Stay away from sealed wheel bearings!

[El_Freddo]

I don't know how you do it mate!

I've always cleaned the factory grease out of the sealed bearings and replaced with high speed or high temp grease, can't remember off hand right now. Then you only reinstall the outer seal on both bearings, put one bearing in, throw more grease in then fit the other bearing with the seal on the outside.

Fit the regular hub seals and she's apples. I also do both sides at a time - that's the rule of the front end - do it to one side and you should do it to the other side, then get a wheel alignment

I've got to do my front bearing on Ruby Scoo AND Sunnie the Brumby. I don't think sunnies' ones have been done since we've had him...

Best of luck this time around SB!

Cheers

Bennie

[Silverbullet]

Amazing, right on cue - 12 months old and the sealed bearing fails!

A mere 3 weeks after I do the passenger side, and the drivers side started growling on Monday night By tonight the noise was scary. The last set of sealed bearings left on the car, been in there 12 months at the most. Exactly the same thing happened as in 3 weeks ago on the other side. Grease leaks out, bearings overheat, inner bearing race is missing chunks and full of cracks. With the bearing out of the hub, spinning it by hand I can feel the tight spots and sometimes it gets jammed in one spot.

Replacing with open bearings tomorrow morning. After the same thing happening with 3 different sets of bearings, safe to say I'm sticking to the open type from now on.

[El_Freddo]

That doesn't seem right. I've seen grease dryer than that on worn bearings.

I'd be wondering why the bearings leaked the grease. Has the vehicle seen any water crossings?

I've just replaced what I think are the factory original bearings in Sunnie the Brumby - either factory or I've replaced them many years ago and forgotten about it!

It's now running sealed bearings that were cleaned out of all assembly grease, repacked with high temp bearing grease, replace ONE seal on the bearing and place the bearing in the hub with the seal orientated outwards, throw some extra grease in for good measure, place the second side in with the seal orientated to the outside again.

Place the outer hub seals on and prime them with some rubber/plastic grease so they're not dry.

That's how I do them. Sunnie the brumby has done a solid 10,000 and then some within 12 months. So I'll let you know how they go. I'm not worried about them shagging out in 12 months time and have every confidence in seal bearings.

Ruby Scoo will be copping a set in the coming weeks. I wish the rears could be sealed too. I'm sick of doing those due to water being induced on water crossings.

All the best with the next set of bearings. Make sure you're torquing the castellated nut up to the required tension. I jump on my 1 inch drive breaker bar until I'm happy with it.

Cheers

Bennie

[Silverbullet]

Bennie, the process you describe is no doubt a good one to follow and I'm sure your bearings will last a good while. I'm wishing I had done the same to my sealed units.

But, the whole point of sealed bearings is that you shouldn't have to stuff around picking them apart, cleaning the grease out and re-greasing them yourself

An interesting comment just popped up on the FB post I made about this:

NTN 6207LU - they're designed for motors not cars. They withstand upto 11,000rpm but they don't like rough ride or abuse as they get damaged very easily.

If that is true it explains alot, and also that I've been sold the wrong thing 3 times

Also I think having the rear bearings as sealed units is impossible due to their construction/design, very different to the fronts.

[El_Freddo]

Now that you mention it the part number I was give was KL-something from memory.

I'll have to dig it up, when I do I'll post it here

I only remember this as I was going to buy the MY and L series at the same time and they quoted two different part numbers. I always thought they were the same front and rear but it turns out only the rears are the same.

Cheers

Bennie