stop putting them on the spindles. I believe I t is wise to break everything down to examine/adjust/change the brakes & check the wiring and to check the bearings/races/re-lube. If you have an issue and use the zerks you’ll have no idea and it could land you on the side of the road.
    Absolutely agree!
    Jim (& Sharon)
    2015 GD Momentum 385TH - SOLD
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    Site Sponsor Cate&Rob's Avatar
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    At one of the LCI Tech Session at an Elkhart Rally, the topic of spindle zerks came up. They advised against ever using this grease fitting on an axle with drum brakes. (Note that our service manual only describes hand packing the bearings).

    So (of course) I asked . . . why are the zerk fittings there? The answer . . . these spindles are a common part with many other LCI axles that don’t have brakes. Extruding grease past the rear seals on a boat trailer axle with no brakes is no big deal.

    Rob
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    Rolling Along cfowler55's Avatar
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    Yup. I was doing a brake service on a fleet customer's cargo trailer with Dexters. They had pumped so much grease into the hubs that one seal had actually been pushed out.
    Vickie & Charlie
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    IMO, the zerks are installed as a selling point. “no fuss or muss wheel bearing servicing. Just give the zerks a few pumps of grease and your good to go”.
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    King Pin
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    Quote Originally Posted by minnow101 View Post
    IMO, the zerks are installed as a selling point. “no fuss or muss wheel bearing servicing. Just give the zerks a few pumps of grease and your good to go”.
    And if you read the LCI and Dexter service manuals, they say that annual disassembly and inspection is still required regardless of milage.

    Jim

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    Site Sponsor Cate&Rob's Avatar
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    There is no mention of using the zerk grease fitting in any of the LCI/Dexter maintenance/service/warranty information (that I have seen) that comes with our trailers.

    Rob
    Cate & Rob
    2015 Reflection 303RLS

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