Wheel Bearing Lubricant

51woodie

51woodie

Well-known member
Starting preseason service on my '46 Super Deluxe Coupe. When I bought the car, I cleaned and packed the front and rear bearings with CRC SL3131 grease. I now have 7500 miles since the job was done, and I'm questioning if I need to repack the wheel bearings.
Questions: Do I need to repack at 4500 miles?
Is the leftover half can from seven years ago, still useable?
If not useable, is there a recommended substitute?
Because SL3131 grease is sodium-based, it is highly incompatible with modern lithium-complex or aluminum-complex greases.
 
If the 7 year old grease has been kept in a sealed can and kept clean it should be good to use. I would only use compatible grease or clean all the old off before using another base grease.
 
So you guys say that this CRC SL3131 drum brake wheel bearing grease is better than say,,,,,, that Lucas Red 'n Tacky stuff?
 
Since I've never had a wheel bearing in anything fail in the last 75 years of doing this, I'd say it's all good.
 
I was a fleet mechanic for 30-years and packed more wheel bearings then I want to think about. 300 to 400 trucks and every 30K miles they got packed. We bought 15-gallon barrels of Chevron wheel bearing grease. The important thing is to not mix up the types of grease. If you're unsure what was used the last time, you need clean the bearings and inside of the drum with brake clean, so the new brake grease is not contaminated with the old stuff.
 
The Stay Lube CRC SL3131 is made as a wheel bearing grease. I don't know anything about the advertised uses of the Lucas grease.
 
Red n Tacky can be used as a wheel bearing grease. As stated, go with what is already in the bearings, unless you want to thoroughly clean everything. Your can of CRC grease should be fine, unless it sat uncovered, getting exposed to dirt, dust or rain.
 
The Timken grease you suggest is good stuff, but it is lithium based, which is not compatible with the sodium based grease that is in the bearings now. I have no worries changing to the Timken grease, but that means I would have to pull the grease seals, that usually get destroyed in the removal, to be able to clean the bearings and hubs. I guess I'll have to order some seals.
 

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51woodie said:
The Timken grease you suggest is good stuff, but it is lithium based, which is not compatible with the sodium based grease that is in the bearings now. I have no worries changing to the Timken grease, but that means I would have to pull the grease seals, that usually get destroyed in the removal, to be able to clean the bearings and hubs. I guess I'll have to order some seals.
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584397
 
That red wheel bearing grease is some super good stuff. Even after 30K miles the bearings look good and are full of grease. That red grease sticks to the bearings. We were using the old-fashioned chassis lube grease at work, and we would lose wheel bearings occasionally, 400 vehicles in the yard. We switched to the red grease, and I don't think we ever lost another wheel bearing again. But you do need to clean out all of the old green grease, so the new red grease is not contaminated with it.
 
Despite an incorrect comment about the kind/type of grease TIMKEN THEMSELVES list/mention it as being suitable for both DRUM&DISC brakes....... straight from the horses mouth!......, you CAN'T USE GREY colored grease (same grease used for chassis/steering/suspension components) in wheel bearings because of the heat......It also defys logic/rationale/reason WHY OEM would recommend/suggest that/this kind/type of grease for lubricating king pin bearings in 4WD/4X4 as soon as you go through a creek or river the grease will wash out!....... SMH SIGH :(.
 
So I opened my can of Timken grease today. Without getting it sent out to be analyzed, it sure looks a lot like Lucas Red & Tacky.
 
I looked in the half can of SL3131 that I had left over from initial use, and there is no sign separation, so I will repack with what I have. I guess next time it will be more work to do "Red and Tacky".
Thank you all for your comments.
 
Im guilty of delving into grease trivia, but end of day, did previous owners ( when these were main forms of transportation) give two thoughts about what grease they used, if grease was used at all?
 
At a local service station back in early 70’s they decided it was easier to use the chassis lube gun to pack wheel bearings. They had lots of wheel bearings to replace.
 
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