Can you over pack wheel bearings?

If too much grease is “packed” into the bearing and the cavity, this grease will be pushed out when the wheel spins, and could easily ruin the brake shoes. In addition, the wheel bearing could actually overheat. Repacking wheel bearings is an easy job, and should be part of the routine maintenance of the vehicle.

How often should RV wheel bearings be repacked?

RV wheel bearings should be repacked with grease once a year or every 10,000 to 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. If you travel frequently, this is a useful metric to go by, even if it means having your RV wheel bearings repacked a couple of times each year.

How much play is too much in a wheel bearing?

For context, the tolerable end-play for truck wheel bearings is the same: 0.001 to 0.005 inches, also expressed as 1 to 5 mil or 0.025 to 0.127 mm. In other words, it's perfectly acceptable to adjust wheel bearings so that they are just a little bit loose, but not too loose.

What happens if you over grease a bearing?

Too much grease volume (overgreasing) in a bearing cavity will cause the rotating bearing elements to begin churning the grease, pushing it out of the way, resulting in energy loss and rising temperatures.

How much grease should you put in a bearing?

Typical relubrication amounts are 1/3 to 1/2 of the original fill quantity. The proper fill quantity of a grease lubricated bearing is often specified as a percentage of the bearing's free space. It is, therefore, important that the bearing's free space is accurately determined.

How to pack wheel bearings

Should there be any play at all in a wheel bearing?

As a rule, there should be no perceptible play in the wheel bearing if you are pulling and tugging on a wheel 12 and 6 o'clock, but up to . 010 inch of. play in the front bearings may be acceptable on some old vehicles cars and trucks with adjustable bearings.

How tight should a bearing nut be?

The nut on the spindle should be tightened until snug, with no side-to-side play in the hub and then backed off, about a quarter of a turn. The nut finger should be tight until the castle nut or cotter pin is used.

How do you know when bearing buddies are full?

The air pockets inside the hub cavity and Bearing Buddy® will work their way out past the piston (or blue ring) on the Bearing Buddy®. You should see the piston extend out or the blue ring past the front of the Bearing Buddy® when it's properly filled.

How much does it cost to repack trailer bearings?

Trailers tend to be cheaper to repack professionally (think $100-$200), but don't underestimate the power of the upsells a mechanic might try to give you. If you're serious about cash, you can likely save a few bucks by repacking your bearings yourself.

How often do you grease trailer bearings?

Proper lubrication helps maintain functionality and reliability of your trailer's axle(s). Bearings should be lubricated approximately every 12 months or 12,000 miles unless otherwise specified by the axle manufacturer.

How tight should castle nut be on trailer hub?

How Tight Should Spindle Castle Nuts be Tightened The nut on the spindle should be tightened until snug, with no side-to-side play in the hub and then backed off slightly, about maybe a 1/8 of a turn.

Can you over tighten an axle nut?

An axle nut that is too tight will put too much preload on the hub bearings thus diminishing their life expectancy.

How tight should castle nut be on wheel bearing?

Expert Reply: The nut on the spindle should be tightened until snug, with no side-to-side play in the hub and then backed off slightly, about maybe a 1/8 of a turn.

Can you tighten loose wheel bearing?

Adjusting non-driven bearings. The bearing is adjusted by tightening the hub nut if it is too loose, or loosening the nut if it is too tight. It should be done with the wheel on and raised on an axle stand. Rock the wheel from side-to-side and top-to-bottom to check for bearing wear.

Are new wheel bearings stiff?

It can be normal for some wheel bearings to be stiff and hard to turn right after installation. That's because some manufacturers pre-fill the hub units and sealed bearings with high quality bearing grease.

What is play in wheel bearing?

Wheel looseness, or also called wheel play, is another common symptom of a bad wheel bearing. As the bearing begins to wear down, they become loose inside the wheel hub and spindle, which makes your vehicle feel loose while steering.

Should new wheel hubs spin freely?

Check for a siezed caliper, the hub should spin a little but not much. If you suspect the wheel bearing, jack the front of the car up and tug on the wheels side to side, there should be no play, if there is, then it's your bearings.

Can I grease a bearing while it's running?

Following strict regreasing steps in the correct sequence helps to minimize failures: Regrease a bearing while the motor is running and hot, or after the motor is removed from service and the grease is still hot.

Why does bearing temperature increase after greasing?

The increased friction and pressure from too much grease raises the temperature inside the bearing. Excess heat could decrease the effectiveness of the lubricant causing the oil to separate from the thickener. Not adding enough grease has the same life-shortening effect.

How long do Sealed bearings last?

Lubricant deteriorates over time as a result of ageing, condensation, and separation of the oil and thickener. Therefore, sealed bearings should not be stored for more than three years.