Wheres the grease ?????

[Awk08]

everytime i explain bearing installations, i always say to pick the seal and pack with a good waterproof grease before installing them,
cause they don't even come with enuf grease to "run one off" properly

well i decided to tear into my sons carrier today and replace the bad bearings, i noticed the axle had some play when i went to put a new chain on last week, < left that and ordered new bearings

so heres how i pack them.............


what i found inside the carrier ...........NICE !

/\/\ proof that the outer hub seals don't do diddly squat for keeping water/grime out, and why i always leave both bearing seals in place versus leaving the inner one off for grease from the zerk to get to

picking the seal................

where's the grease ????????????????
this is how they come from the supplier, might get one season without any lube in there ??????

heres after i pack both sides with waterproof grease.......

then replace the seal

i do this to every external bearing i replace, they have a much better chance of surviving if they're full of grease instead of water and mud

 

[blasterbuddy200]

boy they dont give you nothing good now adays, and charge you double for stuff thats cheap.. figure that out

 

[yzrider]

that is weird..........

 

[scotj77]

good info as usual awk

 

[245stroker]

Nice pics, awk. No wonder axle bearings never last! All this time I just thought it was because of all the power that I have!!!

 

[Busted Warrior]

Good idea but y put the seal back on? Just drill and tap your carrier and put in a grease zerk and just pump the carrier full of waterproof grease?? Did that on my warrior and been good for over a year.

 

[Awk08]

i like the bearings sealed, and i did add a grease zerk as i do every time i'm into a carrier for the first time, but pump it full just to keep the water out,
that grease i packed in that bearing isnt gettin out, nor water in

 

[blasterdemon7]

designed to fail.................

 

[Awk08]

designed to fail.................

exactly, if they put enuf good grease in them, they may never sale you another set

 

[Blaner]

nice Awk, a thought just crossed my mind here though, while i also like them packed with a grease nipple in my carrier i leave the inner seal off and pack it often, i have heard that too much grease can result in heat build up and therefore reduced life of bearings from too much grease...whether this is true or not i have no idea! anyone know anyhting about this??

then again, they will last longer with grease regardless....

 

[Caterpillarmech]

You can never have too much lube man!

 

[mmajay]

Thats kind of funny. There is more grease on the outside of the bearing than there is on the inside. Good pics and write up. Most people dont know that you can remove that little seal and think its just a sealed bearing and good to go but not hardly. I think thats the worst one i seen, last one i did at least they tried to get a little on the inside.

 

[Awk08]

i'm glad you dug this up jay,
someone just this week suggested that packing too much grease into the bearings, may expand from the heat produced, and force the bearing seal out, which kinda makes sense, although the inner seal is forced against the inner carrier race, which will hold it in place if the axle is tight, but this could be a problem for the outer seals ???
but i still stand by adding SOME grease to them, as whats provided isnt enuf in my opinion
and how i do it, packed full, has been working for me for years, it was how i was taught to pack wheel bearings on cars

 

[mmajay]

Even if that theory was true if the seal does move out then its just an un sealed bearing with alot of grease in it. You definately packed the hell out of it. I do add about half of what you got in there but i really dont see a problem as long as its packed. No grease is not going to make it period. Personally i think it would have to be a super high rpm application to make enough heat to make any diferance. A blaster i doubt will make that much heat .

 

[slickerthanyou]

I too believe you cant have too muh. I always spack bearing full ,cars, trucks, and quads!

 

[Blaaster]

Right on! You should pack roller bearings as used in cars with as much grease that you can get in there as there is so much surface area to lubricate.. You will also notice that roller bearings do not carry their own oil seal, this allows free movement of grease, out and back into the bearing. These type of bearings sport an external seal which keeps the dirt away from the grease.

We are talking here of ball bearings with only a little surface area to lubricate and which carry their own seals.

No matter how much grease you put in a bearing if it is prone to contamination from water or dust, then it is doomed to fail.

The Blaster's rear bearings are doubly protected why mess with them?

My quote was ... "If there is more grease than specified in the bearing it can expand and force out of the seal."... The grease force out of the seal, not force the seal out!

 

[Awk08]

My quote was ... "If there is more grease than specified in the bearing it can expand and force out of the seal."... The grease force out of the seal, not force the seal out!

gotcha, i misunderstood, but you see i was paying attention to your thoughts, and also remembered who qouted it, but chose to leave you anonymous

 

[Blaaster]

Hey man, I have wide shoulders an am willing to be quoted anytime, but thanks for the consideration.

 

[sicivicdude]

I *believe* the applications where too much grease can generate more heat are much higher speed lower torque applications. Specifically, (as I've heard it explained) industrial high speed motor bearings. Things that will run in a relatively clean environment at high speed for LONG periods of time. Too much grease never lets the ball bearing contact the race (the correct amount of grease technically also never lets the ball contact the race either, but a micron of two thick layer actually keeps the two apart) so the ball and race don't spin at the same speed generating heat and causing more friction and thermal breakdown than if you had the "correct" amount of grease.

What is pictured in the first post however, is borderline criminal.... That manufacturer made that bearing with not enough grease in it to hardly roll.

Just for clarification, I pack as much grease in my carrier bearings as Awk did and haven't had any more trouble out of them... In a low speed "dirty" environment application you really cannot have enough grease...

 

[slickerthanyou]

Right on! You should pack roller bearings as used in cars with as much grease that you can get in there as there is so much surface area to lubricate.. You will also notice that roller bearings do not carry their own oil seal, this allows free movement of grease, out and back into the bearing. These type of bearings sport an external seal which keeps the dirt away from the grease.

We are talking here of ball bearings with only a little surface area to lubricate and which carry their own seals.

No matter how much grease you put in a bearing if it is prone to contamination from water or dust, then it is doomed to fail.



My quote was ... "If there is more grease than specified in the bearing it can expand and force out of the seal."... The grease force out of the seal, not force the seal out!

My 4x4 hubs are ball bearing i packed them tighter than a 10 year old!

I do understand what your sayin! They are going to fail at some point no matter how much is in there!

The Blaster's rear bearings are doubly protected why mess with them?

Because my parents beat me when i was younger!

Seroiusly, that double protection doesn't do good enough when I'm trying to keep up with AWK through the streams, mud pits and freaking boulder dust and outragous dusty hill climbs! that sh*t finds it's way in there somehow!!