2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Added grease zerks to front wheel bearings

[CumminsPower98]

I'm on a mission to make my front wheel bearings last a long time so I added grease zerks to them while I was in there changing axle seals and wheel joints. I have put about 233k on them since I installed this '96 axle when I got the truck in '01. If the bearings are original to the axle they now have about 360k on them and they are still tight and smooth! I did add grease to them some time back by pulling the seals and packing a little grease in and then installing another set of seals from a set of bearings I changed on another truck (I pressed the bearings apart so I could get the seals out without damage).



I drilled dead center on the bearings with a small magnetized bit and then used a magnetized pick to check for any shavings but none came out. I then used a larger bit to drill the end for zerk threads. I installed a 90 deg. zerk pointed at the steering knuckle where I drilled a 5/8" hole through the knuckle, brake disk shield plate and spacer. I can now grease the bearings anytime I want without disassembling anything. It will probably go a long time before any grease is needed depending on how well the outer seal holds up (that's where mine seem to leak some grease out). I didn't pack them clear full and blow the seals out.



I don't have good luck with the greasable u-joints even when I keep up on them. They also throw grease all over the body so I went with the Spicer 5-806X sealed joints this time. My cousin's truck is still on the OE joints up front with 307k so I'm a believer in the high end sealed units.

 

[wildmanben]

very nice, great idea!

 

[Mundgyver]

How tough is it to get your grease gun in there??? I like it

 

[CumminsPower98]

It's quite easy. I tried it on both sides after the hubs were installed and had no trouble. It might be hard to pull the hose off though if the end is new since you can't twist to the side due to the depth of the hole but mine came off pretty easy. I have always had a little worry in the back of my mind about my bearings going dry and burning up on me but no more.

How tough is it to get your grease gun in there??? I like it

 

[cojhl2]

I always was under the impression that one can blow the seals by greasing with a zerk.



One fix to that we have used on trailers and such is to install the seals backwards.



Anybody else have comments??

 

[CumminsPower98]

You sure can blow the seals so you have to be real careful. I bench greased these while turning so I could watch and feel things. In the future I will not add much at a time. They do leak a little off over time so it shouldn't be a problem if careful. The old Dodge trucks came with zerks and I did blow a seal on one of those once after installing a new bearing. I can't remember the year of this one I worked on but it was probably a late 70's, I don't know it's been too long.

 

[Willys]

That is a good idea, I hope it works. I lost the original bearings on my '96 around 180k miles, and again about 90k miles later one bearing has failed. I think it was due to dirt/water from off-roading the first time, and the second I didn't get the axle nut quite tight enough, and allowed for a little too much bearing play? Regardless, it had a lot of play so we tightened it up, but it didn't last much longer than that.



Aren't the seals riding against the stub axle cover and rotor, so it would be hard for the seals to completely 'blow out' and come out? So worst case, if you caught it before damage, you could possibly put them back in?



What kind of grease do you use? I seem to remember that topic coming up before here... but don't recall what the consensus was.



You've already gotten some impressive mileage out of them, hope this makes them true 'lifetime bearings'.

 

[Joe Mc]

CP98 - That is one sweet mod. I took a few moments and cruised through your other mods and web shots. Very impressed - you took a (no disrespect intended) basket case from a body shop and turned it into a real gem. Outstanding work!

 

[JHansen]

Very good idea..... I had this thought a couple weeks ago as I had read a comment by someone about the early full-time Dodge trucks having grease fittings that nobody ever greased-seems if you gave them a shot every oil change your wheel bearing troubles were over. Was thinking the same thing would probably apply to the newer trucks but I hadn't gotten to looking at it to see if it was possible.



On the newer trucks with ABS I believe the sensor goes in the top but there should be room to move the fitting out to the side-I have to do a wheel joint on my truck this weekend so I will have to look.



Jason

 

[CumminsPower98]

I really don't know what the best grease to use is but I'm using an Amsoil synthetic grease. I used this same stuff the first time I added grease and they ran a lot of miles on that with no trouble so that's what I pumped in there this time.



As far as blowing seals goes you would be able to tap the inner one back in but would have to remove the hub to do it. The outer would be a bit harder since there is just a narrow gap there between the bearing and hub flange, might be able to pry it back in. I don't think I will need to add much. I'm guess my current grease job will go 100k miles just fine. I put in about 18 to 20 pumps this time around but they won't require near that much in the future and I may have over done it this time as they might push some out now when they warm up.

 

[Mundgyver]

Blown Seals !! I have the greasable axles on my car hauler and my cargo trailer, when I grease them using a air-powered grease gun, I will jack up the axle so I can spin the tire while greasing the bearings. Works very well and I have never blown a seal. Course I am going slow and easy with the grease

 

[Willys]

CumminsPower98, how are the hubs working for you? I have yet another bad bearing with either 107k or 17k miles, I can't remember which one I replaced last time. I think I'll modify the hub to make it greasable this time around.

 

[CumminsPower98]

I just checked them this week by shaking the tires and using a pry bar while jacked up slightly and I get no play at all from the bearings or ball joints. Truck now has 360k. I wish I knew the exact history of the front axle I put on when I got the truck. All I know is that the wrecked truck I got it from had 126k on it and the wheel joints had been replaced. I have personally put about 292k on the axle since installation. I haven't added any grease since adding the fittings about 59k ago when I started this thread.

 

[Willys]

So does any grease sling out of the ball in the zerk? I'm probably going to do this but that is a concern.

 

[CumminsPower98]

The zerk is in the stationary housing that bolts up to the steering knuckle so no worries.

 

[Willys]

Duh... I shoulda figured that one out. I've changed enough of them to know... Thanks for the help.

Is that zerk a 1/8" NPT fitting or smaller than that?

 

[CumminsPower98]

It's just a standard small zerk, I can't think what the size is off the top of my head, sorry. It's not NPT though, just standard straight threads. If I can remember I will check when I'm at the shop tomorrow if needed.

 

[Willys]

I've found some 1/4x28 zerks and a tap and have fitted them to the hub. I'll drill the knuckle in a little bit and get it bolted up. Hope to have a few pics too if anyone wants them(without the rotor in the way). Thanks for posting this CumminsPower98. I'm hoping I might be able to salvage one of my old hubs for a bit longer.