Bearing cap eroding?

[mr48chev]

Make sure that someone didn't trim the cotter key wrong and that it wasn't rubbing in the cap.

Still inspecting and repacking the wheel bearings is just periodic maintenance and if you do it in far less miles than you planned it is just an hour of your time and a little bit of wheel bearing grease.

I'd pull the bearings out, wipe them off with a shop towel and inspect them and properly pack them and reinstall them. Absolutely do not wash them with solvent unless you fully intend to replace them. The solvent never gets out of the bearing and won't allow the grease to stick to the bearing surfaces right. I was taught that 60 years ago as an automechanics student in high school and have followed it and do not have wheel bearing trouble that doesn't have a different cause. In all the years I was doing brakes for a living I never had a car come back with bad wheel bearing after I serviced the bearings.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Make sure that someone didn't trim the cotter key wrong and that it wasn't rubbing in the cap.

Still inspecting and repacking the wheel bearings is just periodic maintenance and if you do it in far less miles than you planned it is just an hour of your time and a little bit of wheel bearing grease.

I'd pull the bearings out, wipe them off with a shop towel and inspect them and properly pack them and reinstall them. Absolutely do not wash them with solvent unless you fully intend to replace them. The solvent never gets out of the bearing and won't allow the grease to stick to the bearing surfaces right. I was taught that 60 years ago as an automechanics student in high school and have followed it and do not have wheel bearing trouble that doesn't have a different cause. In all the years I was doing brakes for a living I never had a car come back with bad wheel bearing after I serviced the bearings.

Never heard that said about cleaning bearings .
In 50 plus years never had a problem cleaning bearings in lacquer thinner let them dry and repack .

[kwmech]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Never heard that said about cleaning bearings .
In 50 plus years never had a problem cleaning bearings in lacquer thinner let them dry and repack .

I have heard of it...if you leave the solvent. I actually use K1 kerosene in my solvent tank and I'll wash them out if needed for inspection. If they are smooth and free of foreign material, I'll rinse them with some brake clean or thinner and repack. Never had a problem

[jabborabbo]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Make sure that someone didn't trim the cotter key wrong and that it wasn't rubbing in the cap.

Still inspecting and repacking the wheel bearings is just periodic maintenance and if you do it in far less miles than you planned it is just an hour of your time and a little bit of wheel bearing grease.

I'd pull the bearings out, wipe them off with a shop towel and inspect them and properly pack them and reinstall them. Absolutely do not wash them with solvent unless you fully intend to replace them. The solvent never gets out of the bearing and won't allow the grease to stick to the bearing surfaces right. I was taught that 60 years ago as an automechanics student in high school and have followed it and do not have wheel bearing trouble that doesn't have a different cause. In all the years I was doing brakes for a living I never had a car come back with bad wheel bearing after I serviced the bearings.

This makes perfect sense based on my original info regarding the location of the shavings, the present condition of the bearings, PLUS the fact that the cap was somehow teased off the axle!

I’ve already bought replacement bearings just in case, and I did wash the old ones in solvent to inspect them.

Thank you Sir!!!!