ZCAT3

I am in the process of a suspension upgrade and my mechanic advised I replace the inner bearing seals and repack the bearings. He told me to clean out as much of the old grease as I could and then to grease the inner and outer bearings and put a thin coat of new grease inside the hub (he gave me some Swepco grease as well). It seems like I took out a lot more grease than I am putting in per his instructions. How much grease should go in there? I took a big glob out of the center (between the inner and outer bearings) of both hubs.

DandyD

I am still looking for the normal grease fittings on my bushings and tie rod knuckles. I have a lot of squeaking from my front end and have had no luck re-greasing those... I am condisering a task like you have taken on.

ZCAT3

Hey Dandy - I had a squeak on the passenger front that my mechanic fixed by welding the torsion bar cap in place some how. The squeak was starting to come back and when I recently took the torsion bar out I could see where it was rubbing a bit inside the tube. Very irritating.

Now - if someone can just tell me how much grease to pack the bearings in...

Bill W.

I have yet to do the bearing repack on my '88 Cab but I've done many repacks and brake jobs in a former life as a garage mechanic. If you think about it lots of grease inside of the hub does no good because it would only get to the bearings if the grease got to the melting point, not real likely in the center of the hub w/ little friction. It only makes the clean up job tougher. Just pack the bearings and race area well and as your wrench suggested add a thin film just inboard of the races, that's the grease that will be doing the work and you'll have less mess to clean up next time.

Bill W.

Bill Gregory

Hmmm, several topics here:

First, there are no grease fittings, stop looking.

Second, over time, the iron torsion bar cap can wear down into the softer cross member, allowing the torsion bar to rub on the tube, generating an annoying squeek. Solution is to put a thin, couple of mm, welding bead on the bottom half of the torsion bar cap, which will raise the torsion bar back up and eliminate the squeek. Touch up the torsion bar where it's been rubbing - I used POR15 then regreased the bar. You'll see where the cap has worn down into the cross member, if that's the source of the squeek.

Last, but not least, how much grease to put in? As a related aside, you probably know the factory says not to put any in the cap. Whenever I regreased mine on the SC (twice in 5 years), using a new inner seal, I put alot back in, enough to surround the hub. Maybe overkill, but's that's how I found it, and I didn't see any symptoms that suggested a downside.