Wheel Bearing Packer

[Tools R Us]

There are several factors that determine grease quantity. The biggest is speed, wheel bearings max out at what ~500rpm? Glacially slow in the bearing world, so can take more than most applications, can be and are often recommended to be packed solid. The housing must not be packed full, in the first few miles they will run slightly hotter, while excess grease is redistributed.

 

[Kernal]

I'm not a mechanic, just showing some photos of the Lisle bearing packer and how it worked. It definitely seemed to fully pack the bearings internally, I could barely turn the bearings using two hands after they were packed using this method. It also takes quite a bit of downward pressure to force the grease up through the bearing, and after they were packed you still have to smear grease on the outside. I would agree it is slower than doing it by hand and a waste of grease if you don't use it often, but hey, it made pretty flower petals of grease.

 

[agaisin]

It also takes quite a bit of downward pressure to force the grease up through the bearing, and after they were packed you still have to smear grease on the outside. I would agree it is slower than doing it by hand and a waste of grease if you don't use it often, but hey, it made pretty flower petals of grease.

I did end up using the lisle (and doing some by hand just for fun).
As far as the downward pressure required, that's easy to solve - I used an irwin quickgrip clamp with two hands of pressure but the lisle style packers are made to use with a bench vise as well. I don't see how it could have possibly been quicker or more effective to pack the bearing by hand rather than the lisle with a vise - seems like the same end result (smearing grease on the outside of the bearing cone assembly either way).

I understand that people may prefer one over the other, but I don't understand the claim that doing it by hand is more effective (or quicker when you use a vise and the lisle style packer) - if there's really logic behind it I'd love to understand better (no interest in starting a religious/illogical debate).

I appreciate the points made that cleaning the bearings is important for inspection and for proper repacking and the misconception that using a packer does eliminates the need to clean the bearings prior...

Thanks everyone for the input.

 

[agaisin]

I suspect you're kidding, but I think most people know you don't pack roller bearings full of grease. I won't tell you how I personally learned this tidbit, 'cause the chat pack gets their panties up in a wad every time I mention any of my experience or training.http://www.timken.com/en-us/solutio...apered_Roller_Bearing_with_Grease_English.pdf

No, you don't pack the housing it goes into all the way full. The bearing races and cage should be full.

OK - let me see if I understand this. When I first read scottm's reference, I thought it meant not to pack the bearing itself more than 1/3. Upon seeing raydouble's comment, it seems like the bearing housing in our case would be the axle hub - we're supposed to pack inb/w the inside and outside bearings, but the hub should not be packed too full. So is that the point that Timken's making - don't pack the axle hub more than 1/3 so there's room for the grease to be thrown around inside?

That would make perfect sense - pack the bearing rollers/cage completely full of grease, but don't pack the axle hub too full or there's nowhere for the grease to go...?

 

[Tools R Us]

OK - let me see if I understand this. When I first read scottm's reference, I thought it meant not to pack the bearing itself more than 1/3. Upon seeing raydouble's comment, it seems like the bearing housing in our case would be the axle hub - we're supposed to pack inb/w the inside and outside bearings, but the hub should not be packed too full. So is that the point that Timken's making - don't pack the axle hub more than 1/3 so there's room for the grease to be thrown around inside?

That would make perfect sense - pack the bearing rollers/cage completely full of grease, but don't pack the axle hub too full or there's nowhere for the grease to go...?

Correct, the '80 FSM shows filling the hub only about to the races.

 

[Tools R Us]

On the Lisle packers, I stand on them, works well.