Troubleshooting Grease Zerk on Dexter E-Z Flex Trailer Suspension Equalizer

Question:

Hi Guys, Im a nubie to trailering. We bought a Grand Design Transcend 26RLS last fall. Love the trailer.. we purchased the E-Z Flex Heavy Duty Rubber Suspension System by Dexter Axle thru you and had it installed up in Indianapolis by Colrain RV. We had some other upgrades done at the time. Time frame was 1st week of Nov. and didnt pick it up until 1st week of April. Took them awhile, then my mom passed so we were delayed.. Anyway, after picking the rig up I did notice a couple things. There is no evidence of the Equalizer being greased. See photo.. seems like I should see some residual grease around the connections. Also the Zerk fitting on the shock absorber on the drivers side looks to be bent. The top of it is almost touching the mount. I dont know how the guy would be able to get the grease gun to fit it. Can you tell by the photo if it seems like it wasnt greased ? Does any part of the equalizer come pre-greased ? Or, should I be concerned ? We have already put about 500 miles on the rig. it seems fine but Im thinking I should go out and buy a grease gun and grease it before this weekend as we are taking off on a 3 hrs. away camping trip. Id appreciate your input. Best

asked by: Stephen T

Expert Reply:

The bent grease zerk is a concern for being able to add grease. From your photo, I can't tell if it was the correct manufacturer angle or if it has been bent. I've attached a photo of the manufacturer bend angle to help. It looks like they may not have put them in correctly and they may need either tightening or loosening for the correct angle. I'd try loosening them and then adding grease to see if it comes out the bottom of the zerk. That way you don't overtighten and mess up the threads as you explore the solution.

There doesn't need to be much grease added for the bolt and bushing to function properly. Too much grease just makes things messy. It is possible the installer greased the bolt at installation and didn't add more grease and you'd still be fine. The grease simply makes the system smoother and quieter. I'd replace the zerk fitting and then add some grease. I'd get a small grease gun like # L30132 and just keep it in the trailer so you can add it when needed.

If you don't have it by the weekend trip, it won't be a problem since you weren't having issues. You can always just add grease manually at the bolt head and between the "wings" of the equalizer if you feel it isn't functioning correctly.

expert reply by: Jason S