[Zmagnette] wheel bearing lubrication

[Fletcher Millmore]

Steve-
If the grease is noticeably thin (or dry and solid), then yes, replace 
it. It likely got that way from too much grease and too much heat. 
Grease is just oil in a soap base, meant to meter the oil to the parts - 
what you see is the base disintegrated. Probably the OE grease!

Some hubs (random on identical cars) require a puller, and some do not. 
This appears to be a tolerance issue; there is NO reason that the 
bearings should be a "tight" fit on the spindle. It usually does not 
take much to pull the hub; two prybars behind the hub often do the job. 
Or bolt the wheel back on with the spindle nut removed, and smack it 
with a mallet from the back. Since a tight fit is not needed, I always 
clean up the spindle with emery, so that the bearings are a nice slide fit.

If the inner bearing is stuck, it will pull the seal out of the hub as 
it is pulled, but normally doesn't damage the seal, which is likely dead 
of age anyhow.

The inner spacer is a free fit on the spindle, no problem. Worth 
polishing the seal track with 400 and oil -high polished tracks eat 
seals. In addition to what I described below, I pack the space 
immediately behind the seal (bearing side) with grease; this is to 
provide lube to the seal, and to block water from getting to the bearing 
if the seal doesn't seal.

FRM

On 3/7/2014 5:13 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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