HOW TO: Pack Wheel Bearings

Simple maintenance for your non-driven wheels and axles, often neglected. No fancy tools required!

[@deankay4434]

You are the only person that pushes the bearing cage on the large side to manually pack grease into the tapered wheel bearing large side. This is how I was taught in the early 70's. Plus adding grease between the races inside the hub. This is what GM showed in their service manuals. The grease flows under temperature to flow level out between inside and out side during heat and centrical force during operation. Perfect demonstration of the right way to repack wheel bearings! Thanks! ASE Master retired. That shop teacher guy!

[@kennethcarver9687]

I had to yell at a apprentice to stop using compressed air to spin a wheel bearing,I heard the bearing whistle from 2 bays away,he told me that was how he was taught to check the wheel bearing,I and 2 other licensed mechanics explained why that is wrong!he was lucky it didn't explode! Great explanation on a diy.🛠

[@GregWellwood]

I edited out the "if I hear it spinning up like a turbine I'm going to come over and punch you in the teeth."

[@goptools]

Good tips for wheel bearing servicing. I bought one of those fancy wheel bearing packers and it sort of works but I usually do them by hand because it actually makes less of a mess. Glad you mentioned not to spin the bearings with compressed air. Doing that in class would have set my insane shop teacher on an incredible rant, and nobody wanted that!

[@allanenders5525]

Funny story, bought a New Monza from the General in 75, first year car, solid plate brake rotors, I think Vega parts, V8 car, your bearings and spindle look iffy but nothing like my Monza parts! Spindles were blue at the bearing locations. Dealer says that it was my driving! No recall from Gm, repaired it myself, and wrote transport Canada, and oh yes there is a recall, about 2 months later, same problem, back to the dealer with T/C letter, ok we’ll fix it. The fix was to install a 50 cent grease seal in the hub just inside the outer wheel bearing, so when it got real hot and the grease liquefied, it couldn’t get out of the bearing! I didn’t think that was a very good way to deal with the problem, so after a year or two I found a wrecked 2nd year car and swapped out the solid rotors for the vented ones, as well as the spindles and master cylinder, problem fixed correctly! Thanks for the trip down memory lane, I just redid my trailer bearings and wheels last year, after 50 years it was time, trailer has lots of miles, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Have a Great weekend....

[@GregWellwood]

That is a very interesting story, thanks for sharing that!

[@davehowland5270]

finally someone who knows how to pack a hub

[@rtkracht]

Yep… I remember doing that before nitrile gloves were invented. Excellent PSA. Thanks. 😂😂😂

[@paulsmith9341]

I haven't packed a bearing in 20 years anyway. That was the last time i owned a trailer. Everything i drove in that time had sealed bearings

[@alexandrecouture2462]

Great!

[@not-pc6937]

Exactly 👍😃

[@malware_in_tn9008]

“If you’re new to this channel, not a lot of things are normal here.” Including the commenters. 👍🏻

[@johnjohn-ed9qt]

Aside from the obvious, due to the bearing condition, I'd expect the comments about which way the seals go. Last set I did (four sets, actually, on a hay drag) a few months ago, the seals could only go one way and actually touch the seat on the spindle. Set prior, I had one guy on the left telling me lip in, like a crank seal, the guy on the right telling me lip out, so it if gets hot it won't build pressure and wipe the seal on dirt and grime. I went with what the service book said. The hay drag bearings looked a LOT worse than yours, and sounded so, as well, were dry soap inside, and had spraypaint from the last time it was painted (before 2010) in the big end telling me the seals were shot then. Still rolled fine. Low speed or low use, you can get away with a lot.

[@GregWellwood]

I didn't think to mention that, as these seals have no direction. I have a recent video on changing a FWD bearing on my daily - it had one wee divot out of the outer race, and I could hear the bearing being unhappy (none of my passengers heard anything). I bought two bearings for that car - if one was gone, the other probably isn't far behind.

[@petekovacevic3241]

I can't believe you didn't just change the bearing ,can't be that expensive.

[@GregWellwood]

They're cheap, but it wasn't convenient. It will get changed someday.

[@erikdressler5129]

Crenellations. Always enjoy watching even if it's something that I've done before!

[@john-smith.]

All that work to re-use crap bearings....at least you saved yourself $10...but your time will be wasted, because you'll have to do it again sooner than later.

[@GregWellwood]

How soon do you think it will be, at 10 km a year?

[@jde1780]

Do as I say... Not as I do.