How to clean wheel bearings??
So what are you using to clean the old grease out of your wheel bearings when you repack them.
Forum Discussion
43 Replies
- I did my boat bearings this summer but I have not done my TT ones yet. I may just use the zerk for the TT bearings.
Overall the boat trailer was very easy. I used brake cleaner and air. I have since then read that air could be bad if the bearings spin dry. I was also concerned that if any brake cleaner was still in the bearing when I re greased them that it would eat the new grease.
I actually needed to replace the inner bearings and re greased the outer ones.
I may just simply use grease the next time instead of brake cleaner. BTW both wheels on my boat trailer had a slight rumbling sound when I spun them. One was significantly worse than the other, One was very hard to see any damage at all and I in fact re installed it but it still had a slight rumbling so I pulled it and replaced it. No more rumbling.
Paul - Make sure when you are repacking your bearings you put them back in the same hub. Mixing them up isn't a good idea.
- The inner race (behind the rollers) sees the highest loads (two convex surfaces) and the highest speeds (smaller diameter), it's also where you will most likely find pitting and it's the most difficult area to inspect and frequently not looked at.
Clean them, dry them, inspect them in good light, re-pack them. It's basic maintenance, there are no good short cuts.
If you want to replace them every time go ahead, your still gonna get your hands greasy packing the new ones, properly maintained they will go a million miles.
My dos centavos. K6DKO wrote:
After reading all the replies I have decided to just use a bearing packer and push the old grease out.
I do like the idea of just replacing the bearings each time but that would get expensive on my 3 axle toyhauler.- Get a tin can and fill it half way full of gasoline. Heat it slowly with a propane torch and put the bearings in. The old grease will slowly melt away. Then go into your house and call 911 to report the fire in your garage. OMG! Toss them and buy new ones!
- After reading all the replies I have decided to just use a bearing packer and push the old grease out.
I do like the idea of just replacing the bearings each time but that would get expensive on my 3 axle toyhauler. jmanatee wrote:
I have always replaced the race also if I replace a bearing. I have never pressed them in, I use a race and seal driver and hammer them in.
Out of curiosity for those of you that just replace the bearing, Are you replacing the race too?
I was always under the impression that bearings and races were matched. If you have an old bearing and race they have worn together so repacking was ok. If you replace the bearing and not the race it will wear out the bearing faster.
Because races are pressed in its more work then just repacking a good bearing.
Besides. I have never had a correctly packed bearing go bad. Ever.down home wrote:
Hnold the bearing in your hand after cleaning away all the grease you can and use the fingers to work fresh greas in one side and the old out the other side.
A bearing packer or whatever it is called holds the bearing between two cones and you connect a grease gun to the fitting on spindle. It forces grease in one side and old grease out the other.
If you have grit or metal in the bearing or if it feels loose throw it away and get another.
+1 to everything.- Out of curiosity for those of you that just replace the bearing, Are you replacing the race too?
I was always under the impression that bearings and races were matched. If you have an old bearing and race they have worn together so repacking was ok. If you replace the bearing and not the race it will wear out the bearing faster.
Because races are pressed in its more work then just repacking a good bearing.
Besides. I have never had a correctly packed bearing go bad. Ever. - Hnold the bearing in your hand after cleaning away all the grease you can and use the fingers to work fresh greas in one side and the old out the other side.
A bearing packer or whatever it is called holds the bearing between two cones and you connect a grease gun to the fitting on spindle. It forces grease in one side and old grease out the other.
If you have grit or metal in the bearing or if it feels loose throw it away and get another.
