Tutorial: how to pack grease into a bearing (1 Viewer)

[alia176]

Since we're doing all sorts of tech projects that revolved around packing grease into bearings, I thought these simple videos would help. This is the old fashioned way of packing a bearing that I was taught:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQYiA53vcxA&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agxjGtmHV_4


Bearing packer example:

- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

 

[DanS HJ-45]

If you can't pack your bearings by hand--learn to do that first before you buy a packer. Unless you carry a packer with you all the time, knowing how to pack a bearing by hand is a great skill to have.

I pack them all by hand, and I own a packer.

Good find Ash!

Dan

 

[Cruisergreg]

Some old garage rat about 30 years ago showed me a slightly different manual method that's messier but much faster. Place a dolop of grease is your left palm (if you're right handed) and sit the bearing in it cone side up. Coat the top of the bearing with good bit of grease and press your other palm against the bearing. Slide your upper palm forward slightly while rotating it in a counterclock wise direction about 45 degrees. Do this about 3 times after rotating the bearing in thirds of a circle in your palm. Flip the bearing over and do it again. You're done. You can do each wheel in about a minute each this way. The dabbing method in the videos always seemed a little too dainty, possibly leaving air pockets. I've used my method dozens of times never with a bearing failure.

Something else worth mentioning when it comes to redoing bearings is the seating of the races. Once the races are started in the hub you can be certain they are driven to proper, straight seat by listening to the sound of the tap as you go around the race. If the tap sound has a hollow quality you're not done until you get a metallic clink. Think: tink, tink, tink, clink! Although it's not mentioned in the first video you can actually hear the sound change as the mechanic taps around the race.

 

[DanS HJ-45]

Some old garage rat about 30 years ago showed me a slightly different manual method that's messier but much faster. Place a dolop of grease is your left palm (if you're right handed) and sit the bearing in it cone side up. Coat the top of the bearing with good bit of grease and press your other palm against the bearing. Slide your upper palm forward slightly while rotating it in a counterclock wise direction about 45 degrees. Do this about 3 times after rotating the bearing in thirds of a circle in your palm. Flip the bearing over and do it again. You're done. You can do each wheel in about a minute each this way. The dabbing method in the videos always seemed a little too dainty, possibly leaving air pockets. I've used my method dozens of times never with a bearing failure.

Interesting. I'll have to try that.

If you can pack them by hand well enough, you can guarantee that there are no air holes. The key is not being messy. You should end up with a nice and neat bit of grease pushing up through each and every roller proving to you that there is no air in there.

Dan