Old timer told me to stop greasing my wheel bearings like crazy

I used to pack wheel bearings with as much grease as I could fit. Then this retiree mechanic watches me do one and says 'you're gonna cook those seals in 50 hours.' He was right. I started measuring it out to exactly the right amount and my bearings have lasted way longer. Anyone else learn a simple fix like that from an older mechanic?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_anna7d ago

Huh, that's funny because I had the exact opposite problem. I used to under-grease everything until an old farmer told me to just give it a few extra squirts and my stuff stopped seizing up on me. Guess there's a sweet spot for everything.

parkerkim6d ago

My buddy runs a small engine shop and he's got a tube of grease with a scale taped to it. He told me the magic number for my trailer bearings is 37 grams. I used to just pump till it oozed out and wondered why seals blew every season. Now I weigh it out and I'm going three years between repacks with no issues. That old farmer was right too though, under greasing is just as bad as over greasing. You gotta find that middle ground for whatever you're working on.