How to put some grease in trailer axle bearings, without taking them apart?

If you get to much grease or oil, it will make them run hot and start leaking.

Alot of the newer ones are factory set and sealed and don't require any grease or oil added till they start leaking.

 

I personally prefer oil, but this trailer comes factory with grease, it is a Dorsey 1999 53' dry van, the brake shoes are good for another 100k miles, I am not sure if the previous owner replaced the bearings, so I am worry about the condition of the bearings, if the brake shoes were up for replacement, I will just go put new shoes and new bearings, but I am trying to save some money here. My plan is to drive another 100k miles, but make sure the bearings are not going to lock-up.On the other hand from my experience, I have never seen, even bad bearing to lock-up, if it is full with grease.

 

Jack it up and release the brakes. Push and pull on the tires to feel for bearing end play. A little movement is normal, very little. Spin the wheel and listen by the hub cap. A clicking noise is dry bearings.. If you feel excessive end play or hear any clicking noise, pull the hub and check the bearings.

Do you know what hubs you have? Are they grease packed, or are they unitized? A unitized hub uses sealed bearings that cannot be serviced. Any problems with a unitized hub will require a hub replacement.

 

And that my friends is when you call the axle doctor and shell out lots of money!!! Or you can just change out the whole axle housing.

 

That's the idea of proper checking. If you catch a hub starting to make a clicking noise, you have a good chance of saving the axle. When that clicking turns into a grinding, then you're in trouble.

 

....I think these are normal grease packet bearings, because I can see the rollers of the bearings. My other question is How much expensive is to change the hubs and bearings from grease to oil bath?

 

It depends on what hubs you have. If they are standard bearings, it'll be the same as changing wheel seals, but a little added labor of getting all the grease out and the cost of new oil bath hub caps.

Some hubs have a snap ring groove for metal shields that are supposed to help hold the grease in the bearings. Otherwise, they are the same and those shields can be removed when switching to oil. If you can see the rollers, then you probably do not have them.

 

Finally i converted the hubs from grease to oil bath, it was very simple. Went to my trusted shop and they charged me $380 labor and $207 parts, the bearings were fine, they just put new seals and hub caps, so you can check the oil level.