Rear Axle Bearings

[Big_Bad_Dually]

I am reinstalling my rear axle bearings and was going to soak them in rear end oil before installing them, but as I was reading through my manual to make sure I knew what went in the rear end (85w-140) it said "Repack rear wheel bearings with grease after brake shoes are replaced or the drums are resurfaced"



So, should I repack them with grease or do they get lubed by the oil in the rear end?

 

[Joe G.]

The bearings do get lubed by the rear end lube. In fact, that is what leaks out if the seal fails. If you have cleaned them then the packing with grease is required according to the manual. I've replaced the left rear axle seal a couple of times without messing with the bearings so I didn't lube them. They were already full of rear end lube.

 

[Big_Bad_Dually]

These are new so I think I will just run them around in some oil then install them.

thanks

 

[Ram_Kowboy]

When I was in the repair business, they taught us to repack those rear bearings just so you could be sure they were lubricated until rear-end fluid actually arrived in the hub. I have also seen others fill the hub area with rear-end lube as they reassembled. In the 15 plus years of automotive repair I grew to count on the cheap insurance policy of packing the rear bearings with bearing grease during reassembly. Never had any ill results. Just my $. 02 worth.