Wheel bearing maintenance

[hornet28]

Originally Posted by skids

Your hand doesn’t look that old. It must have something to do with the nutrients in the red & tacky grease!

Think it might have something to do with the fact that he's wearing clear gloves

[ChuckS]

Yea at 67 I started wearing gloves..too hard to wash out the old dirty grease..I used to wash my hands in gasoline, JP4, toluene, MEK, you name it... now I’m a tad more careful

[Dadwoolery]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

Yea at 67 I started wearing gloves..too hard to wash out the old dirty grease..I used to wash my hands in gasoline, JP4, toluene, MEK, you name it... now I’m a tad more careful

Brings back my Air Force days. Used all of those pretty much daily :-)

[skids]

Where did my last post go??? Well here it is. Try using Dawn liquid dish soap with granulated sugar. Loosen grease with no water then rinse and rub. It really is amazing.

[flybouy]

I don't think it's been mentioned yet but do not use compressed air to blow out the cleaner (whatever you use) or spin the bearing. That will destroy the bearing.

[Old Mustanger]

Been hoping someone else would ask..... what solvent does everyone use to clean the bearings before repacking?

[tech740]

I have always used either ID Red degreaser or brake cleaner.

[travelin texans]

Brake cleaner, naptha, mineral spirits, WD-40, or whatever else I might have on hand that'll cut grease.

[Lee]

Have used all of the products others have mentioned,..... years ago,... in a pinch,... I even used gasoline. Dangerous yes,... but works like a champ.

[notanlines]

Have always used mineral spirits, kind of the old standby.

[skids]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I don't think it's been mentioned yet but do not use compressed air to blow out the cleaner (whatever you use) or spin the bearing. That will destroy the bearing.

Why DOES it ruin the bearing? Does it actually overheat? I have always heard not to use compressed air.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by skids

Why DOES it ruin the bearing? Does it actually overheat? I have always heard not to use compressed air.

Compressed air can spin the bearing very fast without grease and the rollers are loose when not seated into the race resulting in the rollers "bamging around" inside the cage and imkpacting the inner race. When there's no grease present you really shouldn't "rattle" them in your hand like a tambourine either.

[ubetcha]

Using compressed air will spin the bearing faster than it was designed to do. Some people state that it could cause the bearing to come dangerously apart.

[tech740]

So not to split hairs, but if you hold the cage and just use a blow gun and keep the bearing from spinning it is okay correct?

[gearhead]

I've been to more than a couple "Lunch and Learn" and conferences on bearings. Usually presented by SKF which was our preferred ball bearing vendor. Timken was our tapered rolling bearing vendor. We usually just threw bearings away if we got that far into a "tear down". But it was told to us to avoid using an aerosol parts cleaner. The reps thought it got the bearings too clean and dry, washing the little bit of oil out of the pores of the balls and races. We used the typical Safety-Clean parts cleaner but finished them off with CRC parts cleaner in the can. If they were not to be used that day or shift they were to be sprayed with a light oil and wrapped up well in a CLEAN blue paper shop towel. If you didn't Mr. ER Taylor would be in your face. And, never open a boxed and bagged bearing until minutes before using it.
We were so anal we had conferences about finding gravel for plastic resin grout in unpolluted rivers. Yep, put on the sunglasses. Wake me when it's over.

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by tech740

So not to split hairs, but if you hold the cage and just use a blow gun and keep the bearing from spinning it is okay correct?

Best to just keep the air away from the bearings. Usually has some water in it anyway.

[tech740]

Originally Posted by gearhead

Best to just keep the air away from the bearings. Usually has some water in it anyway.

That makes sense.

[chuckster57]

I don’t use air on bearings but I have a question:

If using air will spin the roller faster than designed, has there ever been a study that determines the max RPMs a roller can do? And what would the MPH of the vehicle be?

Just askin

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

I don’t use air on bearings but I have a question:

If using air will spin the roller faster than designed, has there ever been a study that determines the max RPMs a roller can do? And what would the MPH of the vehicle be?

Just askin

It's not the air as much as it is spinning the bearing without lubrication. Doesn't take much speed for metal on metal friction to do damage. How fast does a door hinge move yet when dry they squeak and wear.

[gearhead]

^^this. What Marshall said.