Rear Wheel Bearing Lubrication, Perhaps?

[david.g.chapman]

Have a look at this old post from a few years ago:

elan-f15/leaking-rear-bearing-t13480.html

At the time I has packed some of my Dad's old grease around the inside of the wheel bearings (a belt and braces approach). I then believed that the grease had liquified and had ended up at the bottom of the strut casing.

Now the interesting thing is that for several years after that oil was slowly finding its way through the outer bearing and working its way down the outside of the strut casing. No big deal. What oil was in there is now almost gone.

So what, you might say? Well here's the good bit. There is now detectable wear in the bearing after 15000 miles. Whereas the other side is starting to show wear, as you might expect.

So drill a small hole in each of your struts 1 inch from the bottom, fill the internal space up to the hole with some oil (gear oil?), cap the hole and forget about your rear bearings! Now I know that oil coming out of the inside bearing is not a good idea, as it could find its way onto the rear brake disc - still.... some sort of seal....

All pigs fed and ready to fly, or is there something in this?

Dave Chapman.

[ardee_selby]

So what, you might say? Well here's the good bit. There is now detectable wear in the bearing after 15000 miles. Whereas the other side is starting to show wear, as you might expect. Dave Chapman.

Dave,

Is there a "w" too many ?

Subject was also discussed some time back:

elan-archive-f16/strut-mods-t6697.html?hilit=rear hub grease

Cheers - Richard

P.S. The rear hub/diff output shaft bearing failures I've had were primarily due to water ingress from the OUTER seals failing.

[david.g.chapman]

Er...yes. It's "there is no detectable wear", not "there is now detectable wear".

That's good digging to find that old post, Richard, I had not seen it.

I suppose oil in the struts would get tossed about during driving and some might find it's way past the internal bearing shields. I don't think grease would do that.

Dave.