Identifying Bearings, Grease Seal, and Spindle on Trailer

Updated 06/06/2023 | Published 06/04/2023

Products Featured in This Question

#84 E-Z Lube Spindle w/ Brake Flange for 3,500-lb Trailer Axle - 1-3/4" Diameter

(163)

$95.99

Cotter Pin - 1/8" Thick x 1-3/4" Long

(813)

$1.15

Grease Seal - Double Lip - ID 1.719" / OD 2.565" - for 3,500-lb Axles

(2622)

$7.67

Hub Bearing Kit for Lippert, Dexter, and AL-KO Axles - 3,500 lb with #84 Spindle

(2832)

$15.39

LubriMatic LMX Industrial Strength Grease - 14 oz. Cartridge

(270)

$8.41

Replacement Trailer Hub Bearing - L44649

(2077)

$14.51

Replacement Trailer Hub Bearing - L68149

(2077)

$14.18

4" Carbon Fiber Digital Caliper

(26)

$12.46

Question:

I’m trying to discern the best option for maintaining my bearings and have 2 concerns. I’m due for a bearing and axel spindle inspection and grease replacement. Unsure if I have or should use the EZ lube system noting I have no zerks sticking out of the spindle end. Instead, there appears to be threaded holes female type on the flat face of each spindle. Do they make grease gun hose attachments with male threaded ends that screw into the female spindle holes? Might be able to get a photo after submitting I’m not really worried about the challenge/difficulty of repacking bearings and replacing seals. More challenging is planning ahead and understanding and finding and ordering the replacement parts sizes and numbers for the seals, grease, and cotter pins ahead of time. Sadly, My trailer/camper manuals came with none of this information and Lippert and Dexter websites are useless. Can you help?

asked by: Jared W

Expert Reply:

The hole in the end of your spindle is pretty standard. An EZ lube spindle would have the zerk fitting on the end, along with a hole on the spindle for the grease to come out and fill the hub like you can see on the # TRU74FR. There is nothing for a grease gun that would thread into that, and if it did the grease wouldn't have anywhere to go.

Unfortunately, most trailer manufacturers don't make bearing and seal information readily available. It would be nice if everything you needed was in the manual, but there are other ways to identify the parts you need. The first thing I would check is the axle tag. If this has the axle capacity or a serial number, that information can be used to identify the bearings in most cases. The best thing to do is take a picture of the entire tag. If it is a Dexter or Lippert axle they will be able to identify the capacity and the bearings and seals you need.

If the axle tag is worn or missing, the only way to find that information would be to pull off your hubs. It is possible that the part numbers are stamped into the sides of the bearings. If not, you will need to use a digital caliper like # PTW80157 to measure the inner diameter. You can also measure the spindle where the bearings and grease seal ride. See the diagram below.

For example, if you have # L68149 inner bearing with an ID of 1.378", and a # L44649 outer bearing with an ID of 1.063", you could use the # BK2-100 bearing kit. This is the standard bearing combination for a 3,500 lb axle. The grease seal that comes with the kit is a # 58846 (10-19) with an ID of 1.719" and OD of 2.565". The kit also includes a new cotter pin you can use to replace what you have now. If you need grease you can use the # L11390.

I have attached a link below with all of our bearings and seals which can be filtered by inner diameter. I also included a link to all of our bearing kits.