Eating Bearings...HELP!

[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

[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.



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[Christ]

jason_ - I dont' wanna second guess you man, but gasoline doesn't dry clean at all... it /does/ leave a residue behind, which is why carbs often have to be cleaned after sitting.

The residue may allow paint to adhere, and won't really affect grease, so it may not be an issue for you, but I had to correct that small point.

[jason_]

Yeah, forgot to add I rinse with lacquer.

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[scitzz]

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.

That is how NOT to pack a bearing!

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.

That is how you pack a bearing!

I, too, question how the bearing races are being installed...

[jason_]

I've set every race with a ball peen and punch. Also remove every race with a peen and punch.

Make sure bearing seat is clean, take a pick and scratch corner of seat to be certain nothing is down in there. Shoot ether or brush with gas to clean out old grease so you can see for certain.

Go around and around, teasing it in. When it seats, hammer will bounce off punch as the race has bottomed out and fully seated, punch will also ring with vibration since there's no motion left to let the hammer energy drive anywhere. . Don't wail on it like mark Mcguire, just enough to promote motion.

Iron bench works best, wood bounces/gives/soft/spongy. When working with tight tolerances, you need to be sure there's no give when assembling bearings. At the least lay iron under your project so it doesn't drive into wood top. Or use concrete floor.

I do this same method when driving on cages onto shafts.

Don't worry about chipping the race, if it's quality material, the chisel will start to flare and loose the battle. Good sign it's a quality casting. Touch up on the grinder and you're ready for the next project.

And I take a finger wad of grease, and repetitively pack grease from outside of cage until it squeezes out from both sides. I do that for every roller. Then smear some on each race, a smear in the center, assemble, then the freezer/STP/gear lube trick with the cap already RTVed for the molasses pour...

I snug until no play, then go one more castle nut notch to make the cotter pin. I never preload what the book says. I just make sure it's not miserable tight, or floppy loose. Never had a problem in my 40 vehicles I've owned. Taper bearings can take alot, loose or not, that is, if they're lubed.



And be a real man, don't wear gloves. Sinks were invented many moons ago.

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[tooldude]

When cars are new, things are straight, and specs are right, seals keep out dirt, wheel bearing grease lasts 20,000 or more miles without running out, and bearings look like new when it's time to repack them. It's the same with old cars with good parts. Right off it sounds like you have a bad axle or two. You say the RR looks canted. Your axles should be perpendicular to the tracking line and parallel to the ground. They weren't designed to run just any old way. A 4-wheel alignment will tell. The smaller outer bearing does not carry the main load, the larger inner one does (should). Apparently you don't know the history of the car, so the previous owner may have hit a curb,pothole,etc. The axle/s could be bent slightly which you can't determine visually and the trailing arm could be bent, even from improper jacking. Someone even could have put some kind of spacer between the trailing arm & axle flange. Maybe, with all the previous trouble, the axle is worn where the inner races rest on it-you can mic that. If the inner races are spinning on the axle then you will have heat. Double check that you have been sold the right bearings. From your description, there is no way you left the bearings too loose, but as was suggested, if you don't get the races seated fully, the forces of cornering will seat them for you. Then you will have some play, but IMO you have to be way off to cause what you have. Wheel bearings will last a lot longer SLIGHTLY loose than too tight, (especially on these light cars), which will add heat quickly and force grease out, and there is some expansion from the heat of running. When installing, if you have the hub on something very solid, when that race bottoms out, you can feel it. A more common mistake is to hammer the race in with a flat punch. The hammering can mushroom the edge, you may not even see it, and in the bore of the hub, the metal can only move one way-toward the rollers. That can cause destruction out at the edge somewhat like yours. Lacking any special installation tools, use the old races against the new, oriented in the same position as if you were installing them again, but on top of the new one. Keep them together tightly so there is no hammering against the edge of the new race. If you haven't done this: the new race will go partly in, but the thicker end gives you a shoulder to knock it back out. The right grease is designated as wheel bearing grease. Grease is not a problem unless you don't use a high temperature grease. Some will last longer than others-that's the only problem because nobody like to redo it before they have to and let it go too long. Any way you can get it in the bearing is fair game. If you want to pack it in by (clean) hand, go ahead. It's been done that way sucessfully millions of times. It's a PIA but life is about experiences. If you get one of those KD bearing packers (can), it pushes the grease all the way through clearing out the old grease, and works like a charm in, say, 15 seconds. You can throw the bearings in a pan of grease, warm it enough to run into the bearings, then let it cool off and solidify and they're packed (I don't recommend it). The funnel shaped packers are a POS. You may know that the bearings in a rear drive vehicle run in a heavy weight oil. That's the best way. If you want to try to keep that oil in a hub that is not designed to hold liquid, that's your business. If that oil runs out, you might make it back home if you stay close. Otherwise, when that bearing spins on that axle, it WILL weld to it and it only comes off by cutting torch. At least you will be getting a new axle and bearings and seal and grease, and Festiva maybe. That is, if you live through it, because when that bearing seizes up, the wheel is locked up, and you go out of control in a Festiva...Well, if you hit anything, that oil running out suddenly becomes the state's business. Your installation procedure was by the book, right on, nothing wrong. After the outer bearing, belongs a flat washer made to fit on the axle, and the nut. That's it. You should wipe a little grease around the rollers before you put the bearings in the races and on the seal lip. You should pack grease in the hub, but contrary to popular opinion, you should not cram it full, it holds in heat on the bearings. Pack it to a height that is about at the level of the bearing, still quite full anyway. For myself, I put grease in the cup, in a bowl shape because the axle and nut protrude into it. I have never had any problem with this after many times.

[jason_]

Ha, he says no punch. Thats all I use. Then again, I find and use the smallest punch to stay away from the edge. I also angle the punch tip so it doesn't put pressure on the inside edge.

Take your choice.

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[ckiesman]

or use the old race to seat the new one. Ive never had a problem with that.

[frankenfester]

or use the old race to seat the new one. Ive never had a problem with that.

I use this method. Set the new race in the hole put the old race atop and get a socket that fits inside the race and drive her in with a 3 pound dead blow hammer.
Also the same method can be used for applying the bearing to the hub. Either a socket that's inner diameter fits around the hub and whose outer diameter is no greater than the inner part the rollers sit on, or a harbour freight bearing and race driving kit. <- those are only like 89$ and they are worth the money.

-James

[rmoltis]

Why reuse the old race and throw away the new one that comes with the bearings?
That seems like a waste.

Also my last aspire before I learned to replace the bearings myself.
They did that the first time.
Then the two replacement times.
And then the third time at a different place all within one year.
Suffice it to say it failed everytime.

[frankenfester]

Why reuse the old race and throw away the new one that comes with the bearings?
That seems like a waste.

Also my last aspire before I learned to replace the bearings myself.
They did that the first time.
Then the two replacement times.
And then the third time at a different place all within one year.
Suffice it to say it failed everytime.

Who said reuse the old one?

I mentioned the old one but only as a shock absorber for seating the new one so it didn't take the blow of a punch or hammer to seat it.

-James

[Christ]

scittz - You realize that physically rolling the grease into the bearing rollers until it's full is just the dirty way of the chop/pack method, right? Been doing it for years, gets just as much grease in there as the other way.

Also, when seating new races, provided I don't have a bearing tool around, I just use either a socket that fits [with an extension] or a hunk of wood. Both seem to work just as well as using the bearing press does, and also work in places where you can't fit a bearing press.

[TominMO]

I use one socket to both drive out the old inner race from the back, and set the new one from the front. The end with the square hole you put the ratchet into is smaller, and perfect for driving out the old race. Then the other end is just the right size for driving in the new one. It's a 34mm impact socket IIRC. I stick the new race in the freezer overnight to shrink it a bit.

[Christ]

I use one socket to both drive out the old inner race from the back, and set the new one from the front. The end with the square hole you put the ratchet into is smaller, and perfect for driving out the old race. Then the other end is just the right size for driving in the new one. It's a 34mm impact socket IIRC.

When I do this, I use an extension as well. I don't care about damaging extensions, I have a bunch of cheap ones and can make them pretty easily too. The sockets, I care about. I'd rather hammer the crap out of an extension when it's necessary. I also use a deadblow hammer for the most part unless it's really stuck in there.

You can flip the socket over to use the thicker end and still put the extension in so you have a good place to hit. I've also used 1/2'' square stock that's been hammered to create a 'flange' about 3/4'' up the shaft, that works pretty well too. It's soft tool steel, so it mushes like a chisel instead of chipping and flying everywhere like a hardened rod would.