Wheel Bearings and Hubs - Preventive Maintenance

The wheel bearings ride inside a race, which is pressed into the hub. The race does need to be inspected for warping or pitting, but does not need to be removed unless it is damaged.

If you do need to replace the bearing race, there is usually a notch in the hub where the race is pressed in that will allow you to knock it out with a long punch. Any time a wheel bearing is bad, the race should be replaced too, even if it shows no signs of damage.

Thoroughly inspect and clean all the components. Jordan doesn't wash the bearings in the parts washer like the other components. Instead, they are simply wiped off with a clean shop rag in preparation for repacking.

Also, don't forget to closely inspect the hub itself. The most common sign of wear for the hub is cracking around the aluminum ears that connect to either the brake disc or the wheel itself.

How you pack your bearings with grease is up to you. Many still prefer to pack bearings by hand, but a bearing packer like this also does a good job and isn't nearly as messy. Just make sure fresh grease (go ahead and spend the money for synthetic) works its way through the bearing all the way around like this.

Next, get a little grease on your finger and wipe it on both the outside of the bearing and the race inside the hub.

Reinstall the inner bearing in the hub and follow that up with the hub seal. If it isn't damaged, a good seal can be reused many times. Just make sure to use a block of wood or a soft brass hammer, as seen here, to tap the seal into position. Do not install the outer seal into the hub until the hub is in position on the axle tube.

Once the hub is properly seated back on the axle tube, go ahead and install the outer wheel bearing. Do not forget the metal shim that keeps the hub nut from cutting into the bearing.

From here on, the installation process is simply the teardown process reversed. Here, the hub nut is threaded back into place. Tighten this nut only until you can feel slight resistance as you turn the hub. Remember, it's the locking collar, not torque, that keeps this nut from backing off.

The steel axle mates to an aluminum spool on one end and an aluminum drive flange on the other. So, it is always a wise idea to apply a bit of antiseize to both ends before reinstallation.

When washing your car, water can sometimes get between the drive flange and hub. When this happens, the wheel bearings can rust and be ruined. One way to prevent this is to apply a thin film of silicone where the flange contacts the hub.

Finally, apply a small amount of Loctite to the bolts holding the drive flange to the hub. This is a high-vibration area and both Loctite and lock washers are often needed.