Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi all.

I have 1990 75series TroopCarrier that goes through wheel bearings like they're going out of fasion.
The front passenger side has corroded and collapsed. This is the second set since January.
The rear passenger side jammed onto the stub axle and had to be pryed off, destroying the bearing about 2 months back on a Cape York trip.
Other times the rear driver side has just come loose somehow, chewing out the inner axle seal, ruining my brakes.

I replace everything that comes in the kit, not using the paper gaskets but this instead as I don't trust the paper things that have been folded, creased, jammed in a box, crushed by bearings etc.
Is this stuff okay to use?
What else can I do?

I use a 55mm socket for the front, tighten to 59nm as the book says, spin it a few times, back it off until it spins freely with a light push, check there is no up/down movement, add the lock tabs and everything else.

Similar story with the rear.

What am I doing wrong? Is there a particular brand or wheel bearing that is better? EG: Terrain Tamer? I usually use whatever I'm given from Repco, Bursons, CBC etc.

This time the brake disc has been chewed out beyond repair so I have to replace that shit too now, truck off the road yet agian and it's just getting bloody expensive.

Please help!

what type of grease are you useing ???

have you got bent housings???

I have a large tub of Castrol LMM that I have used, but looking at the site now, I should be using the HTB. Could this be my problem. Castrol Grease.

If I do the bearings at work I use the stuff everyone uses on everything (including wheel bearings). I have no idea what it is, but it's dark blue in colour. We just have it there in a 20L drum. I'll see if I can find out what it is.

As for the housing, I have bent it before, and had it straightened. Cash job, through a mate of a mate. Is it possible that if it's still out, this could be wearing bearings? How can I tell if it is still bent slightly apart from just looking at it?

rear housing is easy to check on a alignment machine ( tyre shop) while doing a thrust align
front is a little harder to see this is why i got through my local bob jane for the last 18yrs i can look back in the alignment machines data to my old alinments to see if ive screwed somthing IE: suddenly got camber front or rear ect

for grease i use a high grade marine grease

thanks for your help mate.

I think I'll get it back together with new bearings etc and take it to my local tyre shop for an alignment and check over it all.

I'm still open to ideas and suggestions everyone.

when u take it in get them to do a thrust align this checks the alignment of all wheels in relation to each other not just front

Yep definitely using the wrong grease if you are using moly grease, it is not designed for use in wheel bearings. Start by using high temp bearing grease. Also check the surface where your hub seals run, it may have a groove worn in there and you need a speedy sleeve to restore a nice flat surface for seal to run on.

unless you have left out a step in your post you are running the bearings too loose. They should be retourqued and the preload checked with a spring gauge. If that's too complicated just tighten them until they will not spin with a good flick.
ed.

Cool, thanks for the replies.

I will invest in some new crease a check the surface.
I will be honest in that I've never used a spring guage or worried about preload. I spoke to a few people and they don't use one either. They just have a play around.
So you say the tyre should not rotate at all with a bit of a flick? I thought that would be too tight. No?

I might just invest in a spring guage anyway.

If you can actually get the wheel to spin the bearings are too loose. If the wheel stops after about half to three quarters of a turn you are about right. Too loose is much more likely than too tight. I doubt if the grease used has much bearing (sorry about the bad pun) on your problem.
LOL ED.

I disagree, moly grease will kill wheel bearings pretty quickly. Seen it plenty of times before. Just like oils aint oils, grease aint grease.

The grease I use at work is this so should be fine.
As I said, the grease I use at home is the LMM, not suitable for wheel bearings. What I have in there at the moment I have NFI.

I am beginning to think that I have not been tightening them enough. I also have never adjusted them after a week or so which probably doesn't help.

Thanks for the replies, hopefully this will solve my problems.

Wish me luck and keep comming with the tips/thoughts.

I have now pulled them apart.

The first thing I noticed was that the thin plate with the 5 tabs around it had spun around 90deg. (The little tab in the centre did not lign up with the goove.
The passenger side grease was the colour of dark melted chocolate ie: dirt /muck has gotten in there. No sign of water though. The condition of the bearing was very sad. Lots of twisted metal, No rollers found yet (I assume they're in the main part of the hub and I'll find them in the parts cleaner tomorrow. Stub axle is badly scored so will need replacing.
YESSS!!!

The drivers side on the other hand looked fine. Grease a nice colour, bearing was tight as. No faults here really.

I took a few photos but I'm having trouble getting them on my computer