Originally Posted By: TomYoung
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
If the old bearing inner race or rollers don't show any pitting or other visible wear, it should be OK. I did it that way several times back in "the old days."
For what its worth, I would *never* toss a good wheel bearing. Aftermarket replacement quality has gone to heck in a handbasket over the last 10 years, so many of them are made offshore instead of in the US or Mexico anymore. I miss the days when I could bypass a 'made in Mexico' bearing most of the time :-/
i am no fan of the spotty quality of aftermarket parts. That said, there remain plenty of high quality parts on the market but maybe not at autozone. Never tossing a good wheel bearing is not a good standard. This is a wear item, and you have already done the disassembly. Even though I acknowledge that in this application these parts cost money, cough it up and be done with it.
I don't consider a greasable wheel bearing to be a "wear item." Its a service item that should be maintained properly, but if that's done the bearing itself may well last the life of the car. Brake pads, disk rotors, shock absorbers, and sealed FWD-type wheel bearings/hubs are wear items, not old-syle tapered roller re-greasable bearings.
IMO, the biggest single reason those types of bearings fail (even more common than shoddy offshore parts) is improper installation. My advice to anyone re-greasing wheel bearings is to follow the book tightening procedure TO THE LETTER, and resist the urge to leave the nut too tight! When it says "back off xx of a turn, it MEANS back it off, even if instinct says its too loose. You're setting a clearance, not torquing a fastener.