packing wheel bearings, and grease fluidity
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Originally Posted By: Linctex
NEVER, EVER pack the "cavity". Ever.
Finally, someone caught on to the OP's concerns: grease in the cavity that turned into "clay". Many decades ago I, too, thought that you were supposed to pack the hub cavity.
NEVER, EVER pack the "cavity". Ever.
Finally, someone caught on to the OP's concerns: grease in the cavity that turned into "clay". Many decades ago I, too, thought that you were supposed to pack the hub cavity.
I have one of these.
But I'm considering trying a flowable 00 grease. It'd be a cross between grease and hub oil.
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
I have one of these.
But I'm considering trying a flowable 00 grease. It'd be a cross between grease and hub oil.
NO
Simply need to clean out the old grease, repack with quality wheel bearing grease and adjust play (if applicable). I would also inspect/replace the seals if necessary.
I have one of these.
But I'm considering trying a flowable 00 grease. It'd be a cross between grease and hub oil.
NO
Simply need to clean out the old grease, repack with quality wheel bearing grease and adjust play (if applicable). I would also inspect/replace the seals if necessary.
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Originally Posted By: bmwpowere36m3
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
I have one of these.
But I'm considering trying a flowable 00 grease. It'd be a cross between grease and hub oil.
NO
Simply need to clean out the old grease, repack with quality wheel bearing grease and adjust play (if applicable). I would also inspect/replace the seals if necessary.
Exactly.
Don't reinvent the wheel. (bearing)
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
I have one of these.
But I'm considering trying a flowable 00 grease. It'd be a cross between grease and hub oil.
NO
Simply need to clean out the old grease, repack with quality wheel bearing grease and adjust play (if applicable). I would also inspect/replace the seals if necessary.
Exactly.
Don't reinvent the wheel. (bearing)
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: bmwpowere36m3
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
I have one of these.
But I'm considering trying a flowable 00 grease. It'd be a cross between grease and hub oil.
NO
Simply need to clean out the old grease, repack with quality wheel bearing grease and adjust play (if applicable). I would also inspect/replace the seals if necessary.
Exactly.
Don't reinvent the wheel. (bearing)
You guys are some of the most conservative folks on the planet.
I like to play.
Originally Posted By: bmwpowere36m3
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
I have one of these.
But I'm considering trying a flowable 00 grease. It'd be a cross between grease and hub oil.
NO
Simply need to clean out the old grease, repack with quality wheel bearing grease and adjust play (if applicable). I would also inspect/replace the seals if necessary.
Exactly.
Don't reinvent the wheel. (bearing)
You guys are some of the most conservative folks on the planet.
I like to play.
Doood , you don't really wanna have your special sauce run out when warm. It could ruin your day on the road. Any good wheel bearing grease packed into the bearing will do fine. You're trying to remedy a non-problem.
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
I like to play.
As for playing, trying it by hand might be best. We had one of those tools around, but usually we'd just do them by hand. My dad had a tub of grease set aside especially for this.
I like to play.
As for playing, trying it by hand might be best. We had one of those tools around, but usually we'd just do them by hand. My dad had a tub of grease set aside especially for this.
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: Linctex
NEVER, EVER pack the "cavity". Ever.
Finally, someone caught on to the OP's concerns: grease in the cavity that turned into "clay". Many decades ago I, too, thought that you were supposed to pack the hub cavity.
The people I bought my camper from paid for it to be "serviced" a few years before they sold it. That is exactly what the shop did. dumped a bunch of grease in the cavity. The bearings had nasty old grease and wouldn't have been happy when I took it on a 500 mile trip.
Originally Posted By: Linctex
NEVER, EVER pack the "cavity". Ever.
Finally, someone caught on to the OP's concerns: grease in the cavity that turned into "clay". Many decades ago I, too, thought that you were supposed to pack the hub cavity.
The people I bought my camper from paid for it to be "serviced" a few years before they sold it. That is exactly what the shop did. dumped a bunch of grease in the cavity. The bearings had nasty old grease and wouldn't have been happy when I took it on a 500 mile trip.
Originally Posted By: Linctex
You should learn to pack wheel bearings from an aircraft mechanic.
Grease goes in the cage the rollers reside in...
NEVER, EVER pack the "cavity". Ever.
It was the standard recommended practice for many decades. What exacly will go wrong if you pack the cavity?
You should learn to pack wheel bearings from an aircraft mechanic.
Grease goes in the cage the rollers reside in...
NEVER, EVER pack the "cavity". Ever.
It was the standard recommended practice for many decades. What exacly will go wrong if you pack the cavity?
Originally Posted By: Langanobob
Originally Posted By: Linctex
You should learn to pack wheel bearings from an aircraft mechanic.
Grease goes in the cage the rollers reside in...
NEVER, EVER pack the "cavity". Ever.
It was the standard recommended practice for many decades. What exacly will go wrong if you pack the cavity?
If you get enough in the cavity AND it manages to spread axially it can overload the seal, and/or make the bearing run too hot.
If it DOESN't spread, then its a glob of useless grease.
Originally Posted By: Linctex
You should learn to pack wheel bearings from an aircraft mechanic.
Grease goes in the cage the rollers reside in...
NEVER, EVER pack the "cavity". Ever.
It was the standard recommended practice for many decades. What exacly will go wrong if you pack the cavity?
If you get enough in the cavity AND it manages to spread axially it can overload the seal, and/or make the bearing run too hot.
If it DOESN't spread, then its a glob of useless grease.
Kestas
Staff member
My understanding is the opposite. In case the bearing ever overheats, the extra grease packed into cap can flow into the bearings for extended protection.
Originally Posted By: Kestas
My understanding is the opposite. In case the bearing ever overheats, the extra grease packed into cap can flow into the bearings for extended protection.
That's what I believe. My concern is that the grease is so firm that it'll never happen. Unless it tends to melt at higher temps and become semi runny for a short time.
The procedures I've seen over the years say to pack the cavity with some grease but leave adequate air space so grease expansion doesn't blow out the seal.
My understanding is the opposite. In case the bearing ever overheats, the extra grease packed into cap can flow into the bearings for extended protection.
That's what I believe. My concern is that the grease is so firm that it'll never happen. Unless it tends to melt at higher temps and become semi runny for a short time.
The procedures I've seen over the years say to pack the cavity with some grease but leave adequate air space so grease expansion doesn't blow out the seal.
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A properly serviced hub/bearing will have some grease in the cup... what you want to avoid is filling the cavity FULL. Similar with sealed ball-bearings (deep-groove), where you generally 50-60% full. You can get away with adding more grease in low-speed applications.
For example, Mercedes specifies the amount of grease (in grams) needed per hub.. with specific amounts per bearing and the cup.
For example, Mercedes specifies the amount of grease (in grams) needed per hub.. with specific amounts per bearing and the cup.
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Packed wheel bearings from early fifties until late seventies and never had a problem. With the change over to front wheel drive, never had to do that again.
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
I have one of these.
But I'm considering trying a flowable 00 grease. It'd be a cross between grease and hub oil.
That stuff is meant for more big rigs and buses with the proper seal systems for oil/semi-fluid grease. Unless you can retrofit one of these(http://www.stemco.com/product/aftermarket-plantinum-performance-system/), stick to grease.
I'm not a professional mechanical, the way I've always done greased tapered bearings is to get a golf ball sized gob of high-temp "disc brake approved" NLGI #2 grease, work it into the rollers and cages. I then smear some grease onto the spindle, hub cavity and dust cap.
In the past, I would use molygraph grease but I did notice that stuff cakes up. The more recent repack I've done for a friend was with Coastal Uniplex, it's like the exalted Mystik JP-6. Ford wants moly grease, while Toyota doesn't want it in the bearings and Mercedes back when they used tapered bearings called for grease to weighed out and packed in. Mercedes wanted their grease to be used, which doesn't have moly and looks almost like Shimano's special bike grease, which is also a "synthetic" calcium-based grease sold as Autol Top 2000 Langzeit Fett in Germany. That Mercedes grease is mentioned here - https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2788989. Looks like the MB stuff is lithium based: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w124-e-c...se-sources.html
There might be some truth to Toyota and Mercedes not liking moly grease for wheel bearings. But then again, I've also used Red Line CV-2 with no ill effects, that has "synthetic" red moly in it with a calcium complex thickener.
Next time my friend's Explorer rolls into my garage, I'll pack the bearings with WD-40 Specialist multipurpose grease, it's calcium complex, and the specs look impressive. https://www.wd40specialist.com/products/true-multi-purpose-grease
I have one of these.
But I'm considering trying a flowable 00 grease. It'd be a cross between grease and hub oil.
That stuff is meant for more big rigs and buses with the proper seal systems for oil/semi-fluid grease. Unless you can retrofit one of these(http://www.stemco.com/product/aftermarket-plantinum-performance-system/), stick to grease.
I'm not a professional mechanical, the way I've always done greased tapered bearings is to get a golf ball sized gob of high-temp "disc brake approved" NLGI #2 grease, work it into the rollers and cages. I then smear some grease onto the spindle, hub cavity and dust cap.
In the past, I would use molygraph grease but I did notice that stuff cakes up. The more recent repack I've done for a friend was with Coastal Uniplex, it's like the exalted Mystik JP-6. Ford wants moly grease, while Toyota doesn't want it in the bearings and Mercedes back when they used tapered bearings called for grease to weighed out and packed in. Mercedes wanted their grease to be used, which doesn't have moly and looks almost like Shimano's special bike grease, which is also a "synthetic" calcium-based grease sold as Autol Top 2000 Langzeit Fett in Germany. That Mercedes grease is mentioned here - https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2788989. Looks like the MB stuff is lithium based: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w124-e-c...se-sources.html
There might be some truth to Toyota and Mercedes not liking moly grease for wheel bearings. But then again, I've also used Red Line CV-2 with no ill effects, that has "synthetic" red moly in it with a calcium complex thickener.
Next time my friend's Explorer rolls into my garage, I'll pack the bearings with WD-40 Specialist multipurpose grease, it's calcium complex, and the specs look impressive. https://www.wd40specialist.com/products/true-multi-purpose-grease
Originally Posted By: Yah-Tah-Hey
Packed wheel bearings from early fifties until late seventies and never had a problem. With the change over to front wheel drive, never had to do that again.
VW was still using tapered bearings until the mid-2000s on the FWD A3/A4 platform Jetta and Golf.
Packed wheel bearings from early fifties until late seventies and never had a problem. With the change over to front wheel drive, never had to do that again.
VW was still using tapered bearings until the mid-2000s on the FWD A3/A4 platform Jetta and Golf.
Originally Posted By: nthach
Originally Posted By: Yah-Tah-Hey
Packed wheel bearings from early fifties until late seventies and never had a problem. With the change over to front wheel drive, never had to do that again.
VW was still using tapered bearings until the mid-2000s on the FWD A3/A4 platform Jetta and Golf.
The MkIV platform was known for eating bearings around 100k. Oddly enough the replacements would last longer. I had both go at 100k on my 2004. Wife had hers go on her 2001 Civic at about 150k. Knock on wood, the current fleet is doing ok.
My '99 Camry had to have the rears replaced at 140k but at least that was a 15 minute job. Not quite sealed bearings but not serviceable either. If only all wheel bearings were so simple! Whoever came up with pressed in wheel bearings should be flogged with an axle half-shaft.
Originally Posted By: Yah-Tah-Hey
Packed wheel bearings from early fifties until late seventies and never had a problem. With the change over to front wheel drive, never had to do that again.
VW was still using tapered bearings until the mid-2000s on the FWD A3/A4 platform Jetta and Golf.
The MkIV platform was known for eating bearings around 100k. Oddly enough the replacements would last longer. I had both go at 100k on my 2004. Wife had hers go on her 2001 Civic at about 150k. Knock on wood, the current fleet is doing ok.
My '99 Camry had to have the rears replaced at 140k but at least that was a 15 minute job. Not quite sealed bearings but not serviceable either. If only all wheel bearings were so simple! Whoever came up with pressed in wheel bearings should be flogged with an axle half-shaft.
Kestas
Staff member
Originally Posted By: bmwpowere36m3
... what you want to avoid is filling the cavity FULL. Similar with sealed ball-bearings (deep-groove), where you generally 50-60% full.
The rule of thumb is no more than 30% of the sealed cavity volume should be filled with grease.
After packing, the remainder is used to butter the sides of the roller/cage assy after placing in the race, then butter all internal cavity surfaces. Any leftover is put in the cup.
... what you want to avoid is filling the cavity FULL. Similar with sealed ball-bearings (deep-groove), where you generally 50-60% full.
The rule of thumb is no more than 30% of the sealed cavity volume should be filled with grease.
After packing, the remainder is used to butter the sides of the roller/cage assy after placing in the race, then butter all internal cavity surfaces. Any leftover is put in the cup.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: Kestas
Originally Posted By: bmwpowere36m3
... what you want to avoid is filling the cavity FULL. Similar with sealed ball-bearings (deep-groove), where you generally 50-60% full.
The rule of thumb is no more than 30% of the sealed cavity volume should be filled with grease.
After packing, the remainder is used to butter the sides of the roller/cage assy after placing in the race, then butter all internal cavity surfaces. Any leftover is put in the cup.
MB provides a mass to use per bearing. This is to keep the amount of extra grease to a minimum (like the 30% rule you cite). I believe it was explained that oo much affects heat buildup/transfer.
Originally Posted By: bmwpowere36m3
... what you want to avoid is filling the cavity FULL. Similar with sealed ball-bearings (deep-groove), where you generally 50-60% full.
The rule of thumb is no more than 30% of the sealed cavity volume should be filled with grease.
After packing, the remainder is used to butter the sides of the roller/cage assy after placing in the race, then butter all internal cavity surfaces. Any leftover is put in the cup.
MB provides a mass to use per bearing. This is to keep the amount of extra grease to a minimum (like the 30% rule you cite). I believe it was explained that oo much affects heat buildup/transfer.
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