Eating Bearings...HELP!

[jason_]

I absolutely LOVE this idea...much better than grease!:highly_amused: I would just be concerned it would leak out and I wouldn't notice until it was too late, .

Use new seals. RTV the cap.

If it leaks, you will see it, it'll fling from center as it leaks with centrifugal force.

But I mentioned 80k miles, no leaks, original bearings. If castle nut needs a snug, it's kinda messy.

I was being stupid and using staring fluid or brake cleaner. Thats for the money bag individuals.

Napa sells a blaster that uses air hose, and has a dip to pull whatever your project demands.

My case, gasoline. Cuts grease oil and dirt like no tomorrow, and dries clean for paint prep (b3 block swap and trans, cleaned with gas, heated block and gearbox with torch to chase out moisture, beautiful paint adhesion 8months later) . And 1gal for $4 will replace many cans of ether/brake cleaner.

Just don't smoke, and spray outside please.



Sent from my rooted HTC Supersonic using Tapatalk 2 Pro

[frankenfester]

I had this happen to my front bearings, however that was due to lack of preload spacer. This happening in the rear is probably one of two things. Either as mentioned in a comment the grease you're using is boogering up and the bearings aren't getting proper lube. Or you have the spindle nut too loose and the wheel is wobbling (probably not noticeably) and the strain top to bottom is causing that extra heat. The extra heat in turn is causing the rollers in the bearings to weaken and crack and chip.
I swapped to mobil1 synthetic grease and had no problems out of it so far. Just make sure you load the piss out of them with grease. Wheel bearings are a wet system and there can never be too much.

-James

[iflypa28]

My rear spindle outers kept getting rough after 10k miles or so. Finally I decided to switch to gear lube.

Packed new cages with lightest grease I could find, packed it in the hub, set it all on, took STP or gear lube from freezer, poured the cap full, RTVed around cap, quickly jabbed it on.

I absolutely LOVE this idea...much better than grease!:highly_amused: I would just be concerned it would leak out and I wouldn't notice until it was too late, but I guess I really need to solve the original problem first. hmmmmmm

i wonder if the bearing races aren't being completely seated in the drum durring install and allowing the outer bearing to move under load? the inner bearing isn't under as much stress as the outer and it's much larger so it can handle more stress.

another option would be that the drums are jacked up in the race area in some fashion. a more thorough inspection is in order.

It certainly seems like this the most likely issue. I really paid close attention when I was doing it so I'm thinking maybe the races aren't seating quite right or the drum is warped. Of course everything looks good upon a visual inspection. I guess fresh drums and races are the next logical step.

[FestYboy]

i wonder if the bearing races aren't being completely seated in the drum durring install and allowing the outer bearing to move under load? the inner bearing isn't under as much stress as the outer and it's much larger so it can handle more stress.

another option would be that the drums are jacked up in the race area in some fashion. a more thorough inspection is in order.

[jason_]

My rear spindle outers kept getting rough after 10k miles or so. Finally I decided to switch to gear lube.

Packed new cages with lightest grease I could find, packed it in the hub, set it all on, took STP or gear lube from freezer, poured the cap full, RTVed around cap, quickly jabbed it on.

Never had a problem again.

They aren't much more then bicycle bearings....

Believe it or not, grease gets thin, hot, flings out gets hotter, dries out, gets even hotter, turns into booger goo, won't soften and run back into rollers, end of program. Result is what your holding. Any shavings or chunks just beats themselves to nothing, and makes pits. Gets loose. Owner thinks my god, it's loose! Let's tighten. Exponentially gets worse.

Reason everything is oil bath now. And reason I switched from grease.

Good new seals and I've been running gear lube with no problems for 80k miles now.

Sent from my rooted HTC Supersonic using Tapatalk 2 Pro

[Zanzer]

Just for clarification, you are installing new races with the new bearings...correct?

[rmoltis]

You should identify why that new outer bearing.
Has chunks missing on the inner side.

When those chunks broke loose I see it f***** up the rods.
And I'm assuming the races again.
As well as recontaminated the grease with metal.

That surface I don't believe should come into contact with anything.
Not even the drum where the race sits.
It should float above the races.

Identifying what caused that would surely fix the problem.

Everything else has been said already.

And when you replace everything.
If you reuse any old bearings
use some solvent to clean all the old dirt and grease
Out of the drum and reused bearings to remove any dirt or metal still floating around.
Contained in the old grease.
Then repack again.

I use a Ziploc bag full of grease and drop bearing inside the grease.
And press on the bag to fill the bearing with grease.
It let's me visually see that I'm getting it everywhere.
It's super easy and least messy.

I don't see that the shim would fix it.

The whole drum assembly (once torqued down properly)
Is one solid setup.
It should stay aligned with itself whether its diagonal a few degrees or straight up and down.

If you reinstall your wheels and kick them on the left and right.

If you see them cock left or right.
Your bearings are loose still and need to be tightened down more.

I like to tighten that nut past where it should be to ensure everything is seated/pushed in properly.
The nut will help press any loose parts in place if they are at all.
Like inner outer bearing races.

Then back it off until drum spins freely.
Then tighten while spinning the drum until the drum barely starts not spinning freely anymore.
Then back off just barely until the drum spins freely.
And put the capture nut and codder pin in.

[bravekozak]

You push the grease into the bearings from the large side of the race toward the narrow side. The grease cup is only there to catch any grease that may be centrifugally thrown out from the bearing if it breaks down. Did the grease smell burnt? The goal is to have nothing in the grease cup on removal (not even oil). You want a grease that doesn't break down or bleed oil under load. Use the search function to locate the threads that specifically discuss "grease".

Grease is the word.

Is this what you used?

[iflypa28]

Are you installing the dust caps properly? What about the inner seal?

The inner bearing's outer race gets installed in the drum, then you drop the bearing inside it, then there's a grease seal that goes over top of that... If that seal is bad/missing, you can/will get brake dust and all sorts of nasty in your grease, which will eat up your bearings.

The inner grease seal and the outer dust cap are all that really protects the bearings, short of the actual quantity of grease you use in them [which is part of the reason I always use too much... grease heats up and 'flows', having extra helps keep the flowing grease pushing cleaner grease back onto the bearing as it gets hot].

And someone else mentioned it... What brand bearings are you buying?

I use Koyo and Timken almost exclusively for everything I need to do - because they last.

I assume I'm doing the dust caps right, I just tap them in lightly until they are flush. New seals and Timken bearings both times. Plenty of extra grease.

[Christ]

Are you installing the dust caps properly? What about the inner seal?

The inner bearing's outer race gets installed in the drum, then you drop the bearing inside it, then there's a grease seal that goes over top of that... If that seal is bad/missing, you can/will get brake dust and all sorts of nasty in your grease, which will eat up your bearings.

The inner grease seal and the outer dust cap are all that really protects the bearings, short of the actual quantity of grease you use in them [which is part of the reason I always use too much... grease heats up and 'flows', having extra helps keep the flowing grease pushing cleaner grease back onto the bearing as it gets hot].

And someone else mentioned it... What brand bearings are you buying?

I use Koyo and Timken almost exclusively for everything I need to do - because they last.

[iflypa28]

The problem is you are assembling the wheel bearings according to the water pump diagram

Haha...thats also a water pump diagram for the wrong car, 280ZX. But it does make for a good picture taking surface.

Check that your spindles are true. You can do this either with a pair of straight edges, a mill and a runout gauge, or have a machine shop do it.

This is a good thought, I will check that.

If in doubt, just replace them.

This is probably my next step.

What grease are you using? Does it seem like what you put in is staying on the bearings?

First time: Valvoline standard grease good to 270F
Second time: Valvoline high temp good to 375F (just to rule out grease)
Seems to stick

Also, did you drop the bearing in your picture? You need to clean in there REALLY well and make sure there's literally NOTHING in there when you install the bearings.

Nope, didn't drop it. Thats how bad it was. I'm really careful about keeping it clean, the drums were spotless when I put the new races in.

[Chobobulous]

When i pack a bearing i put a gob of grease on one hand. I then procede to "chop" the grease with the bearing until it comes out the other side. When it comes out ill rotate the bearing an eighth of a turn and "chop"the grease Again. Continue for2 revolutions. Just to be sure.

[Team Lightning]

Not sure what brand of bearing you are using but if you can get Timken brand they seem to last a lot longer than the cheap ones.

[Christ]

http://www.northstarmfg.com/product/46-2100.html

I was right, it's a spindle alignment shim. I have no idea whether it's any good or not, but without a good recommendation or ten, I personally wouldn't trust it.

It does list that particular part for the Festiva on their website, as well as for Aspire.

Also, did you drop the bearing in your picture? You need to clean in there REALLY well and make sure there's literally NOTHING in there when you install the bearings. You should be doing this job in a clean space, or at the very least, with a sheet on the ground under your work area to ensure that dust and fine particles of dirt don't end up in the grease.

You really don't need a bearing packer, either. Just drop the bearing in the grease, pick it back up and work it through the rollers, then gob a finger full all around the outside of it before putting it back. Too much doesn't hurt. Too little will kill it quickly.

For posterity, I throw about a heaping teaspoon of grease between the bearings and another inside the cap before I reinstall it to the drum after the bearings are all together. If there's too much in there, it'll just come out and you can wipe it off as you see it.

[Chobobulous]

The problem is you are assembling the wheel bearings according to the water pump diagram:p

Those look like alignment shims if your wheel is ridding real crooked i bet it would chew up bearings.

I havent played too much with bearings but a possibility maybe.


Edit; Christ beat me to it.