Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

[ewk]

My Brakerite actuator and set of Kodiak disk brakes were delivered today (Friday). I'd love to install everything tomorrow. I understand that the Kodiak integral hubs can be lubricated with oil instead of high temperature bearing grease. The Kodiak installation instructions are rather abbreviated (no problem for me but I wonder about others). In any case, the instructions allude to the use of oil but provide no information whatever on type, viscosity, etc. It is too late in the day to catch anyone at Kodiak by phone. Anyone do a recent installation and have any information on oil lubrication? Thanks for the help.

 

[tommays]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

Oil is good BUT hard to seal in the hubs

The finish on the spindle were the seal rides is pretty poor and age takes its toll

I used speedi sleeves to upgrade mine to stop and water getting in

But still think grease is the better way to go


Tommays

 

[ewk]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

Hi. Thanks for the reply. Yes, I'm sure that sealing the hubs against leakage of even high viscosity oil is more critical than when lubed with grease. But this is a new installation on a fairly new trailer (EZ Loader, fresh water only to-date) that uses a stainless steel ring on the spindle that the seal contacts. I figured I'd try the oil lube and, if I detected any leakage, I'd switch back to grease. But -- I have no idea of what kind of oil to use. I've heard that 40 or 50w engine oil would be OK but don't want to take a chance on "rumor" when this forum has so many highly experience and helpful members. I'm still hoping to get some advice on oil tonight so I can work on the brakes tomorrow.

 

[klicknative]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

I'm thinking SAE 40 or 50 would be way too thin. I've never ran a smaller trailer with oil hubs but on big trucks they use an oil just for them or gear oil in a pinch.

 

[Wide Open]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

Did you decide to use oil? Just wondered how you faired in your installation. I just installed new brakes but decided to stick with marine grease.

 

[ewk]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

Hi. Well...in turns out that there was SOME information involving oil. The plastic hub cover for the Kodiaks has molded-in information: "oil level SAE 90w." Yes, I filled the hubs with synthetic gear oil. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how this has worked out. For whatever the reason, the parts broke free of their cardboard constraints in one of the Kodiak packages and trashed the caliper, seal, and dinged-up the nose of the hub. The other box was perfect as was the outer shipping container that contained the disks as well as other components including the Brakerite. A replacement caliper is winging its way to me tonight. So...this is an experiment that I will report on once I get the loaded trailer on the road. I can tell you that the hubs turn incredibly smoothly with the oil in the hubs. I can't imagine that they won't run cooler than with thick grease that has to thin-out before it begins to provide equivalent "wetting" of the bearings. We'll see. I am taking spare seals and a container of high temperature bearing grease with me as insurance.

 

[Wide Open]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

That is a bummer! One of my Kodiac calipers was also damaged in shipping. Must be a rough ride. How do you know if your spindles/hubs are oil compatible? I would like to use oil in the future if possible.

 

[ewk]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

I'm impressed with the Kodiak discs/hubs. Nice products. They ought to put a bit more engineering into their packaging for these VERY heavy units that are shipped via USPS, UPS, FEDEX, etc. Eastern Marine shipped a replacement caliper immediately -- great service!

Anyway...your question. I really don't know. The Eastern Marine ad mentioned grease or oil in the Kodiak hubs and the Kodiak hub caps have a removable center plug and have 90w oil molded into the plastic. The installation instructions DO NOT mention oil!? The hub caps have a slight taper on the edge. It took a lot of thought to figure out how to install the caps without destroying them (thick wall, 3/4 drive socket and a small sledge). Not sure if I'll ever get them off again without destroying them but they certainly don't leak and no o-ring needed. OK -- what really made this experiment worth trying is that the trailer is an almost new (less than 600 miles) EZ-Loader that comes with factory installed stainless steel seal rings on the spindles. Some oil-hub manufacturers tell you to avoid aftermarket stainless steel rings or to gunk the interior lip with RTV to avoid leaks under the seal ring. The EZ-Loader rings have what appear to be a circumferential crimp that holds them in place. I don't anticipate any leaks under the rings...but we'll see.

I hope this info helps but remember -- I still consider this an experiment since I was surprised that no one on this forum seems to have had experience that I could build on.

 

[ewk]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

I'm impressed with the Kodiak discs/hubs. Nice products. They ought to put a bit more engineering into their packaging for these VERY heavy units that are shipped via USPS, UPS, FEDEX, etc. Eastern Marine shipped a replacement caliper immediately -- great service!

Anyway...your question. I really don't know. The Eastern Marine ad mentioned grease or oil in the Kodiak hubs and the Kodiak hub caps have a removable center plug and have 90w oil molded into the plastic. The installation instructions DO NOT mention oil!? The hub caps have a slight taper on the edge. It took a lot of thought to figure out how to install the caps without destroying them (thick wall, 3/4 drive socket and a small sledge). Not sure if I'll ever get them off again without destroying them but they certainly don't leak and no o-ring needed. OK -- what really made this experiment worth trying is that the trailer is an almost new (less than 600 miles) EZ-Loader that comes with factory installed stainless steel seal rings on the spindles. Some oil-hub manufacturers tell you to avoid aftermarket stainless steel rings or to gunk the interior lip with RTV to avoid leaks under the seal ring. The EZ-Loader rings have what appear to be a circumferential crimp that holds them in place. I don't anticipate any leaks under the rings...but we'll see.

I hope this info helps but remember -- I still consider this an experiment since I was surprised that no one on this forum seems to have had experience that I could build on.

 

[Gulfsurfer]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

Just tested these ProLube oil bath units on a tandem trailer w/ brand new 4-wh disc brakes (Kodiak). 3 out of 4 leaked water into hubs! Factory's tech support guy said he doesn't recommend the oil bath units. Funny, why do they sell them?

Going back to grease filled hubs & Buddy Bearings this week. Luv the disc brakes though!

 

[Wide Open]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

Just tested these ProLube oil bath units on a tandem trailer w/ brand new 4-wh disc brakes (Kodiak). 3 out of 4 leaked water into hubs! Factory's tech support guy said he doesn't recommend the oil bath units. Funny, why do they sell them?

Going back to grease filled hubs & Buddy Bearings this week. Luv the disc brakes though!

Well that sucks!
I too love the disc brakes. They are significantly better than the drums at smooth controlled stops. Now that winter is finally over it is about time to get the boat ready

 

[AXLE1012]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

Based on my experience, I don't think it's a good idea to change your lube system to an Oil-Bath and the reason being that the seal area of the spindle must be free from defect of any kind or the oil will sip out or water will sip in. If your axle is originally a grease axle, then the manufacturer's installers will just put the hub into the spindle without checking the seal area.

Kodiak seal usually is good enough to seal the the hub if the seal area in the spindle is good, but do not install regular seal because sometime it is not good enough.

 

[Celeb92]

Re: Lubrication -- Kodiak Integral Hub Disk Brake

Be careful! I installed Kodiaks on my EZ-Loader and filled the hubs with 90w synthetic gear oil. The EZ-Loader comes with stainless steel rings on the spindles for the seals so I figured I was good-to-go. Unfortunately, the seals included with the Kodiak kits can not be used on the EZ-Loader because of the ss rings so I had to buy seals made for the EZ-Loader. So...the trailer (with the boat on it) has been jacked up and supported by fabricated wood beams to match the trailer cross beams. The tires are off the ground. The rig is on my driveway so I have to pass it by whenever I enter or leave the house. I got into the habit of spinning the wheels with a foot as I passed by. The thought was that the trailer is sitting there for 6 or 7 months and I wanted to make sure that the bearings were always coated with oil. Now that the weather is moderating, I've begun to prep the boat and trailer for the season. Surprise!!! I got under the trailer to string new light wires and found one of the four (tandem) wheels coated with oil. Got out my flashlight and watched the seal as I spun the wheel.
Yep -- the oil was slowly dribbling out.

New seals on absolutely perfect stainless steel rings. Needless to say, I pulled the hubs down and used high temp bearing grease and new seals. Glad I found the dribble before I started my first 500 mile tow.

The Kodiaks are great and the included seals may be able to handle oil but the EZ-Loader seals definitely will NOT.