Proper Care & Maintenance

PROPER CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF YOUR POWDER COAT FINISH

As part of the powder coat process, your product received a 5 stage powder coat process including a zinc wash and zinc primer. However, Salt, Magnesium Chloride, and all the other fun stuff put on icy winter roads (and the beach) will do a number on your finish. Please follow these guidelines in extending the life of your finish.

Keep it Clean!! Don’t let salt and other elements work their magic…wash with regular water and soap regularly. Company don’t recommend you drive your vehicle in places like the ocean either, but if you do…wash immediately!

When rust spots do show up or if you have damage to powder coat, clean them up and touch up the paint following the instructions below:

In the area that is damaged, remove any spots that have chipped or loose paint, and thoroughly clean away any rust until you are to powder coat with good adhesion to the bumper. If you have deep gouges in the steel, you may want to apply either Bondo or JB weld. If this is needed, be sure to remove all rust before applying. When ready, sand the repaired surface flat again to match the original surface. Now you can sand any edges (if there are any) between the original powder coat and the metal to gradually transition the undamaged power coat to the steel. This is done with 120 grit to 240 grit to insure a good smooth transition. If you desire, you can put some primer on the damaged area – we recommend that you brush it on so you don’t get overspray on the powder coat. Since Rustoleum paint is designed to resist rust it can act as primer coat and the Rustoleum Textured Black is what Expedition One recommend for the build up and first coats. Using several thin layers of paint you will build up the damaged area to the same thickness as the powder coat. This may take several applications if damage was extensive. Try to prevent too much over spray on the powder coat. If too much spray paint builds up on the coat it may create ripples. If high spots occur you can use 240 grit or finer sand paper to sand it down until you have the height that matches the original powder coat. Use this for enough layers to get the texture and coverage that best matches your powder coat. The final layer of paint should overlap the existing powder coat feathering out onto the original powder coat to help insure that it matches without abrupt changes. If you feel the repaired area is a close enough match to the powder coat, you are finished. If you feel that the repair is too “textured” or not a close enough match, you can find an automotive/industrial paint supply that can mix a spray can using the code below. Then use the custom paint to get a better match. A very thin feathering with the custom paint should create a very nice blend between the powder coat and repair paint.

NOTES:

Be sure to adequately protect your vehicle.
Work in an area with plenty of light and ventilation, but without wind or anything to create dust.
Don’t paint until all traces of rust have been meticulously removed and surface is smooth.
Go Slow. Spray in thin even coats. Never get paint can closer to bumper than 12 inches.
Start about 18 inches out and slowly move in to optimal distance (no closer than 12 inches).
Avoid paint runs and excessive overspray onto the powder coat.
Patience will help provide the best results.

Textured Black Powder Coat to Custom Match Spray Paint Code:

NOTE: This code is for large quantity and has to be converted for a spray can. Snap Black Court Black – H Oz= 1.0 DMR490 24.6 24.6 DMR401 .6 25.2 PRL95 .3 25.5 DXR495 .6 26.1 DX685 4.9 31.1

PROPER CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF YOUR TIRE CARRIER SYSTEM

Re-tighten your coupling unit after a period of time or after a good off-road trip. Looseness in your hub assembly or seizing of your carrier may be a sign you need to replace your bearings or that the 1” nyloc nut in under the cap in your hub assembly has come loose and needs to be tightened.

Always be sure to use the anti-seize when installing and re-installing your hub cover, otherwise removal will be very difficult! Remove your hub cover and check inside your hub assembly regularly. If you live in a dry climate and off-road a “standard” amount, company would recommend you check your hub assembly at least once per year. If you live in a wet climate, humid climate, or a climate with extremes, company would recommend you check your hub assembly quarterly or with season changes. Climates with heavy salt content are some the harshest conditions on your components and may need to be checked more frequently.

When installing and/or re-installing bearings be sure to use a white lithium marine-style grease for best results.
Once you have removed the cap, check the grease. Bad grease will be black or have lost most of its original color, will show signs of moisture, and/or will have become “chunky”. If this is the case, remove your bearings and re-grease them.

Check your bearings. The bearing cage can become corroded over time and break. Looseness or seizing in your hub and carrier assembly may be a sign that you need to replace your bearings.

Races generally do not need to be replaced unless you can see they have broken or are heavily corroded. Races can be knocked out and replaced if/when needed.

Replacement parts. You can purchase a rebuild kit directly from us at Expedition One, however you can also find most of your hub assembly components at your local automotive/hardware store. Replacement part #’s can be found below for your convenience:

Single Arm Carriers
Grease Seal: 37502250
Grease: Any marine-grade lithium grease
Large Bearing: LM 102949
Lower Race: LM 102910
Small Bearing: 15123
Upper Race: 15245

Dual Swing Arm Carriers
Grease Seals: PN 5121
Bearings: LM48548

MAINTAINING THE BEARINGS ON YOUR EXPEDITION ONE TIRE CARRIER

Stiffness, binding, or rattling in your tire carrier arm may be an indicator for maintenance needed on the bearings in your hub assembly. This could be caused by a number of factors including environment, impact, lack of/type of grease, corrosion, and/or over-tightening.

Expedition one carriers are designed for easy maintenance with easy removal of the hub cap to access the hub assembly. Zirc fittings and generally not necessary, due to ease of access. Wear components and replacement parts can be easily sourced from your local auto parts store and often have a variety of brands/pricing. The bearings used are a high-speed/high heat wheel bearings, but for our applications are being used under moderate loads and low speed ( 0 rpms), so they will typically last a long time.

Instructions for bearing checks and maintenance:

Loosen your hub cover cap. If anti-seize was used this should easily be done by hand or with a simple grip tool.
Observe the top bearing. If there is a lot of moisture, discoloration, or corrosion you could have a grease problem. Company recommend using a water-resistant, marine grade grease for this reason.
If you do not see a lot of moisture or discoloration and do not want to un-bolt the arm you can first try to pack the hub assembly with a lot of marine-grade grease and cycle it through by moving the arm back and forth. This may fix your problem.

If movement is not improving with additional grease and cycling or you believe you have broken bearings continue by unbolting and removing the arm.

Take out the top bearing and examine it. If it rolls and does not show signs of damage or coming apart then it is probably ok. Check the cage holding the bearings is in-tact. If you see any damage or broken parts you will need to replace the bearing.
The bottom bearing is held in by the grease seal. You want to gently remove the grease seal by using a hammer and a tool such as a center punch, aul, or screwdriver to gently tap out the grease seal so you can access the bottom bearing.
Observe and examine the bottom bearing for signs of damage. Again, If the bearing does not roll or if parts are popping out or there is damage to the cage you will want to replace the bearing.
If the bearings are rolling and are just dirty or gummy, you can use WD40, brake cleaner, or penetration spray to clean them out.

Be sure to re-pack with a lot of marine-grade grease when replacing cleaned and/or used bearings and use anti-seize when re-installing your hub cover cap. Caps should be snug but be careful not to over-tighten, as this can put too much pressure on the bearing cage and cause bearings to fail. Company do not provide torque specs, as the exact right tightening for your application can be hard to gauge with the nylock nut. Company recommend you check to feel the nylock has been tightened and that the cap is snug and not to tighten beyond that point.

Replacement part #s (please note that it would be very rare that a race needs to be replaced but in the event that is necessary, part#s are below)

Single “Classic” Swing arms (not including dual swing arm models with a deleted arm location)

FJ/JK/JL Single Swing Large bearing: LM102949

FJ/JK/JL single swing lower race: LM102910

FJ/JK/JL single swing Small bearing: 15123

FJ/JK/JL single swing upper race: 15245

FJ/JK/JL single swing grease seal: 37502250

DUAL swing arm Parts:

Bearings: LM48548

Race: LM48510

Grease Seal: 5121