Wheel bearing packer?

[ericsmith32]

I'm working on repacking all of the cars rear wheel bearings, 94 Aspire - 91 Festiva and the corroda. I've never repacked any before till today and I did one of the aspires -ran out of time and brake cleaner. I just put grease in my palm and worked the bearing over it several times. I was wondering if I should buy a bearing packer, if it would be any better? Also should I put grease in the cap? I put plenty around the bearings but it looked like a waste since most of the old grease was still new that was still in the cap. What I find odd is that somebody decided to repack one side of the aspire and not the other, you could tell by the grease color and I could barely get that one rotor off that had not been redone. Anybody want to make bets that drum hasn't been removed since it rolled of the factory floor?

[mechanicaldj]

Bearings are too cheap to repack them.

just replace them, especially if you do not know the mileage on them.

what are the odds of them failing and leaving you on the side of the road after you repack them over new bearings?

once they lock up, you have replace the spindle too.

[ericsmith32]

Bearings are $12 and seeing that each car needs 4 it would be around $150 to replace them all.. you must have alot more moola than I. The bearings in the aspire looked almost new even though the grease was almost burnt up.. not pitting etc. I'll replace the bearings if they look bad but regreasing the ones I have should be sufficent. A new bearing will lock up also if it not's repacked right.

[packrat427]

What I have found is the reason only one side is done ,is because whoever worked on it before , the outside bearing came out when they took it apart , they prolly had no idea how to get the seal out on the inside ,or did not know it was there, if the were not mechanically inclined, I don't know how many I have took apart and the outside was packed ,and the inside was dry.
You can pack em just as good by hand ,just put the grease in yo hand ,and scrape the open end of the race ,keep turning until it's full on both sides ,that is how I done it till I got a packer