14 boltFF wheel bearing lubercation

[mostwanted]

I realize that they are supposed to be "wet" from the gear oil, but I am curious how many folks think that some disc brake wheel bearing grease would actually hurt anything. I am a fan of overkill. I was reading someplace that it won't hurt anything.

 

[Chaddy]

I dont think it would hurt anything, but I dont see any need to grease them because they are bathed in 80/90.

 

[MattK]

I don't know how it would hurt anything. I do see it as a waste of time and grease though. If anything give em a splash of oil right before they go in. The won't be spinning until the truck is moving and that should mean that the rear diff is filled.

 

[goldwing2000]

FSM says to put some grease on them during assembly, so it can't be that much overkill.

 

[sandawgk5]

Greasing them wont hurt anything the gear oil will wash it out and it will mix with the diff lube. I personally think it is a good idea depending on how full you fill the diff. I think it is an added bit of safety to give them some lubrication until the lube can work its way down the axle shaft and to the bearing.

Ira

 

[highrlr]

Will the gear oil only run down to the hubs once you drive? I filled my 14bff after installing it in my truck, it sat for about 6months. While installing my disc brakes I had to pull the hub apart again and there was no oil out there at the hubs? Remember though, I didnt drive it at all since filling the diff, but I figured it would run down there just from filling it? Oh, and I greased mine up when I istalled the new bearings in the hubs.

 

[sandawgk5]

Will the gear oil only run down to the hubs once you drive? I filled my 14bff after installing it in my truck, it sat for about 6months. While installing my disc brakes I had to pull the hub apart again and there was no oil out there at the hubs? Remember though, I didnt drive it at all since filling the diff, but I figured it would run down there just from filling it? Oh, and I greased mine up when I istalled the new bearings in the hubs.

It will run down the tubes by itself it all depends on the oil level in the diff.

I filled mine on the jackstands with the cover off and used almost 1.5 gallons of 80-90w.

Ira

 

[goldwing2000]

I filled mine on the jackstands with the cover off and used almost 1.5 gallons of 80-90w.

Now THAT'S overkill!

 

[broc944]

I think some would not hurt anything. I greased mine when I built it, then again when I replaced the rotors (I cleaned and checked the bearings while I had them out). Figured they needed some lube during the initial first drive.

Just my opinion, right or wrong it is what I did.

 

[454k30]

I didnt see anyone chime in with a "yes it will hurt" response. I did use grease on my bearings as well, just seemed like the right thing to do.

 

[Beast388]

When I built my 14BFF in the garage, I packed the wheel bearings with grease. Once I had it under the Burb, I filled it will 80w90 and then jacked up each side to slosh lube down each tube. I then checked the level and added a bit to top it off.

 

[moms mad]

the real problem would be if you didn't put any lube at all.I had a neighbor that burnt a bearing up after r&r his rear brakes.spent 20 years working anything from chevys to KW's and always spread a little grease as a prelube.
I hope you also pre lubed the oil seal, nothing harder on a seal when it starts out dry. if you havn't moved the truck since you filled it and the hubs are still dry thats normal but be sure to recheck it after 50 miles it may be a little low

 

[mostwanted]

hey moms mad, glad to see another wheeler close by. Funny usr name BTW. I take it theirs a story behind it? Anyway stick around theres lots of good times to be had on this site.

 

[MuddinManny]

Dude,

Grease the snot out of your bearings and hub. It's going to take too long for the gear oil to get down and into the bearings, especially if new and you risk the chance of grooving the bearings in the races. Oil will not displace grease, except when mixed, and the amount of bearing grease will not hurt the ring gears at all. JMHO, but this argument of grease, no grease, is counter-productive and risky. Bearing grease is not going to hurt a R&P or a locker unit at all. Why take the chance? Seems like a ridiculous argument to me.

Manny

 

[mostwanted]

Dude,

Grease the snot out of your bearings and hub. It's going to take too long for the gear oil to get down and into the bearings, especially if new and you risk the chance of grooving the bearings in the races. Oil will not displace grease, except when mixed, and the amount of bearing grease will not hurt the ring gears at all. JMHO, but this argument of grease, no grease, is counter-productive and risky. Bearing grease is not going to hurt a R&P or a locker unit at all. Why take the chance? Seems like a ridiculous argument to me.

Manny

almost excactly what I was thinking

 

[blazinzuk]

I think Manny said it best. Grease em up. Unless there is some strange chemical reaction between grease and gear lube ( I am pretty sure there isnt')
it can only help the bearings and not hurt anything else

 

[NateInChandler]

while im not disagreeing with anyone, i am gonna say that the gear oil is actually carried to the hubs by the axles, the very first diff i ever rebuilt was a 14ff, i was in a tech school and the teacher actually told us this.. If you look at the axles in your 14 bolt you will see little machining marks that swirl down the axle, this actually picks up and carries gear lube to the bearings...as far as packing the bearings beforehand, i dont see any problem with that as its just gonna get soaked away by the gear oil after a few miles... depends really on how far you wanna go with everything.. overkill is better than your bearings being fried... Nate

 

[sandawgk5]

while im not disagreeing with anyone, i am gonna say that the gear oil is actually carried to the hubs by the axles, the very first diff i ever rebuilt was a 14ff, i was in a tech school and the teacher actually told us this.. If you look at the axles in your 14 bolt you will see little machining marks that swirl down the axle, this actually picks up and carries gear lube to the bearings...as far as packing the bearings beforehand, i dont see any problem with that as its just gonna get soaked away by the gear oil after a few miles... depends really on how far you wanna go with everything.. overkill is better than your bearings being fried... Nate

Yes the axle does carry oil down to the bearings to some point. There are no machined grooves on the axle to aid in this. The marks you see are heat marks from the induction hardening process that is done to the axles. The axle shaft is placed in a large coil and the magnetic field generated by passing a current through the coil causes the shaft to heat up thus generating those lines.

Ira

 

[blazinzuk]

Interesting thing I just read is that grease may prevent the oil from circulating all the way around the bearing. Although I think that is a non issue here considering the front wheel bearings only have the grease in them. But mabey that is where the idea came from

 

[MuddinManny]

Interesting thing I just read is that grease may prevent the oil from circulating all the way around the bearing. Although I think that is a non issue here considering the front wheel bearings only have the grease in them. But mabey that is where the idea came from

That maybe true, but if you properly pack the bearings and the hubs with grease, you have nothing to worry about. Like I said earlier, oil will not displace grease unless it is churned by something. Either way you look at it, the bearings will always be properly lubricated. So the argument is mute! Kudos to the comparison of a front axle. Yes, it's a different bird, but the fact that grease keeps the bearings in the hub safe, and the spindle intact, seals the argument. No pun intended.

Just for the record, I've gone through 7 tubs of grease on my build-up of the Dana 60 and the 14BFF. I left air inside to prevent hydraulicing due to total compaction, but I'm assured that my bearings will not fail, overheat or water can get in (at least not without a fight).

Remember too, I had to disassemble my D60 due to my error in torquing, and the stover nuts being "chased". So it's really not a true 7 tubs from beginning to end.

Manny