{"id":15823,"date":"2015-06-16T09:16:08","date_gmt":"2015-06-16T16:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=15823"},"modified":"2016-11-30T16:59:00","modified_gmt":"2016-12-01T00:59:00","slug":"how-to-pack-wheel-bearings-and-change-bearing-races","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/how-to-pack-wheel-bearings-and-change-bearing-races\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pack Wheel Bearings and Change Bearing Races"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"How
Packing your wheel bearings is an annual maintenance revolution that needs to be attended to.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Drag Race 101:<\/strong>\u00a0How to Pack Wheel Bearings and Change Bearing Races<\/p>\n

Wheel bearings allow your car\u2019s wheels to spin freely. Every now and then a procedure known as \u201cpacking the bearings\u201d needs to be done. This forces the old grease out and pushes new grease in. There are a few reasons this should be done on an annual basis, but the most important is that the grease breaks down over time. If the grease is allowed to break down sufficiently, the bearing will overheat and can actually weld itself to the race and the hub. Alternately,\u00a0the bearings loosen over time, allowing the wheel to wobble. If left untreated, this can be bad. Very bad.<\/p>\n

Packing the bearings isn\u2019t a difficult project. It can usually be done in less than 90 minutes for both sides. The tires have to come off. The brakes have to come most of the way off. Then you can remove the bearings, repack them, replace them, install a new seal, and put everything back together. I\u2019m going to presume that I don\u2019t need to tell you how to remove the wheels.<\/p>\n

\"How
This is an old outer bearing. It looks good, so only needs to be repacked.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Test Old Bearings to See If They Need Packing<\/strong><\/p>\n

It goes without saying that new bearings must be packed with grease before use. Not all old bearings will require repacking though. You can see if yours need repacking by grasping the wheel (in the air) and pushing and pulling at the top and bottom. If only the sidewall flexes, you\u2019re ok. If you feel a bit of a knocking or see the wheel moving, repack the bearings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What You\u2019ll Need<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need the following for this project:<\/p>\n