How to Repack Car Wheel Bearings

The front wheel hubs of your vehicle have an inner and an outer bearing for each wheel. The front wheel bearings are packed in grease and will remain maintenance-free for thousands of miles. However, some automakers require periodic repacking of the bearings in new grease to increase their longevity. If your vehicle needs replacement front wheel bearings, they will also need to be packed with grease before installation. Packing wheel bearings involves pushing the grease through the bearing’s rollers so that they will be thoroughly lubricated.

Things You'll Need

• Hydraulic jack
• 2 jack stands
• Lug wrench
• Flat-lade screwdriver
• Pliers
• Adjustable wrench
• Plastic container
• Solvent
• Parts brush
• Axle grease
• 2 cotter pins

Instructions

1. Raise the front of your vehicle with a hydraulic jack and place two jack stands under frame rails on each side. Lower the hydraulic jack. Remove the lug nuts from the front wheels, using a lug wrench turned counterclockwise. Slide the wheels from the hubs and place them aside.

2. Remove the dust cap from the center wheel hub by prying it off with a flat-blade screw driver. Remove the cotter pin from the hole in the end of the spindle revealed after removing the dust cap with a pair of pliers. Remove the large nut from the end of the spindle with an adjustable wrench turned counterclockwise. Slide the wheel hub off the spindle.

3. Slide the inner and outer wheel bearings from each side of the wheel hub. Partially fill a plastic container with solvent. Use a parts brush and clean the old grease from the bearings, making sure to get into all of the crevices. Rinse the bearing in clean water and let it air-dry. Blow the bearing dry with compressed air if you have an air compressor available.

4. Wash your hands to remove any grit or contaminants. Place a large dab of new axle grease into the palm of your hand. Push the bottom edge of the bearing (which will be the widest part of the bearing) with your other hand into the grease, making sure the grease works up through the bearing rollers (you will see grease oozing out of the top of the bearing). Continue pushing the bearing into the grease until you have reached your starting point. Repeat this step for the other bearing.

5. Push the inner bearing (the larger of the two bearings), tapered end first, into the hole on the inside of the wheel hub. Push the smaller outer bearing, tapered end first, into the hole on the outside of the hub. Slide the hub assembly onto the spindle. Thread the spindle nut onto the end of the spindle and tighten it with an adjustable wrench in a clockwise direction. Back off the nut slightly so that the hub spins freely, but does not have any play when you try to move the wheel hub in or out. Slide a new cotter pin into the hole at the end of the spindle to keep the spindle nut from loosening and coming off while the wheel is turning. Press the dust cap back into place.

6. Repeat this procedure for the inner and outer bearing on the other front wheel. Replace the front wheels and tighten the lug nuts with a lug wrench in a clockwise direction. Raise the vehicle with a hydraulic jack and remove the jack stands from under the vehicle. Lower the hydraulic jack.

References

• Full Size Bronco: Proper Way to Pack Wheel Bearings