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How to Grease Trailer Wheel Bearings

Built by Jeremy Panasuk · Published October 3, 2026

Grease is a maintenance interval from the axle maker. The load those bearings carry is whatever is left after tongue weight, and that number comes out of the calculator.

Quick answer: Dexter says grease-lubricated trailer bearings should be serviced every 12 months or 12,000 miles, and that an E-Z Lube fitting does not replace the inspection. On an 8,000 lb loaded trailer — CURT's Class 3 weight-carrying gross rating — this site's tongue-weight function at 10 percent puts 800 lb on the coupler and leaves 7,200 lb on the axles as a group.

Which hubs you are actually greasing

Dexter's hub manual describes three different bearing setups, and they are not serviced the same way. Standard hubs use opposed tapered roller cones and cups, packed with grease, with a small amount of axial end play at assembly. E-Z Lube spindles are drilled so grease pumped into a fitting at the end of the spindle travels to the inner bearing, then the outer bearing, and out the grease-cap hole. Nev-R-Lube bearings are sealed at the factory. Dexter says no further lubrication is ever needed on those.

Read the hub before you buy a tub of grease. A Nev-R-Lube end does not get a repack. An E-Z Lube end can take grease through the fitting, and Dexter still says that convenience must not replace taking the bearings out for inspection. The learning-library note is the same interval: every 12 months or 12,000 miles, and if you are not confident doing the work, take the trailer to a service center.

What the packing is for

Dexter's hand method, paraphrased from the hub manual: put grease in your palm, press the wide end of the cone into the grease so it is forced between adjacent rollers, rotate to the next roller, and continue until the cone is full. Then put a light coat on the cup mating surface before the hub goes back on. Seals should be replaced when the hub has been removed. The manual's caution on reassembly is specific: do not let the rubber sealing lip touch the spindle threads.

The same manual says a wheel end that comes off the axle while the trailer is moving can cause a loss of control. That is why the jack stands and the manufacturer's instructions for supporting the trailer are part of the job, not a preface. Drum wear limits in that manual (for example, more than .020 inch oversized, or out of round by more than .015 inch) are a brake-shop measurement. They are not something to estimate from the outside of a dusty wheel.

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Trailer wheel bearing grease

Worked example: weight left on the axles

Bearings do not carry the whole trailer. They carry the trailer minus the downward force at the coupler. CURT's Class 3 weight-carrying rating is up to 8,000 lb gross. CURT also says tongue weight should be about 10 to 15 percent of gross trailer weight. This example uses 8,000 lb as the loaded trailer and 10 percent as the measured tongue percentage, which is the bottom of that band.

Inputs to TTC.tongueWeight: trailer weight 8,000 lb, measured tongue percentage 10. The function returns:

OutputValue
Tongue weight800 lb
Percent of trailer10%
10% floor the function prints800 lb
12% midpoint the function prints960 lb
15% ceiling the function prints1,200 lb
VerdictIn the safe 10–15% band

The 12 percent midpoint is this calculator's middle of the 10–15 percent band CURT publishes. It is not a second standard. Subtract the tongue result from the trailer: 8,000 − 800 = 7,200 lb sitting on the axles as a group. That 7,200 lb is arithmetic. It is not the rating stamped on an axle.

Dexter separately says that on its 7,200 lb and 8,000 lb axles, a hub puller may be needed to get the drum off. If your axle tag says one of those capacities, plan on that puller. If the tag says something else, the 7,200 lb subtraction still only tells you the group load for this example. Run the tongue-weight tab with the scale reading from your own trailer, then subtract.

A common mistake

Pumping an E-Z Lube fitting until grease appears, then skipping the 12-month inspection, treats the fitting as the service. Dexter says the opposite: the fitting and the oil plug do not replace periodic inspection of the bearings. The other miss is greasing a Nev-R-Lube hub because a forum said every trailer gets a repack. The manual says those bearings are sealed and need no further lubrication.

Limits, and when to take it to a shop

This page does not set a torque, a grease brand, or an end-play measurement. Those are in the axle manual for the hub you have. Dexter's own advice is to use a service center if you are not confident. A hot hub, a leaking seal, or a wheel you can rock on the spindle is past a driveway grease job. The calculator's only role here is the split between tongue and axles. It does not know your axle rating. The tag on the axle and a public scale do. The four towing limits on the truck are a different check: towing capacity explained.

Related

FAQ

How often does Dexter say to grease trailer wheel bearings?

Every 12 months or 12,000 miles for grease-lubricated bearings. E-Z Lube fittings and oil caps do not replace that inspection (Dexter bearing lubrication).

Does Nev-R-Lube need grease?

No. Dexter says those bearings are lubricated, assembled, and sealed at the factory, and that no further lubrication is needed (Dexter hubs, drums, and bearings).

How much weight is on the axles after tongue weight?

For the 8,000 lb example at 10 percent, the function returns 800 lb on the tongue, so 7,200 lb remains on the axles as a group. Confirm both the loaded trailer weight and the axle tag before you treat that as your trailer.

Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below. Spot an error? Email jpanasuk@gmail.com.

Sources