Kenneth
Washington, the state
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With my Dexter hubs, the nut is too big to pass through the center of the drum and pull off the seal. I use a $5 seal puller from a local tool store. It destroys the seal, but I always replace the seal anyway. Seals are cheap...a wreck caused by grease on the brakes is expensive.
In case there is much wear, check the prices for replacing the complete assembly vs. just buying parts or remachining the drum. My local auto parts store sells new drums for less than the cost of refacing the inner face (magnet contact face) of the brake drum. They can resurface the inner rim cheaply enough. A complete "loaded backing plate" with shoes, new magnet, new springs, and everything is cheaper than buying the parts. Four bolts and two wires are the total replacement job.
I don't use WD-40 for much. It is great for what the name says, WD for water-displacing. I've found it to be a poor lubricant and poor penetrant. I'd use a very small dab of grease on the adjuster threads.
It is OK to mix greases if they are the same base material or compatible base materials. If you aren't sure, don't mix. Grease is a mixture of the base (thickener), oil (conventional or synthetic), additives like graphite, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), or teflon particles (OK in grease, no-no in engine oil), and maybe dye. If you have one lithium complex base grease, you can mix with another brand of lithium complex grease. Mixing a calcium base grease with a lithium base grease may result in a watery, runny mess and bearing failure.
http://www.boucherandjones.com/grease.htm
I prefer to adjust the brakes with the wheels removed. Without the momentum of the tires, I get better feel for just when the shoes are beginining to contact the drums. I like no shoe contact, one click away from making contact.
Ken
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tom007
Colorado Springs
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+-Great stuff - Thanks.
My only trick to offer is dust control. As you said, you do not want to breath this stuff. I grap a spray bottle of windex, or ammonia/water mix (surfactant)and hose it all down. Keeps the dust in a liquid, so you can't breathe it, then hose it with brake cleaner, if wanted. Clean up with paper towels.
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boy with toys
illinois
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Joined: 03/11/2006
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great post, i do my bearing packing myself. hey jbarka, next time you do that, try some surgical, or rubber gloves. those come in handy. also do yourself a favor and buy a bearing packer, it's sooo much easier and much faster.
where do you buy the seals from? i usually go to my dealer (thats the only time i go there) but they charge like $16 per seal. that seems like a ripoff. i need to do mine soon, but it's been too cold lately.
jim
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JBarca
Radnor, Ohio, USA
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boy with toys wrote:great post, I do my bearing packing myself. hey jbarka, next time you do that, try some surgical, or rubber gloves. those come in handy. also do yourself a favor and buy a bearing packer, it's sooo much easier and much faster.
where do you buy the seals from? i usually go to my dealer (thats the only time i go there) but they charge like $16 per seal. that seems like a ripoff. i need to do mine soon, but it's been too cold lately.
Boy with Toys
If you have a Dexter axle they have a great on line web site. You have to search out which axle and brake diameter you have but then it get's easier.
Dexter cross reference on seals they tell you several brands to use. I go with the name brand/premium parts. Even then a lot are made outside the states now.
Here is the main site. Dexteraxle.com
Personally I get mine at NAPA. Once you have the right part numbers the shopping is easier.
The gloves, h'mm may try that. To use to doing it the old way but open to new tricks...
Thanks
John
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str8liner
SLC, Utah
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Thanks for taking the time to make this in-depth post John.
2003 GMC Sierra 2500 CCLB w/ Duramax
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Kamcoman
Douglasville, Georgia
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To remove most wheel seals, you do not need a seal puller at all. Drive out the inner bearing with a brass punch by going in through the outer bearing hole. There should be small recesses that you can place the punch tip into so the punch only rests on the outer race of the inner bearing. This does not damage the rollers or the cage. Just drive the inner bearing out and the seal will come with it. This usually doesn't damage the seal at all.
Keith
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bfast54
Traverse City ,Mi.
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You might try your local auto parts place, like NAPA, or the like. I stopped in to my local auto parts store, Hometown, not big name, and they had the Wheel Bearing Seal --( Electric Brakes ) BRAND NAME set, 2 in package, for $4.50 NOT $18.00 for 2 that Auto-Zone, ETC.. Wanted. Just a heads up !!![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/awink.gif "awink")
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dcdtn
Chattanooga, TN
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JBarca,
Thanks for your post. You inspired me to try packing the bearings myself on my '99 Sunline, rather than pay someone $100. It was a good learning experience for me, but next time I think I will pay someone. The hardest part for me was dealing with the mess. I don't see how you were able to take pictures without getting grease all over your camera. I found it very difficult to keep grease from getting all over everything (tools, brakes, etc.) and to keep dirt and sand from contaminating the "clean" grease. Also didn't know exactly what to look for when inspecting bearings/races. One or two bearings had almost no grease in them and their races had brown streaks (scorching?). But the bearings were intact so I packed them with grease and put them back in.
07 Dodge 2500 4x4 5.9L CTD Auto
99 Sunline T-2553
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GabJam
New England
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Bravo, well done, enjoyed and am ready to give it a try. Thanks GabJam
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JBarca
Radnor, Ohio, USA
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dcdtn wrote:JBarca,
Thanks for your post. You inspired me to try packing the bearings myself on my '99 Sunline, rather than pay someone $100. It was a good learning experience for me, but next time I think I will pay someone. The hardest part for me was dealing with the mess. I don't see how you were able to take pictures without getting grease all over your camera. I found it very difficult to keep grease from getting all over everything (tools, brakes, etc.) and to keep dirt and sand from contaminating the "clean" grease. Also didn't know exactly what to look for when inspecting bearings/races. One or two bearings had almost no grease in them and their races had brown streaks (scorching?). But the bearings were intact so I packed them with grease and put them back in.
dcdtn
Good for you! ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile") Now you know what is inside and what to expect. And since you found a few dry bearings, how long to not go again. Or you had it done at the right interval and they did not put enough grease in. Dexter recommends every 12,000 miles or every year on grease repacking.
A few things I do to stay clean.
A. Stay ahead of the grease mess. Meaning when something get's all mucked up, wipe it up B4 going on. Clean as you go.
B. Old or new grease globs. I use old news paper as a receptacle. Meaning wipe out old gunk, either screw driver or finger and wipe it down inside the newspaper. Paper towels work too, just old news/junk mail adds are cheaper and work.
C. I do the dirty work, then clean up before installing anything. This way when you pick up brake drum or bearing it is clean to start with and you are not contaminating the new stuff.
I have been working on machines for the last 35 years and I do remember being a whole lot dirtier in the first few years. I still remember my mother telling me during the teen years, John what did you do jump in the grease?![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/rolleyes.gif "rolleyes") Oh well guess I made it to being cleaner as time when on.
On the bearing inspection, this is what I look for:
D. Corrosion pitting, galling or any metal bumps. Look at the rollers and the races. You are looking for actual metal lose or high spots. Small pits, holes, bumpy surfaces. When new, the rollers and races are ground to a very smooth finish surface on 100% of the rolling surfaces. If you have a pit, soon it will get bigger in time and eventually lead to bearing failure. I'll see if I can find a few shot bearings to post pics of.
E. Discoloration or blueish color. This comes from lack of lube and high heat. When you start seeing the blue tint, heavy blueish or other distorted colors the heat has became high enough that it may affect the temper of the metal and the bearing life will most generally be reduced.
F. Uneven wear. You may not see any pits or rough metal but things should be wearing evenly. Look for burnished surfaces then high polished ones. This generally points to something not running true. If you see this you have to figure out what is not true or loose.
Good luck and glad the post helped.
Happy camping
John
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