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Best way to clean wheel bearings and hubs.


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Hey folks,

I need to clean up my front hubs and through a coat of paint on them. I would also like to clean up the wheel bearings before I reinstall them. What is the safest way of cleaning wheel bearing? Can I wire brush and power wash the hubs without fear of damaging the inner races with grit and rust?

Thanks in advise for your help.

Trenton

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Yep blast away just don't scratch the races on purpose, I just use brake clean on my bearings I used to have a bucket full of degreaser I dipped em in and use my fingers and a small brush to get em sparkly. After go go crazy on your hubs clean the races and inner area with brake clean and dry em out before you put it all back together.

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The grit will get everywhere. Make sure you thoroughly clean the hub before you blast to remove any grease that will catch and hold the blast medium. Then make sure you flush the hubs completely before reassembling.

I would not blast them; use chemical strippers instead. One piece of grit can destroy a bearing and leave you stranded.

Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are!

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The grit will get everywhere. Make sure you thoroughly clean the hub before you blast to remove any grease that will catch and hold the blast medium. Then make sure you flush the hubs completely before reassembling.

I would not blast them; use chemical strippers instead. One piece of grit can destroy a bearing and leave you stranded.

Amen and Amen!

mike

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Make sure to check that your races are good, a gallon of bio degreaser works well or diesel fuel and a soft paint brush, make sure to dry them with some air before repacking and dont spin the bearings with air while drying it can cause galling and damage, check your bearings for pitting or damage, if any moisture was in it there maybe some pitts on one side where it sat.

Robert

"I reject your reality and substitute my own."

 

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Hey everyone,

Thank you all for the good advice. I am in the process of cleaning the grease out and washing them up with Zep purple degreaser. After that I plan to use stripper to get most of the paint off and a wire brush on my angle grinder to clean them up a bit more. I'll wash them again with the degreaser and use my power washer to make sure I've gotten all the grease and grit out. I plan to dry them with a rag and compressed air but I am sure glad that one of you mentioned not to use compressed air on the bearings.

By the way- I can't locate the same type seal that I've taken out of the truck do any of you know off hand what type will work in a Dayton hub off of a b 61?

All your advice is much appreciated

Trenton

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You can blow dry them just don't spin them on your hand with air, as far as the seal goes it is a SKF/CR (Chicago Rawhide) 31281, this is for both wet and greased hubs.

You can use grease seals on greased bearings and wet seals on both oil bath and greased wheel bearings

Robert

"I reject your reality and substitute my own."

 

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They should be around be around $25-$30 at a truck parts store or you can order them on line about the same, Ryder Fleet on line sells them for $24 but it will take like a about 5 business days for them.

NAPA sells them also but they are twice the price, if you cant find anyone around you that can get them let me know, they have them in stock at my little truck parts place I frequent I can pick them up for you, USPS flat rate is like $5.50 anywhere from here in in KC, I paid $27 each for them last month on mine, if you need lug nuts I can get those for you to the correct ball face at $1 each, I just sent 12 to one of the other BMT member was less than $20 with shipping, USPS flat rate is the way to go, little slower but saves money.

Robert

"I reject your reality and substitute my own."

 

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Thomastractorsvs,

I am fortunate to have a couple of different heavy equipment suppliers in my area and should be able to locate the seals now that I have the correct part number.

Thanks again for you help.

Trenton

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