3000teeth

I'm sorting through my initial inspection (from BTM Motorwerks in Campbell, CA), looking for the low-hanging fruit while I recharge my bank account, and one item is a bearing repack:

"Right front wheel bearing has excessive play - recommend full repack - both sides"

My questions are:
1. Why is it loose, could something else be wrong?
2. What parts and tools do I need to do this job?
3. What kind of grease should I use?

Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

Thx,
-T

AO

The bearing itself is probably either loose or bad. I've never heard of a re-pack solving a loose bearing.

Mrmerlin

since your going in you will need at a minimum a new inner wheel bearing grease seal you will damage the old removing it.After you remove the hub and can look at the spindle , look very carefully at the inner wheel bearing seat on the underside of the spindleif ir is grooved or worn away then you may need to replace the spindles , worn spindles can not be fixed by adjusting the wheel bearings tighter, i have heard that a few others may have tried simply taking a punch and punching little dimples on the underside of the inner race to take up the slack others have suggested to use a bearing setting compund to take up the slack i dont have any ideas one way or the other. Also look at the outer inner race where the outer rece seats see if this is chewed up as well if neither one is damaged then you can clean the bearings and repack them if they are blue/galled/chipped/pitted then they should be replaced, By heating the hub the races will almost drop out and the new races will drop in with a heated hub and frozen outer races, dont forget to get new seals you will need them , if you remove the inner wheel bearings

macreel

3000teeth... (ref. WSM, pg. 40-34) maybe, maybe it isn't the bearing.
Follow procedure... be sure clamping nut, thrust washer are adjusted,
and clamp bolt is torqued, OK.

G'luck.

3000teeth

Thanks! Great info here --appreciate it!

Anyone have an opinion on the best grease to use?

-T

GUMBALL

Agree with Mrmerlin - good explanation.
I have always used Mobil 1 Synthetic (red) in both street and race applications. Never had a problem.

mark kibort

some synthetics turn to water in race conditions. I use the standard high performance union 76 wheel bearing grease. cant argue with success. with amzoil wheel bearing grease i had major issues with it liquifying and probably not doing its job.

mk

mark kibort

just have the nuts on the wheel bearing tightened. you have no indication that you have any wear issues. just because your wheel bearings are loose, it doesnt mean you have an issue. if you tighten the nut and the wheel doesnt roll smoothly, then you will need new bearings. (or if you hear wollowing sound that gets worse when you load that wheel in a turn)

mk

GUMBALL

Some synthetics do....but a car I prepared (endurance race for a rent-a-driver...) had a situation where a brake cooling hose came off, the pads wore down to the caliper pistons, the brake got so hot that it melted the seals out of a three piece wheel...but the wheel bearing still had grease and did not fail.
Like I said, I have not had a problem with the Mobil 1.

If there is excessive play in the bearing, at a minimum, I would be tempted to take the outer bearing out for inspection of the rollers and race. If it is ok, then put it back and re-tighten properly.