HUB OIL: levels etc.

Just take the little rubber plug out of the cap and look with a flashlight if the lense is too dark to see through. There should be a line on the plastic the oil should be up to. They usually take 80W90 or 85W140. The rubber plug should have a tiny hole in the center to vent from, if you can't see a little daylight through it, take a straight pin and poke the dirt out of it. I don't know about the hubs that take grease or have the one piece cap, I've never been around them.


A side question, anyone use Lucas hub oil? I've used it a little, seems really thick and sticky, but it also seems to turn black really quickly. I haven't used it long enough to tell how it lasts long term, anyone like it?

 

I use & like the lucas oil. I use the oil stabilizer in my hubs. just about 20 % I like the way lucas clings to the bearings.

 

Thanks RW , I didnt know about the pin hole vent. I recently bought a used trailer and when pulled a plug out, they was some built up pressure.

 

Some trailers have grease packed bearings. Their caps will be solid with no plug, nothing to check until the wheel needs to come off.

 

The oil in the hub....just like the oil in the trans, and the differentials...not only serve to lubricate moving parts....It also helps to dissipate the heat generated since even though lubricated....there is still friction generated....

I have seen the effects of improperly/neglecting maintaining the hubs....
A driver for a contractor I where worked, almost bought it when the hub overheated and the wheel flew off on the highway.....

Kind of hard to steer properly when you're missing a wheel.....

After that....the company decided to add hub maintenance to their service program....

 

Ya think??


Photograph A Overall view of tractor trailer with missing left rear tractor dual wheels (see white arrow).
The heat damaged tractor trailer axle spindle is shown in Photograph B.

Photograph B Overall view of axle spindle showing effect of long term heat resulting in wheel bearing disintegration and wheel spindle deformation from inadequate maintenance ​

The trailer wheel bearing failure was caused by long term and extreme heat resulting from insufficient lubrication.

 

Inspect for hub oil leaking from the inner seal onto the brakes and inner tire sidewall. Add STP to slow the leaks until you can get repairs. Drive axle seals will also leak onto the inner sidewalls but the source of wheel bearing lubrication is the drive axle itself. Keep the drive axle full to prevent the bearings from running dry. Compare the heat of all hubs with your hand. You can also find a defective tire by comparing the heat of all tire sidewalls.

 

I use straight Lucas 100% on my trailer hubs and NEVER had a seal leak. I did coat both bearings first thought then added lucas.(when I changed over from regular gear oil). It takes awhile to get it in there but i Love it. Put it in my steer axle as well.