How to clean wheel bearings??

Do not use gasoline. It works, but it is also very dangerous. Too many people have been killed by using gasoline as a solvent.

westend wrote:

K6DKO wrote:
Do I need to soak the bearings in kerosene to get them clean? If so how long?

About 10 seconds if you plan to get your hands on them.

??? What are you talking about???
Bill

K6DKO wrote:
Do I need to soak the bearings in kerosene to get them clean? If so how long?

About 10 seconds if you plan to get your hands on them.

All the commercial shops and dealerships I worked at in the 60s and 70s all used solvent and compressed air. Some used powerwashers.
Me, I don't clean bearings anymore, but when I did, I used gasoline and compressed air. This day and age, I just push in new grease, either w/ a brg packer, or EZ lube axles.

if you use a solvent do not use air to blow out the bears. the bears will turn under the air pressure and that makes them run without any lub and that is not good for the rollers.

Gasoline.

HTH;
John

I have cleaned my bearings with mineral spirits for over 20 years now. It works great and is easy to handle and dispose of. However, be cautioned if your wheel bearing contains some plastic retainers do not use mineral spirits as it may make the nylon brittle.

Spray brake cleaner or lacquer thinner work good - but you need to clean and dry them thoroughly to inspect them properly. Also some grease brands are not compatible so it's best to get rid of all of it.

Do I need to soak the bearings in kerosene to get them clean? If so how long?

WyoTraveler wrote:
If I spend time taking out the bearings I clean them with kerocene or solvent from auto parts store. Cleaning them first allows you to inspect them for any damage. Then make sure grease gets rolled in well.

X2

You need to clean them to inspect.