Wheelhouse grease zerks

[harvey lee]

I grease my zerks for the wheel before every trip.

I was thinking the other day that it may be just as good and easier if a person just pulled the wheel off and put anti sieze on the shaft so it could not freeze up and that would elimanate the need for greasing all the time.

Thought's, any try it?

[jentz]

I grease my zerks for the wheel before every trip.

I was thinking the other day that it may be just as good and easier if a person just pulled the wheel off and put anti sieze on the shaft so it could not freeze up and that would elimanate the need for greasing all the time.

Thought's, any try it?

Do they suggest to grease before every trip?? I never seen a wheelbearing that required that.Why anti sieze?

[Pat K]

I don't know how anti seize would work, but mine froze up a few years ago and I had to heat it with a torch for quite a while before the wheel would go up & down. I added another zerk and grease it up 3 or 4 times a winter, then spray the assembly heavily with liquid wrench for summer storage.

[jentz]

OH I see the wheel retraction.Have you tried a cold weather grease like white lithium,There are others I just nevered used anything other than lithium.

[harvey lee]

Jentz, not talking about the wheel bearing, I am talking about the metal pipe that slides into the fishhouse fram as when it goes up and down. I should have explained better I see.

I was just thinking that a anti sieze application once a year would keep the wheel from freezing up and no issues with going up and down and no need for greasing it.

I have had zero issues with it but I do grease the zerk's before every trip down the road.

I would think the anti sieze would cure the greasing all the time and a once a year apllication would be all that is needed.

Maybe noone has ever tried this before.

I do this on the bolts that hold my folding end gate on my alum utility trailer. If I do not work them them all the time, the bolts will all but weld to the alum folding ramp and one cannot unfold the ramp, but when I take the bolts out, coat them with anti sieze, those bolts are now good for up to 3 years and no anti sieze and they will corrode and not work after a season or a bit more.

This anti sieze does help.

[jentz]

I see Harvey,Aluminum oxidation is your problem right?? Might be a chance to try some dielectirc grease.It is formulated especially for aluminum oxidation.Just only advertised for electrical applications where alum wires are used.you can get it in small tubes or tubs.

[1lessdog]

I had the problem when I went to drop my house last weekend. The cables went slack and I had to jump in the house to get it to go down. Now it was like 15 below and the grease was like glue. Im wondering if they even need grease and if anti- sieze is enough.

[CAMAN]

The main reason to grease the joint regularly is to flush dirt and debris that has accumulated. If you just put anti sieze on at one time dirt will still be allowed in and won't be flushed out. Another thing to think about is all anti sieze's aren't the same, the standard silver and copper types you find at most auto parts stores doesn't have the high pressure properties needed to do the proper job, they do make a gold colored AS made for high pressure situations but I'm sure the cost is significantly higher. If you don't use a high pressure rated product (be it grease or AS) the joint lubricant will flow away from the joint when under weight and allow metal on metal contact, and eventually seizure.

I would stick with the cheap standard high pressure grease on a regular basis. That is unless you can find a high pressure rated AS in a grease gun tube and do it regularly as well.

[harvey lee]

Reason I asked this I have a buddy that has used the anti sieze for many years with zero issues and has never greased the zerks since new.

I thought maybe someone else would have tried this. Like I said, buddy said it is the only way to go, he said the heck with the grese job's.

[aczr2k]

I would just use a good quality waterproof synthetic grease and grease it every few trips. The reason the manufacturer says to grease every trip is some people have no idea what a grease gun looks like. The manufacturer has no idea if you are running a 400 mile round trip or a 10 mile trip to the local lake. Anti-seize would not last, if your house is like mine the wheel assembly pivots up/down constantly as the leaf spring flexes, anti seize is not a lubricant. It is wonderful stuff but not for this purpose.

[fsnrod]

I wonder if it's possible to clamp a rubber boot over them to keep the road grime out just thinking.

[harvey lee]

I would just use a good quality waterproof synthetic grease and grease it every few trips. The reason the manufacturer says to grease every trip is some people have no idea what a grease gun looks like. The manufacturer has no idea if you are running a 400 mile round trip or a 10 mile trip to the local lake. Anti-seize would not last, if your house is like mine the wheel assembly pivots up/down constantly as the leaf spring flexes, anti seize is not a lubricant. It is wonderful stuff but not for this purpose.

Using a high quality grease now and do it before every trip to make sure I do not have any issues due to a lack of grease.

With that said, I know with my ultility trailer I use anti seize on the folding end gate and it has worked fine. I redo it every year and have never had any issues with thye bolt's siezing up and it works and unfolds great with just the anti sieze in it.

Now, I realize that the wheel house is used alot more and it does pivot more in the wheel area.

I am going to contact Ice Castle and ask them why the anti sieze would not work as I am really looking for a lubricant that will keep the pivot area from siezing up. My concern of course as mentioned is, will I have issues with no grease in that area while driving down the road or when raisng and lowering the house to the ice. I know the anti sieze will keep it from siezing up but will I have enough lube in there to keep it going up and down smoothly.

I am just looking for the best way to keep it lubed and never have any issues with it siezing up.

Then I wonder if one could use anti sieze and then also grease the area every few trips or if the use of grease would do harm to the anti sieze.

[Redlineracer12]

I usually just do it every few trips. It's a grease zerk, it takes like 30 seconds per side.

[aczr2k]

As much as I like anti-seize this is one application I will stick to grease. I'd rather not have to pull the wheel assembly every year or less and reapply the anti-seize. I'll stick to a couple pumps of grease every other trip or so and I guarantee the pivot will never seize up.

[Hawg]

I was real surprised this year on my new house. I was pumping grease in the zerks till it came out. I friend bet me very little of the inside was covered so we pulled an assembly off the axel and about 20% or less of the axel was greased. I'm pulling mine once a year from now on and doing it right.

[BigFish1]

Do the wheels have to be up to grease them? I have tried to grease the zerks and it just starts backing up right away.