Packing HF bearings

[EZ]

I repacked the bearings on my Harbor Freight 1175# trailer with 12" wheels last week (to get rid of the cheap grease they come packed in). I squeezed and rubbed and forced the grease in the bearing and covered it and stuck it in. Oh jeez, I hope Ira doesn't read that last sentance. I was trying to decide whether or not to use the zerk fitting to fill the hub. Doesn't seem to make much sense, I mean does that grease really find it's way to the bearing? I did fill the hub on my HF boat trailer (8" wheels) but that gets submerged. Did I do a proper repack?


Ed

[Arne]

I would say so.... Filling the entire hub on a tear with grease makes little sense...

I wash the bearing out completely, then stuff it into the grease bucket.. I take it out and work the grease in as best I can... the put a ring of grease around the outside of the bearing and put it back in.....

I think one of those bearing packers would be nice, but have not bought one... would be another messy item to store, and I'd need a grease gun filled with wheelbearing grease...

I have thought about a zip lock bag filled with grease, and a golf ball to fill the bearing hole and then put the bearing in the opening and squeeze the bag.. have not done this either, but am thinking.

[engled]

On this page you will find out how to re-pack bearing the "old fashion way" I've doing it this way for years with good results YMMV.

http://www.automedia.com/Servicing/Whee ... 020901wb/1

[BILLYL]

That's how my Daddy taught me.

Works well

bill

[Joseph]

Filling the entire hub on a tear with grease makes little sense...

Maybe so, but I did it anyway. I like knowing there's plenty of grease on the bearings.

I think one of those bearing packers would be nice, but have not bought one... would be another messy item to store, and I'd need a grease gun filled with wheelbearing grease...

They're a lot less messy than a bucket of grease. I really like mine. I carry the grease gun (wrapped in a plastic bag), the bearing packer, replacement bearings, grease seals & a few other odds and ends in a tool box. If need be I can replace burned out bearings on the road.

Joseph

[rasp]

too much grease is just as bad as too little. i have seen a lot of bearing die from over greasing.
packing the bearings like in the article that engled posted the link is the way.

[Dean Williams]

I'm curious how too much grease can be bad for bearings? As long as you are not forcing it in through a zerk and blow the seal, how can it hurt? This is the first I've heard of this.

[Nitetimes]

I'm curious how too much grease can be bad for bearings? As long as you are not forcing it in through a zerk and blow the seal, how can it hurt?

That's pretty much how.
The other way is that pumping grease in won't push it into your bearings like you do when you pack them so it is really a false sense of security.

[Dean Williams]

That's what I was thinking. I've packed a lot of bearings, but as long as the rollers themselves are properly done, I can't see any harm with filling the entire cavity inside the hub with grease, as long as it's not pressurized through a zerk.
That said, all the extra grease won't offer much protection to the bearings if they get hot. If the grease around the rollers liquifies, you will have problems even if there is a gob of grease plastered on the inner hub wall.

[Kevin A]

That's what I was thinking. I've packed a lot of bearings, but as long as the rollers themselves are properly done, I can't see any harm with filling the entire cavity inside the hub with grease, as long as it's not pressurized through a zerk.
That said, all the extra grease won't offer much protection to the bearings if they get hot. If the grease around the rollers liquifies, you will have problems even if there is a gob of grease plastered on the inner hub wall.

Dean, I'm with you on this one, I can't imagine how too much grease is going to damage a bearing. Way back when I was in high school, I was taught how to pack a bearing with a blob of grease in the palm of my hand. The instructor also taught us to pack the cavity in the hub, between the bearing races with a liberal amount of grease, as it acts as a heat sink that draws heat away from the bearing races. Without this heat sink, the potential is there to cause severe damage to the wheel bearings.

[rasp]

when there is too much grease the bearing will run at a higher temp and high temps kill bearings. after running 50 or 60 miles at speed stop and check them, the hub should be cool to the touch. if they are hot then you have the start of a problem.
no more than half a hub of grease is all one needs.

[Arne]

It isn't that too much grease will hurt, I just don't see how it helps. And when you repack the bearings, it all has to be cleaned out anyway....

That is one problem with bearing buddies... it is more trouble to repack bearings, so many do not... but if water does get in, which it can... there will be a problem...

I see more boat trailers parked beside the road than other types, usually minus one wheel..

[Geron]

I always packed the hubs for one reason only. Out in the booneys I'd always have a little extra grease -- if needed

g

[Jiminsav]

good Lord have mercy,
do any of you people actually believe the grease your slinging in here..
word.
grease is a hydrocarbon thats solid at room temprature, but does liquify when heated, so thats what keeps the bearing lubed..not the giant blobs of grease.
saying that, as the grease used up by the bearing, new grease has to be there to replace it, so that where the big globs come in, thats also why pumping grease into the zert fitting on a regular basis pays off saving your bearings.
and it's almost impossible to over grease a axle, because the outer bearing doesn't have a seal, so pump grease in till it oozes out the edge of the outer bearing and put the dust cap back on, you'll be set for life.
how do I know this.?
I used to be a flight engineer on a CH-54A skycrane..it has 6 rotor blades hung from a articulated hub..the hub is full of bearings..I had to pump a 5 gallion bucket of Grease, osolating bearing, into the rotor head, and also the tail rotor head, and the servo's and just about every zert fitting it had..
after a good long flight, liquid grease just dripped out of the thing..it was ugly.

[asianflava]

Before leaving for IRG, I decided to pack the bearings on the trailer. I did out of paranoia, after reading some horror stories here. Even though I have towed the trailer about 500miles already, I decided to check them.

When I popped the roller bearings out, they were pretty clean. The grease was still red, only the outer edges (big end of the taper) had black goo. Instead of cleaning out the old stuff, I just packed them from the small side until red grease came out the other side. I just wiped out the old stuff from the races, popped the grease covered bearing in. No extra grease, just the grease that was all over the bearings. 4400miles later and the hubs didn't get hot. We did 600 and 800 mile legs on the way home with no problems.

Another important factor is to not overtighten the hub.