Ez loader oil bath hub cloudy

[jpf179]

On the way home to Anchorage from Prince William Sound today with my 2021 R27, I noticed that one of the six oil bath hubs for the EZ loader trailer that came with the boat was not like the others. First I noticed that the hub was very dark like it had been overheated and then I noticed that the fluid inside was milky instead of clear like the others.

I assume that the seal that keeps oil in and sea water out is damaged. I would like to replace this on my own so I can learn a valuable skill.

What I'd like to know is of anyone here has dealt with this before and has any wisdom to share? I've never done this before and don't even know what parts to order, if any. So you just buy one and it's a one size fits all type of thing? Should I replace the entire hub or just the seal? Any other thoughts?

Thanks for any help you might have.

 

[knotflying]

Take a look at this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzY-bCSmR9U

 

[jpf179]

Thanks for that youtube link. It will help when the time comes to do the work. Unfortunately, I can't even figure out which parts to buy. Nobody at ez loader will pick up the phone and my email has gone unanswered thus far.

I can't figure out if I need to buy an entire hub system or just a new o-ring, etc. And even if I did know that, there are lots of different options on their parts website. I'm not sure which one is which.

Any way to sort this out, that you are aware of, when the company's customer support won't answer the phone?

 

[nzfisher]

I think you will find that these hubs are “stock” parts and RV centers and trailer support stores have them on hand.

 

[Annie Time]

I had a similar issue a few years back. Contact Andrew at Ranger tug he can contact the factory. It is a warranty repair. Our hubs are not like the one shown in the video.


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[DBBRanger]

One of my hubs seemed to be leaking a bit since the wheel was oily and dirty compared to the others. So I thought I would replace all the seals myself. I purchased the parts from EZ Loader (seals and O-rings for I think $35) and watched all the videos online to see how it is done. It seemed straight forward. However, when the time came, I chickened out because I didn't have the wrench to remove the aluminum cap and I didn't have the tools to remove and replace the bearings if I found it was necessary. So I had a professional do it. He did have trouble removing one of the oil drain plugs and had to replace it after removing the old one by using heat to loosen it. It only cost $200 not including the parts I had purchased (didn't need new bearings), so I was happy I went that route. Even though they are 14 years old, I'm not sure I really needed to do it, but better under controlled conditions rather than on the side of the road!

 

[jpf179]

I had a similar issue a few years back. Contact Andrew at Ranger tug he can contact the factory. It is a warranty repair. Our hubs are not like the one shown in the video.

Thanks for that recommendation. I sent Andrew and email this morning. I was wondering if hubs were considered warranty or not. The EZ loader warranty sheet says it isn't covered by that individual state laws may dictate otherwise. We live in Alaska and I tried to find the laws governing this but the lawyer talk can be difficult to interpret. What state were you in when it was considered a warranty issue?

 

[NorthernFocus]

If you are reasonably handy/mechanically inclined it is not a difficult job. With the trailer model/serial number you should be able to find the correct seal part number from the EZ Loader site. Then call Six Roblees here in town with that EZ loader part number and they should have it. If you can live with being down for a couple of days you can pull it apart and walk into Six R with the seal in hand. I completely rebuilt mine a few years ago and ordered the wrong seals. I took the measurements down to Six Roblees and they sorted me out. Also gave me the EZ Loader numbers for future reference.

If all you are going to do is replace the seals it is a pretty straightforward job. No special tools required unless the bearing is damaged and has to be unseated. You might also need to replace the oil bath caps if you damage them on removal. I'd recommend putting a bead of RTV on the caps when you reinstall them. They're designed to seal tight but doesn't take much for them to leak. Matter of fact that would be worth investigating prior to diving off into replacing the inboard seal.

If you do end up replacing the seal the most likely mistake when putting things back together is over tightening the bearing. Many people have an inclination to do this. That should be covered in any youtube videos that you watch on the topic. If not find another one to watch.

 

[Annie Time]

I had a similar issue a few years back. Contact Andrew at Ranger tug he can contact the factory. It is a warranty repair. Our hubs are not like the one shown in the video.

Thanks for that recommendation. I sent Andrew and email this morning. I was wondering if hubs were considered warranty or not. The EZ loader warranty sheet says it isn't covered by that individual state laws may dictate otherwise. We live in Alaska and I tried to find the laws governing this but the lawyer talk can be difficult to interpret. What state were you in when it was considered a warranty issue?

I was in Washington when I had the work done


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[jpf179]

Thanks for that detailed response, Dan. Super helpful. Six Robblees is likely going to be my solution once I get in over my head.

 

[S@LTD]

I have gone through this issue a couple of times now and have become quite knowledgeable having lost a seal in Wendover NV 6 weeks ago and having a similar failure in Wells NV last year. PM me and I can probably help. Mark Davison at EZ Loader is the parts manager for the Adjustable parts division. He is awesome! All he needs is the VIN off your trailer and can fix you up. Not all tire shops are knowledgeable about these systems which is half the battle.

 

[jpf179]

I have gone through this issue a couple of times now and have become quite knowledgeable having lost a seal in Wendover NV 6 weeks ago and having a similar failure in Wells NV last year. PM me and I can probably help. Mark Davison at EZ Loader is the parts manager for the Adjustable parts division. He is awesome! All he needs is the VIN off your trailer and can fix you up. Not all tire shops are knowledgeable about these systems which is half the battle.

Thanks for that kind response. I made a good connection via a friend who might be able to fix the trailer and let me watch and learn while he's doing it, so I'm probably going to be alright. I might send you a question here and there if we get stumped.

 

[S@LTD]

Sounds good. Two things I have learned most recently 1) Red RTV is your friend (EZ Loader uses this and many shops do not-mine included), 2) Even though the seals are easy to tap in with a hammer many do not use a press. As such, it’s super easy to get the slightest almost undetectable distortion which with result in a leak and 3) use the correct fluid. I have an email version of the manual for EZ Loader and lots of correspondence on dos and don’t s if needed.

 

[Just Right]

Another option, You can cross over bearing and seal numbers to Timken, SKF, or any quality bearing seal manufacturer. I replaced bearings and seals for a little over 300.00 on tandem trailer. Instead of oil I packed with a quality grease and assembled. I then temporarily screwed a grease fitting in the hub oil fill hole and pumped grease in with a grease gun. I used the same oil bath caps . I like grease because if a seal goes bad you can address the problem before you destroy the spindle.
Beware that most of trailer kits are import cheap bearings and seals.