how to: oil bath axles?

[apm]

I've got a three axle Cronkhite trailer, 10 ton. Two of the axles are "oil bath lubrication" and one is grease. I've never owned an oil bath axle before. Can anyone give some instruction on how to check it, fill it, etc.?

Thanks,
Greg

 

[02Dmax]

Is there a rubber plug in the hub cap? If not there should be an alan head pipe plug in the side of the hub. Any idea what kind of axles they are? Oil level should be just under half full.

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[apm]

There is a rubber plug on the end of the axle and another on the side of the hub. What type oil is normally used?

Thanks,
Greg

 

[mitch504]

Gear oil.

There should be to rings around the middle of the plastic window. The oil level should be kept between rings.

 

[apm]

I don't see a plastic window. Is it under the rubber plug on the end? That plug is marked "Dexter Axle Co.". The rubber plug on the side of the hub is damp like it's been seeping a little oil. I guess that's where to fill it.

Greg

 

[JDOFMEMI]

The Dexter axles are hard to see the oil level in. They don't have a clear window like the big rigs do, at least the ones I have been around. The best bet is to pull the plug and fill it to just below centerline of the axle. Use a good 90 wt oil and it will be fine. A little seep by the plug is not bad. What is bad is if you see oil on the back of the wheel. That means a seal is bad. Better fix that pronto, or it will loose oil on the road and seize the bearing. When not caught in time, this leads to the tire and wheel, with hub attached, leaving you and going for a ride of its own.

 

[Old Doug]

If you ever have to work on the oilbath axles i would make them grease type.

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . . Old Doug sort of beat me to it. I have never seen one of these oil-bath axles, in the real world how much better are they?

I can see an oil leak could lead to major failure and really, I never saw wheel bearings as being an issue. Standard units were not expensive and very simple to replace and service.

Cheers.

 

[td25c]

Look like this? www.dexteraxle.com/inc/sdetail/771/1067

http://dexteraxle.com/i/u/6149609/f/9-15K_Service_Manual/Bearing_Lubrication.pdf

 

[HATCHEQUIP]

We used to have problems on heavy haul trailers and started filling hubs up with stp and had no more problems

 

[02Dmax]

If you ever have to work on the oilbath axles i would make them grease type.

I'd have to agree. I've seen more and more new trailers coming with grease from the factory. 5 lowboys and 2 or 3 cattle pots so far.


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[Old Doug]

Yair . . . Old Doug sort of beat me to it. I have never seen one of these oil-bath axles, in the real world how much better are they?

I can see an oil leak could lead to major failure and really, I never saw wheel bearings as being an issue. Standard units were not expensive and very simple to replace and service.

Cheers.

If you have a oil leak your brakes get a good lube job and if the dot sees it you are going to have it fixed right now. I dont know the real reason behind oil bath. I worked on a old trailer that was used to haul hay. It had 2 huds almost dry. I didnt want to take a chance and greased the bearing so if it did have a problem it wouldnt have oil on its new brake shoes and i wouldnt have to pull it apart agin. I built a trailer with truck hubs at the time i wanted to use a oil bath system but didnt have the hub covers to do it so i greased them think some day i would fix it so it would be oil bath. That will never happen.

 

[buckfever]

I like the Lucas brand hub oil. It's really sticky and seams to not leak around the rubber plug as much if at all.

 

[ValleyFirewood]

Oil bath axles are usually easy to change the oil on, probably some of the reason.

I've seen some trailer companies want the oil or grease changed out every 15k even. Who is really going to pull apart all the hubs to re-grease?!

Though we did have one of two trailers that didn't have drain plugs for the hubs. Had to stuck it out from the plug on the front.

 

[td25c]

Oil bath vs. grease

Yeah... I always assumed truck & trailer axles went to oil bath for better lube & heat dissapation at high speeds & heavy loads . Old employer had a 1965 Diamond Reo tandem tractor and it had grease packed bearings all around. On the drive axles there was a seal between outer axle flange and axle tube to keep the 90wieght oil from running in the wheel hubs. They still used a Dust/Dirt seal on the inner bearing hub to keep water & debris out. My old 1951 25 ton Lacrosse lowboy uses the grease packed bearings an even has zerk fittings on the axle cap to give it a shot now and then. Other Interesting thing is it dosent have any wheel seals at all. Just a narrow gap (about .025 inch) between the hub and a round collet on the axle. Still works fine. I converted my steering axles back to grease on my road tractors, pack the bearings good then smear inner cavity of the hub full with grease . Have pulled apart alot of wheels where the bearings were just packed & no grease in the wheel hub & they were fine. I just like to fill the hub up thinking it gives a little extra lube if the axle heated up for one reason or another. Which is best? Oil bath or grease packed? I realy dont know:beatsme Could depend somewhat on how often a vehicle is used,how fast & heavy it is. I just dont know? With grease packed bearings on a trailer or steering axle ya wont have any oil leaks.

 

[02Dmax]

My opinion is grease packed are better. My dad and several of his coworkers pull cattle pots, they all went and bought 53' spreads when that was the popular thing. And let me tell you, 53' spread axle cattle pots are hell on wheel seals. I'm talking 1 or 2 seals a year per wheel. I switched most of them over to grease and have had 0 problems since.

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[busy dad]

The big truck manufacturers have gone from oil to grease and back to oil in the last 10 years...If it is a smaller trailer , i would change to grease and check them Yearly.. The biggest failure is lack of servicing , if you check them at every safety check you should have no problems with greased hubs...