I haven’t heard much around here about doing this, but shouldn’t the front bearings be repacked at some point before the fail?

I’d rather perform some maintenance over replacing bearings, races or spindles. What is the typical service interval?

I picked up one of these to repack the bearings. Anyone ever use on of these?

http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-34550-Ha.../dp/B0002NYDYO

Besides using a muffler clamp and proper grease, is there any of tips or tricks one should know?

 

Yes, I've got one of those. That's sort of the standard tool to pack bearings. It's as easy as it appears. What were you going to do with the muffler clamp.

 

I read somewhere that attaching a muffler clamp to the dust cap makes it easier to grab and remove.

 

You just need an air-hammer to "gently" remove the dust cap. Works like a charm.

 

FYI... [from memory] I believe the correct muffler clamp size is 1 7/8". Never tried the "air hammer" approach, but I don't see how that would work - of course, Brendon's car never gets driven, so that might explain things.

 

Or, large channel locks and just rocker up and down until it comes off. you might need Kungfu grip to make it work on a stubbon cap, but it will work.

grease packing is pretty easy and fast with the old-school, palm of the hand, scraping the new grease, to replace the old, technique.

 

i just use a little pry bar and lever it on a stud. pops right off with no problems. i just did my bearing with the palm trick as well.

 

these days with the surgical gloves we all wear, like we are doctors, when working on the cars, allow you to just pile the grease in your palm and scrap/force it into the bearing seams. pretty easy and does a great job.
You do have to waste a few paper towels this way though with the clean up.

 

Really? I just did the work, and now I am driving the car. The schtick gets old Andrew. You can stop now. Just because you can't see how something works, doesn't mean it won't.

 

I have a bearing packer and never use it, they seem to dust and dirt magnets.

clean grease, clean glove and clean bearings, pack every roller by hand.

Using a bearing packer that has been sitting full of grease has always seemed like trying to make your own abrasive paste.

Carry on.

 

Congrats on getting it back on the road.

 

Its Leeroy. The caps came off with an air hammer in 30 seconds. I'm not sure why this is a sticking point with Andrew, or why he continues with his shtick.

 

A slightly less messy technique is to put the bearing and some grease in a tough plastic bag, squeeze out the air, and twist the bag closed and continue to twist until until the grease is forced into the bearing, then knead the bag from the outside until you are sure the bearing is completely greased.

Keeping the grease clean in a bearing packer is a problem, particularly if it is not used often and spends most of its time stored (well, at least in my garage...), and refilling them or changing grease is not fun. The Lisle unit works well, and would be great if you needed it several time a day, YMMV, but a plastic bag works fine for the few bearings I repack in a year...

 

Doesn't that kind of beat the crap out of the cap and make them a little less than round?

 

Cmon Brendan, that was at least kinda funny wasn't it?

Say, I hadn't heard that you were up and running yet although I have been around much lately. I hope all is well.