Why is the wheel bearing grease leaking out of the dust cap?

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TylerW

TylerW

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Hello all:

I packed the wheel bearings on two vehicles some time ago that haven't been driven since, and both of them are seeping the "carrier oil" or whatever it's called out from around the dust caps. I used some type of red grease who's brand I don't recall, but as OCD as I am about using good quality stuff I'm sure it was a name brand of the correct type. I noticed it was doing the same thing inside the bearing packer. There would be a puddle of clear oil in the center. The grease in my grease gun does the same thing. What's going on here?

Maybe I'm being picky but I don't think any type of modern grease that is intended to lubricate under heavy loads and high temps should be oozing part of itself out onto my wheels or my garage floor. I've looked for the brownish grease that wheel bearings used to be packed with, the fiber stuff and I guess it isn't made anymore. I don't recall that grease ever separating.

My friend who works for Boeing claims that grease that separates like this stuff is doing, has lost part of it's lubricating abilities and shouldn't be used...but if the consensus is that it's not a problem, I will use a rag and wipe the hubs periodically.
 
I'd be concerned about it getting slung onto the brake surface.
 
Other than being a mess I doubt anything bad will happen. I've got that fiber grease from 30 years ago and while great I don't think you can use it on disc brake hubs
 
Could be a bad run of grease and it's liquifying. Or you may have purchased the wrong kind.
 
If it bothers you that much take the cap off, clean the lip and edge of the hub really well, wipe a film of black or gray RTV on it and knock 'em back together. No more leaky.
 
I bought red bearing grease, and within one year the lube had run the same in my grease gun bag that I keep it in.

BUT my 20 year old black graphite grease had done the same.
 
I used to know a guy that lived in this:

000 TP.JPG


One year, the wife and I drove to a car show, this guy drove his car. We stopped for gas and I noticed grease dripping from the wheel center caps.
It turns out this guy TORQUED his wheel bearings to ft lbs, not inch lbs. Yeah, the bearings were cranked in too tight and they overheated.
Who the heck torques wheel bearings ???

01 face 9.jpg
 
You need high temperature wheel brg grease. That will not liquify. I use Redline syn grease.
 
All grease liquifies and separates. Drive it and it gets hot and most times turns to a liquid type and that is what allows it to “flow.” I’m no chemical engineer but in my 40+ years in this hobby I found out the cheaper the grease the more wax is in the grease. It’s a filler. The color and lubrication come from that liquid. I hope I am describing this correctly.
You need to drive your car more. It they sit the grease separates. Even a can of brand new wheel bearing grease has a layer of liquid on top when you pull the metal seal open. Mixing it all up prevents that but only for a while.
Wheel bearing grease from the 50’s and early 60’s was like tar. It was created from oil called bunker “C” if I was told correctly. It was awful. It smelled bad and was impossible to get off anything. It took incredible amount a of heat to make liquid.
Syleng1
 
Bewy said:
You need high temperature wheel brg grease. That will not liquify. I use Redline syn grease.
Click to expand...
saw a test on various greases , redline won the test .
Also saw some other tests where redlines other stuff was mediocre , middle of the pack....
 
Kern Dog said:
I used to know a guy that lived in this:

View attachment 1716277975

One year, the wife and I drove to a car show, this guy drove his car. We stopped for gas and I noticed grease dripping from the wheel center caps.
It turns out this guy TORQUED his wheel bearings to ft lbs, not inch lbs. Yeah, the bearings were cranked in too tight and they overheated.
Who the heck torques wheel bearings ???

View attachment 1716277977
Click to expand...
This was his garage:
1721395847199.png
 
I asked this question at FBBO before.
Nobody responded to say that they torqued them. All the respondents did the same as I do....we snug down the bearing nut, back it off to the next notch in the thin sheet metal cover and slide the cotter pin in.
Can you imagine though torquing them to 90 Ft lbs after MISreading the service manual?
 
Kern Dog said:
I asked this question at FBBO before.
Nobody responded to say that they torqued them. All the respondents did the same as I do....we snug down the bearing nut, back it off to the next notch in the thin sheet metal cover and slide the cotter pin in.
Can you imagine though torquing them to 90 Ft lbs after MISreading the service manual?
Click to expand...
Our high school shop instructor (a retired Mercedes Benz and Navy mechanic) told us to never "back off" the nut to the next slot. He said that was the "old man" way. He always told us to tighten it up while rotating the tire and pounding on it with the palm of your hand (use the torque spec if you want) and then tighten it to the next lined up slot. It's always worked for me so that's how I continue to do it.
 
Well, I agree with that for the most part, I didn't elaborate fully. I spin the rotor forward and backward as I tighten the nut but still back off to the next notch. I have never worn out a set of bearings. I've replaced them that were gunked or worn out before I got the car but I've never installed, drove for years then replaced them due to wear.
 
I do alot of 4-wheeling, dirt biking, general off-road stuff Jeep stuff.
Ever since I switched to Bel-Ray waterproof grease I have never lost a wheel bearing or a u-joint.
It seems to be good stuff, a little more pricy than regular grease, but bearings and u-joints are not cheap.
 
Oh, I've replaced a few U-joints too but never seen their full life cycle from installing, years of use, then failure.
 
Kern Dog said:
Well, I agree with that for the most part, I didn't elaborate fully. I spin the rotor forward and backward as I tighten the nut but still back off to the next notch. I have never worn out a set of bearings. I've replaced them that were gunked or worn out before I got the car but I've never installed, drove for years then replaced them due to wear.
Click to expand...
People forget sometimes a tapered roller bearing needs some preload.
 
The rear axle bearings don't. They require clearance yet they are tapered.
 
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