Grease On Front of Wheel On Trailer After Sitting 18 Months

Published 06/01/2021

Question:

There should not be grease leaking onto your wheel. Since it is on the front of the wheel that leads me to think maybe the grease zerk was not all the way tight and may have leaked some grease out, or if there was any grease that was on the outside of the hub it is possible that sitting out in the elements caused some water to dilute and run down the hub. When you removed the wheel, did you see any grease on the back side of the hub leaking out? If not I'd just clean the wheel and any excess grease on the hub, and double check that the grease zerk is tight. Then just keep an eye on it to make sure it does not come back. If it does come back you are going to want to remove the hub and check all of the seals for any damage.

asked by: Miles G

Helpful Expert Reply:

There should not be grease leaking onto your wheel.

Since it is on the front of the wheel that leads me to think maybe the grease zerk was not all the way tight and may have leaked some grease out, or if there was any grease that was on the outside of the hub it is possible that sitting out in the elements caused some water to dilute and run down the hub.

When you removed the wheel, did you see any grease on the back side of the hub leaking out?

If not I'd just clean the wheel and any excess grease on the hub, and double check that the grease zerk is tight. Then just keep an eye on it to make sure it does not come back.

If it does come back you are going to want to remove the hub and check all of the seals for any damage.

expert reply by: Samuel C

Miles G.

6/1/2021

Samuel C.

6/1/2021

If you have concerns that the grease seals or hub may leak, then wiping off all of the external hub surfaces and checking for any leaks every time you stop for fuel is my recommendation. If there is a leak you will see it due to grease being pretty thick and building up around the leak. If you find you are getting a small leak, just re top off the hub with your grease gun until you get home and can correct the issue. I would verify that the zerk fitting is still tight before you go, and you should be good.