I never use a grease gun: question

[alchemysa]

A little grease is a beautiful thing, too much just makes a mess, it picks up every bit of dirt, grit and junk around. Mark

A friend borrowed my camping trailer many years ago and took it off-road. When I got it back it had no caps on the wheel bearings. They had been knocked off somewhere along the way. I needed to tow it myself 200ks on a dirt road and stupidly didn't bother replacing the caps. It was a 'short' trip, so I thought they'd be Ok. But by the time I got half way the bearings where hot and squealing. They were totally dry. When I took the hubs off the axle a bunch of tiny dirt balls dropped out. It seems the dust sticks to the grease and the grease then gets rolled into tiny dry balls that get ejected from the bearing. It doesn't take long. Fortunately I was simply able to regrease them, but they would have been totally shot if I had gone another 10ks. So the lesson I learned was that the caps are there to keep the dirt out, not to keep the grease in.

Incidentally I used some plastic caps off spray cans as temporary bearing caps. I was able to duct tape them in place. They worked fine and were on the trailer for at least twelve months.

 

[JoeinTX]

I appreciate my dad for teaching me so much......to be over-cautious, over-safe, and over-redundant. Been very good advice in life.

But, he's also an over-greaser. I picked that up early and it's taken a while for me to shake it but I have. Just about every piece of equipment he owns has gobs of grease clinging to its bearings, hinges, or rollers just as I was taught as a young-un to grease 'em up until I saw the grease squirting out and around.

Now, I grease but do so within reason and keep it neat and clean.....lest I attract dust, grit, dirt, and other nasties. So far so good.

 

[plowking]

My landscape and snowmobile trailers have rubber plugs on the caps,you remove the cap and there is a grease fitting underneath. I usually give it a few pumps every so often. I put bearing buddies on my older trailers. Some say the hub can run hotter loaded with grease,suppose a high temp. grease could dissapate the heat. I found with bearing buddies,they come with a new seal for back of hub if needed,the pressure from grease could blow the old seal. There are oil bath hubs available ,like the big rigs have. plowking

 

[thatguy]

Some words of caution on the mini grease guns (at least this is what mine does - it was a walmart purchase)... IF you dont pull the plunger back after using it the plunger will slowly push past/through the grease and you will think you are out of grease. UNTIL you pull back the handle and it all comes out on your hands..

Latex gloves are almost a necesitty for dealing with grease guns IMHO.. And old clothes, I ruined my favorite pull over sweatshirt thinking i could grease a couple fitting without changing into workclothes..

Brian

 

[ihookem]

Is it bad to over grease an axle bearing? I have used bearing buddys in the past and have not had a problem but have heard bad things. I have also used a method that has always worked on my trucks, just pack the bearings as full as you can, then push the bearings and hub on so the grease squirts out and it should be full of grease. Then I take the cap and fill the cap with grease and pound it on, I call this the polish bearing buddy. I only had one bearing fail in my life. Later, ihookem.

 

[N80]

The owner's manual for my FEL says to pump grease in until it starts to emerge from around the pin. That's what I do.