Grease rear wheel bearings???

[Cooker]

While looking through the poor mans owners manual (Haynes) I seen that the recommended procedure before installing new bearing was to grease them first. Aren't be bearings lubed by the gear oil?

I am concerned because I recently had my rear end apart to replce the axle seals. I did replace a couple bearings and all I did was roll them around and rub gear oil on them before installation. Did I make a terrible mistake? Are my bearings junk now? The bearings didn't appear to have grease on them when I removed them, just gear oil, and I wouldn't think they would need to be greased.

Thanks for the input,
Ryan

 

[illflem]

Ryan,you a right,and as often the case Haynes is wrong. Go get yourself a real Dodge manual,well worth the money. What has always bugged me about the Haynes manuals is that every time you get to something that is even half way difficult they tell you to take it to a mechanic. The Dodge book assumes you are a mechanic.

 

[Phil Stuart]

Yes the rear axle is what is called Full Floating. The axle bearings are lubed by the gear oil in the housing. The beauty of this design is the axle shafts can be removed without removing the wheel/tire assembly.
Do yourself a favor and get the Dodge Ram
Factory Service Manual. It is THE bible for our trucks. IMHO Haynes manuals suck!

Phil

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`01 2500,4x4,QC,LB,ETC,5 spd(DDX),HDtransfer case(DHG)
3. 55 LSD,Tow Pkg. ,Snow plow pkg. ,Forest Green PC,Mopar alum. side steps,Mopar mud flaps with Cummins logo,Mist grey seat covers,Tekonsha brake controller,Hadley air horns,Pacbrake.
Built in St. Louis
THE BIG GREEN MACHINE

Phil Stuart


[This message has been edited by Phil Stuart (edited 02-11-2001). ]

 

[Big-D]

Because of this site I now own the Dodge manual and darn glad of it. Best money I've spent in a long time. Already paid for itself in my opinion for without it I wouldn't know where to begin on some items.
Dave

 

[Cooker]

Thanks fellas,
That's what I thought. I eventually will own a real manual, but I haven't decided to drop a C note on that yet. I'm sure it is some of the best money spent on the truck.

Thanks for the help,
Ryan

 

[illflem]

Ryan,sometimes you can find a deal on the manuals right here in the TDR classifieds.

 

[C Schomer]

Cooker, fill the diff with lube and run the wheels down in a gutter or somewhere real low so oil runs into the bearings. Do both sides and top off the oil level again. I put a 3/4" 45 degree street ell in the fill hole to get the lube up into the tubes. It runs cooler and it hasn't burnt up axle seals like it used to. Craig

 

[sam peterson]

the truth is guys that the bearings should be pre-greased to allow the bearing to not run dry untill the gear oil from the rear end reaches the bearings. If you were replacing the bearings & ran the truck with dry bearings the damage will be done before the grease can get there. Why take a chance a little grease is good insurance & it won't hurt the gear oil. Raising one side & then other to allow the gearoil to run down the housing is good advice also. Something else that should be done is use some silicone sealer on the outer edge of the seal between hube surface. Lots of leakage that is blamed on the seal is actully between the seal & hub. Sam

 

[illflem]

Sam,dont you think that prelubing the bearing with gear oil as Cooker did should be enough,thats the way I've always done it with no problems.

 

[Cooker]

Also, maybe I'm paranoid, but wouldn't the grease contaminate the gear oil a little bit? Just a thought.

 

[illflem]

I don't think the grease would hurt the lube qualities of the gear oil a bit. It's an old farmers trick to mix 50/50 grease with 90 wt instead of fixing a seal or worn shaft. One thing that even a small amount of grease will do though is play he// with an oil analysis. Most greases contain things you don't find in lube oil like aluminum and silicon.

 

[sam peterson]

illflem, there is a good chance that no problems will occure. coating them with gearoil is better than dry. hopefully the oil level in the rearend was high enough to get to the bearings quick enough. sam

 

[PHaller]

In a discussion group a couple of years ago at may madness, underfilled dana rear axles was the topic. Apparantly, Dana supplies the axles without covers... Dodge makes those and blobs on the silicone and adds the oil. There was some problems at Dana with leaky rear seals at the end of the tubes and D/C solved the problem by lowering the fill plug so less oil gets to the wheel bearings and seals. By lowering the fill plug you can reduce warranty claims because no one sees the leaky oil and no more clims on oily brakes.

The proper height for the rear lube with floating axles is somewhere between the bottom of the axle and the bottom tube so oil always baths the seals and bearings. D/C dissagrees with this philosophy and says it's YOUR fault when oil leaks because the diff was overfilled causing the oil to be forced out of the seals. What a load... seals are there to prevent seepage and how can pressure develope in a vented diff anyway? When I later talked with Roy of Mag Hi-tec, he agreed and explaned that this is precisely why, on his cover, he moved the fill plug up to between the tube and the axle.
If you are having problems with rear seals or axle bearings, replace them with very good quality Timpkin bearings and seals and slightly overfill your differential if you use the stock cover. Overfilling is not necessary with Roys cover.
-Paul R. Haller-

 

[sam peterson]

d/c remedy to lower the fluid level was a coverup instead of finding the problem. In our shop we have found brand new seals leaking not from the seal surface but from the rough casting that the seal drives into. silicone sealer has cured the problem and you can fill the rearend to the propper level.

 

[sam peterson]

if you go to the dealer for rear seals you have a choise of regular or HD now if the parts guy knows about the option.

 

[mikepvg]

Paul
Excellent info on the rear.
Whats the situation on the front?
Is the stock oil fill level too low also?

How does one properly "over fill" a differential with the stock cover?
Thanks #ad

Mike


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94 2500HD 5sp 4. 10LSD 4X4 ABS w/GearVendor OD, K&N Oval w/ Pre-Filter, Straight Exhaust, Geno's Fumotovalve, AW-Direct Idle Controller, Mag-Hytec Rear, 123K miles. NRA Member. V1.

 

[illflem]

Mike,I don't think there is a proper way since the fill hole is too low,but the way I do it is to park on a side tilt to fill. Don't get carried away though,just driving one side of the truck up on a normal height curb should be enough. You could also jack one side of the rear up 8-12".

 

[mikepvg]

IllFlem

I assume you do this for the front also?

Regarding that brake problem. I think you may be right on my brake pull. Did the reverse & hard stop thing just to see. Did get a different level of pull. Will be pulling the rear wheels off this w/e.
Thanks for the advice #ad