Suspension Dexter hubs leak

[Bushman]

Our van being a non Jayco is fitted with Dexter axles brakes and hubs ,
Checking around the van recently I noticed what appeared to be oil/grease dripping from hub cover onto the rim on right front wheel.
Removed the cover to find the hub itself a little damp it seemed to be coming from around the rubber seal the covers the bearing, cleaned it and removed the rubber seal to find grease nipples in the hub, have never seen that before.
I had the bearings serviced/adjusted just prior to Christmas and has only done two trip since then, the first trip just after they where done I'd notice the hubs had got very hot, however haven't been a problem since
Surely they couldn't get hot enough just sitting in the sun to liquefy and start dripping out.

 

[Drover]

You can find grease can weep a bit, especially when it's well and truly packed, normally nothing to worry about when it's on the outer cup, if coming from the inside of hub then the oil seal is stuffed.

 

[Bushman]

I'll keep an eye on it for now see what happens.

 

[dagree]

What you have @Bushman is the same setup they use on boat trailers. The front plate (with grease nipple) is spring loaded and keeps pressure on the grease to prevent water getting in past the seals. After a while, and use, you will get some "melted" grease weeping past the plate.

DO NOT grease it too much as it can pop the rear seal and it'll get messier than @Drover mentioned!

 

[Bushman]

What you have @Bushman is the same setup they use on boat trailers. The front plate (with grease nipple) is spring loaded and keeps pressure on the grease to prevent water getting in past the seals. After a while, and use, you will get some "melted" grease weeping past the plate.

DO NOT grease it too much as it can pop the rear seal and it'll get messier than @Drover mentioned!

Thanks for that info @dagree , I don't generally touch brakes/bearings other that general visual checks, like to leave that to the experts.

 

[achjimmy]

Yep @dagree has got it. The biggest mistake folks make with those boat hubs is over grease them. Then when it gets hot there's no where for the grease to expand too! I'd suggest your service expert has over greased them @Bushman. Took me a long time to get it right but I now pack the bearings and then fit the hub and pump until I just see the piston move then leave. TBH never seen one in van before ?

 

[dagree]

TBH never seen one in van before ?

Makes two of us! Had them on a box trailer once.... Only because I replaced the ones on the boat trailer and found a use for the old ones rather than in the bin

 

[Bushman]

Makes two of us! Had them on a box trailer once.... Only because I replaced the ones on the boat trailer and found a use for the old ones rather than in the bin

I've never seen then on a van before either.

 

[Drover]

Didn't even click thats what they were, interesting being on a van.

 

[Johnanbev]

This is common on American vans and fifth wheelers. Dexter is American.
The grease zerk is screwed into the end of the axle, behind it is a gallery leading to an oriface exiting at the rear bearing just ahead of the seal.
Grease travels through the axle out the orifice and forward to the front bearing to the point where you can see it in the above photo.
Looks to me that it has been over serviced.
I would take a look behind the wheel and look for indications of "oiling " at the bottom where the drum meets the back plate.
If oiling is present you have a blown seal and the drum may be contaminated with grease, Not good.!!
John

 

[Bushman]

This is common on American vans and fifth wheelers. Dexter is American.
The grease zerk is screwed into the end of the axle, behind it is a gallery leading to an oriface exiting at the rear bearing just ahead of the seal.
Grease travels through the axle out the orifice and forward to the front bearing to the point where you can see it in the above photo.
Looks to me that it has been over serviced.
I would take a look behind the wheel and look for indications of "oiling " at the bottom where the drum meets the back plate.
If oiling is present you have a blown seal and the drum may be contaminated with grease, Not good.!!
John

Thanks for that information @Johnanbev I will have a look at the behind the wheel, now keeping an eye on the others as well

 

[Drover]

If you have grease at the back of hub/drum the seal may not be stuffed just the grease was pushed out by the grease gun, so a clean up and refit of hub would probably suffice, the beauty of the set up is you can get the whole cavity full of grease to keep the moisture out, just a fine line between full and overfull but unless it starts getting into the hub all is good, just have a look at the back, no grease all good....
I always pack the cavity with grease means less place for water, and has helped when hubs have done some swimming.