How To Repack Wheel Bearings ~ '93 Nissan Pickup 2WD

Arggh! Just Googled the web away looking for service tools for this not showing just what I wanted. Couldn't find it exactly but think it's straight forward bearing service but.........

Dust caps can be a pill and they can be removed with nice ice-tong type tool, channel lock pliers, or flat screwdriver twisted to release cap. That would expose a locking/adjusting nut held with cotter pin or nut made to "ding" to hold in place. When outer bearing is free it will come out with a washer in front of it. With caliper out of way the whole hub should come off with inner bearing inside help mostly by the inner seal. Inner grease seal can be removed without damaging it but they should be considered expendable.

Some mechanics will put rotor back on with just the nut finger tight and pull sharply to remove inner bearing and seal will come out too. I DON'T CARE FOR THAT AS IT'S HARD ON THE INNER BEARING!

That grease seal can be pryed out with hub face down with a seal removal tool which is really just pry tool that can just pry on metal of the seal without hurting the rubber seal.

There are a few different ways serviceable wheel bearings do things but it's mostly basic. You can spend a fortune on special tools but it's mostly unneeded.

For routine repacking you don't need to remove bearing races at all! Those do get pounded out with a brass drift but lets not go there for just packing the bearings.

With bearing out you can pack them by hand (have plenty of hand cleaner) merely pushing grease thru bearing till you see it come out opposite side. Inner bearing gets placed back in hub, seal new or good saved one just tapped back into place or with tools if you want (or a washer or socket that exactly fits) and ready to install over spindle for outer bearing, then washer, then nut torqued while spinning rotor/hub to spec (hard to define that without a torque measureing tool but about as hard as you could do with a screwdriver on socket straight on such that hub has no freeplay -- it gets to be a feel--) then nut is locked there with cotter pin or nut may have a skirt to punch down a dimple into a slot on the spindle. Dust cap carefully hammered back with screwdriver or again a socket that fits just right to contact just the crimped last part to friction fit back into the hub. Brake parts back together as needed and press brakes when back to set them again to close contact (disc brake type only) and it's done.

This is primal bearing service 101 if you will. If you had a hand once you'd know it forever for assorted ones on cars, trucks, rear bearing on some FWD vehicles, trailers of all types etc.

This is simple yet IMPORTANT to do right. When a race is removed it adds to the procedure to set it known bottomed in place but routine service doesn't require messing with it.

Cotter pins types should get new cotter pins. Torque should err to less if in doubt.

Just spent 1/2 an hour trying to find some standard concise procedures for this and all lacked.

AutoZone had some good advice and graphics if searching around there.

Since early in my work on anyting I've had a neat Snap-On ice tong multi tool that I've had now for decades and couldn't find on to show a pic of. That, Channell lock pliers, ball peen hammer, assorted washers, diagnal wire cutters (dykes) and a cotter pin puller hook (hand but not mandatory) is about all I've ever needed.

Best one tool is Snap-On tool # GCP 10 (marked USA) and looks like tongs to pick up a block of ice - couldn't find it listed anywhere??

Note: Tapered inner and outer bearings are torqued to adjust lash (freeplay) and barrel type the retaining nut is not adjusting bearing lash but rather holding in its inner race but still frequently help securly locked with cotter pin or other method on a spindle nut.

Any one out there have a good link to existing bearing service suggestions? This all just off the top of my head.

When in doubt - ask, and get proper help instructions as this is important but also routine. Good luck,

T

JIM - THAT WAS AWESOME - WHERE DO YOU FIND MY BEARING TOOL?!! Handiest sucker in the whole collection IMO.

Joe: There's a struggle to explain how tight is tight without tools that measure it which make a universal suggestion as to how to tighten up bearings without known #s off of tools I don't even own a bit risky but I'll try and any reader this is AYOR - go buy tools and knock yourself out trying to figure out something that really does come by feel with a little experience.

Joe - now that I know what exact type bearing you are dealing with I can explain better for this type. It would be similar to what's used on all kinds of stuff - trailers, especially of all kinds.

The inner bearing is held there only by that grease seal. The races are pressed or hammered down in place but again for routine repacking you don't touch those.

On the end of the tool now shown has a scoop like part that goes under the rubber lip of common grease seals and if you tap (rubber hammer or real one) on the tongs just so it pops the seal out - frequently undamaged. They are cheap as cars go so replacing them isn't a waste. If you didn't have the tool for that it would pry out or as said in first reply some tech's just put the hub (in this case rotor) back on with inner bearing and seal still stuck in hub and just the spindle nut without the washer put on - then yank the whole hub toward you and bearing and seal will stay on the spindle shaft. I DON'T REALLY SUGGEST DOING THAT FOR BEARINGS TO BE REUSED SO PLEASE TRY HARDER.

When ready to reassemble - put greased up inner bearing in hub then take a washer or sometimes just a hammer can tap the seal new or used one back snugly and evenly in it's place. The hub then goes back over the spinde and outer bearing in, washer over it and tighten nut up by hand.

If races were not involved you can then take a 10 inch channel lock type plier and tighten the nut firmly by hand while spinning the rotor. Now back off nut till you feel the rotor wobble again and retighten till nut starts to feel resistance of being tight - still while spinning rotor. Now choke up on channel locks such that leverage is reduced and tighten till nut won't tighten any more (as said earlier it's now like firm screwdriver tight with lack of a torque reading that's about it) and then feel for freeplay now should be zero and back off just to the next spot that a cotter pin can go in and that's your spot. Rotor should still show no freeplay and rotor when spun by threads of wheel studs should be able to coast - perhaps not a ton with new grease and a new seal. Now the cotter pin can be bent such that typical pins shorter part can be bent up on over end and tapped down flush with the end of the spindle. The longer part of pin can be cut off but long enough so it too is part of preventing teh nut from loosening by itself. Cotter pin must be out of the way of rubbing inside of the dust cap which is next and can be tapped on with a hammer and screwdriver or a socket that neatly fits just so. Wipe up any excess grease.

Note: I did google some pics of someone doing all this and they had their greasy hands all over the friction area of the rotor! That's a big NO NO! If you get grease on it clean it off with brake cleaner or lacquer thinner and clean cloth or paper towels would do as it can trash good brakes!

If this is confusing which I'm perfectly capable of causing then just get someone to really show you this once and you'll have it for life. This style bearing is used on trailers - boat trailers frequently are dunked under water and raise holy hell with bearings so that it's a common routine to repack those - sometimes many times a season or at least be checking them.

Side note: Dust caps for boat trailers or any can be fitted with a type (called bearing buddies) that have a grease fitting in the cap and maintain a spring loaded charge of grease in the entire hub area to prevent dirt and water especially from getting in. Motor vehicle bearing really shouldn't ever be dunked under water but obviously boat trailers it can't be avoided and doing this bearing thing can be an every time you have dunked it go back in a repack and check bearings is there's any doubt.

Vehicles can go a very long time without needed this done and frequently just at brake service time is enough IMO.
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Readers: There are assorted ways the spindle nut is locked in place with various applications. Many are "castle" nuts, some use a light weight castleated cover nut to postition, some use a locking screw, some use a "key" to slide in a slot, and some on left sides of threaded spindles are reverse threaded - mostly European older cars - VW bug for example - the originals.
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Final note: When bearings need replacing the race must be removed and there are different procedures for that and the subsequent setting of preload when reassembling. Ask separately for that concern as needed.

Gees - that was a lot of work - there's only so much "top of my head" to take take from! Hope that explains it,

T