[Zmagnette] wheel bearing lubrication

[Richard Greenberg]

Can you squeeze in some new improved grease in such a way as to force out the runny old grease? Maybe push the new grease in at the top first, so the old grease can run out from below?
   --Rick

On Mar 7, 2014, at 3:13 PM, Steven Trovato wrote:

> OK, so here's my wheel bearing update.  Everything looks just fine so far, except the grease in there now is very liquid.  It's no surprise at all that it is making its way onto my wheels.  If I want to do an official bearing inspection and service, I better make sure I have some new grease seals around.  I'm going to have to use a puller to get the hub off, I checked.  I am also going to have to remove the inner spacer and oil seal from the stub axle if the manual is to believed.  And this is supposed to require some other magic special tool.  I'm sure there is a way to do this with readily available tools, but I am not in there yet, so I don't know quite what will be required.  So, I can either forge ahead, or clean things up a bit and put it together as is for now.  I agree with Fletcher about not disassembling a known good hub, but I don't think there is any way to keep the current nasty thin grease from leaking out without cleaning it all out and putting some reasonable modern grease in there.  On the other hand, if I just put it together, everything seems functional and safe for now.  Decisions, decisions.
> 
> -Steve T.
> 
> At 03:30 PM 3/1/2014, Fletcher Millmore wrote:
>> Doesn't matter who made the bearings- all ball bearings are the same.
>> 
>> Too much grease is evil. It just creates heat - which melts the grease out, and all over the wheels, or brakes if it goes inside.
>> 
>> I pack the bearing, and smear all internal surfaces - including the cap - with grease to prevent rust.
>> 
>> Remember that modern greases are far more stable than the old stuff, and last more or less forever - far longer than you will.
>> 
>> Once you put a hub together correctly, properly greased, it should easily go 24000 miles, and likely 100,000.
>> I never take a known good hub apart for inspection - it just wears out the bearing fits, and introduces dirt.
>> IF the car is parked under water, or the brakes hang and get really hot, then it makes sense to "inspect and service" the bearings.
>> IF the outer bearing looks a bit dry, smoosh some grease into that bearing. The only place that grease went is along the hub taper to the inner bearing.
>> 
>> FRM
> 
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