New member with a question for all

Hi Guys!
Looking for answers or opinions:
I am running a dropped axle with '40-'48 Ford spindles, brakes, backing plates...ETC. The wheel bearings on this set-up are lubricated with a heavy weight oil. What are your collective thoughts on replacing this wheel bearing oil with wheel bearing grease?
Thanks!

 

Grease is the word.

 

Yeah I’ve never even heard of someone using oil. I’d pull them and clean/pack with grease before I’d drive it again

 

I’ve been using synthetic wheel bearing grease for the last twenty five years, no particular brand I’ve used quite a few I use it in my grease gun also.

 

Clean them up and get some wheel bearing grease, they will last much longer with the right product. HRP

 

Work the grease into the bearing properly.

 

Are you sure it’s oil? I can’t see a way to fill it. Maybe a real light grade grease was used and it’s “runny”?

 

I'm not sayin grease wouldn't work, wouldn't be better or for that matter the same. But I also don't see why what you have wouldn't work as well. Most bearing don't need much cushion, I'm sure that hub when filled to a 1/4 of the way would splash and provide that cushioning and if it's as you say a heavy weight, thick oil, shouldn't be a problem other than watching for leaks. Like a rear axle bearing? They don't get greased?

 

Zerk fittings on the spindle caps...of course

 

Welcome to the HAMB
Yep, there is a knack to it, not hard, Google it.

 

Looks like oil, feels like oil, smells like 90 WT transmission oil or rear end oil. The smell and feel are un-mistakeable. The bearings and spindle shoulders seem to be in very good condition I am just a bit worried that the internal clearance of these bearings is sized for oil and not grease.

 

Try it, worse thing that can happen is...

 

I expect it will last forever, if you can keep some gear oil in the bearings.

That's the advantage of grease.

 

Maybe not for automobiles, and notice I said maybe, but over the road tractors and semitrailers have been using oil for years.

 

Yeah, gear oil will work just fine on tapered roller bearings. As long as it doesn't all leak out and dry up.

 

Cl*** 8 trucks use gear oil on front wheel bearings, but they have a gasket sealed hub or bearing cover with a fill plug and fill line on clear plastic cover. Grease is the way to go on your bearings

 

Yep, you'd have to have some much better seals on cars, but it does work for thousands and thousands of miles on trucks.

 

It’s gotta be a real pain in the *** turning the car on its side to pour the grease in the hub before you screw the cap on.

 

Never heard of wheel bearing oil for cars? I've been using Timken Wheel Bearing Grease for years.

 

Do a search on Oil bath hubs. Lots of info available.
Mainly a 4WD thing. Standard on some makes. Landrover has used them.
Would be extremely unusual to find anything like it used on any early Ford stuff.

Pics would help.

 

Maybe it was a trailer towed drag car.

 

3/4 ton truck rear wheel bearings are lubed in gear oil

 

Maybe it's something like a corn head oil used in seeders.

 

That right there is proof to me. As for filling, most hubs that I've see have small chambers, I don't see a need for lots of fluid anyways. you coat the bearings, add 1/2 an ounce or so and slide it on, the seal in the back and dust cap prevent any leaks. As long at it retains its viscosity, provides a fluid surface, can't see why it wouldn't work?
I'm convinced.

 

Yeah I mean guys lube is lube just because they’ve specifically said put wheel bearing grease in wheel bearings for the last hundred years that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make this more complicated than it is. I mean let’s put chicken grease in there my hands are always slick after eating kfc.


What’s the worse that could even happen? Not like you’d cook it dry, seize the hub to the spindle snap it off and launch the wheel and drum through Atch’s radiator driving down the highway.

Yeah big trucks and semis use oil, and I’m sure the space shuttle dolly’s use soemthing else. This is an old ford, it uses grease. The end.

 

It come out of oval track (likely other forms of auto racing do it as well), everything around here above street stocks (maybe even some of them) run low drag wheel/axle /hub bearings lubed with oil. The racing stuff is damn near the viscosity of vegetable oil!

 

Oil of Olay.
Chicken gravy maybe.
It'll be fine.