Timken uses Exxon/Mobil Infinitec 152 to lubricate these bearings at time of manufacture.

It is a very heavy-duty, NON-moly, lithium-complex-based grease, blue in color.

I have no recommendations about how to obtain, or with what to substitute, this material.

Personally, I use CAT 1P-0808, which I buy in tubes at my local CAT dealer for around $3.00.

It too is blue, non-moly, and lithium-based, but I suspect only by coincidence.

If anyone comes up with a source for this special Exxon/Mobil grease, please post it up!

Pop

 

Thanks for the info Pop. I need to figure out that procedure and start doing that. Is it a special thread going in there? I know I could cobble something together if I knew what that thread style is.

 

No, it's only a hole. There is an adjacent threaded hole that has a bottom that does not go through into the cavity (I really wish it did!). That one is for the ABS sensor retaining bolt. The hole through which the grease is pumped is the sensor hole itself, meaning the sensor must be pulled out to grease the hub bearings.

See this thread:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...or-cookie.html

BTW, everyone, this serves as your "annual reminder" to lube these bearings. Actually, it's been thirteen months since the last one.

I have not had a bearing go away since beginning this practice.

For those also doing this, have any of you had a failure?

Pop

 

I think you should look into aluminum-complex grease. There was a thread a while back, and it got resurrected just before I put my Power Slot rotors on, and I'm glad it was. The thing with lithium based grease is that it's water soluble where aluminum complex is not. I put moly aluminum complex grease in mine -- I thing it's a good move. Schaeffer's grease is a moly aluminum complex based grease too.

EDIT: Here is the stuff I used. Got it from Napa:
http://www.drillspot.com/products/46...Complex_Grease

 

Looking at the CAT specs, they are calling the 1P-0808 a "low-load, low-speed" lubrication. I also found the CAT 2S-3230, blue-green in color and is also a non-moly grease but the thickener type is Polyurea rather than Lithium Complex. The Polyurea is more water resistant than Lithium, The CAT 2S-3230 is recommended for electric motors, alternators, generators but can be used in automotive applications .. A high speed BALL BEARING and ROLLER BEARING grease.

Operation temp range of the 2S-3230 is just slight wider than the 1P-0808 (-40 to +325 vs -25 to +300 F on the Lithium)

I am not sure if this would be a better choice in CAT products or not.

 

Doing some searching for Exxon grease, all I have found is their RONEX MP, which appears to be a non-moly product but I can't find where it actually says that. It is a lithium based, automotive grease to be used in wheel bearings and can hold up to the heat generated by disc brakes but it is green in color.

If you look at the photo when I pulled my hub off to lube the needle bearing, the original grease that had squeezed out from the main hub bearings WAS green but the needle bearing appears to have been factory lubed with what appears to be a blue grease.

 

I just use the same grease that I use for my ball joints. I just greased mine about a month ago. I forgot to bend the little flap back down in the shield on my driverside and it got on my nerves and I didnt feel like pulling everything back down so I got in there and bent it on back so it wouldnt rub against the rotor anymore.

 

Just a little O-T but doesn't pumping a little grease into that ABS sensor mess up the operation of the ABS probe-sensor??? Just wondering if its got to be a straight shot down in there not touching the sides of the hole. Is there a possibilty with greasing, to get an ABS light on the cluster or fault code????

 

"Light duty" for a CAT product may be "something else" for the rest of the world.

So far, so good, but I'm certainly open to better lubricants.

I use Polyurea (Polyrex EM) grease in my alternator and idler/tensioner pulley bearings, but since I can't clean out the hubs, I want to maintain a lithium-complex-based grease in them. See:
http://www.finalube.com/reference_ma...lity_chart.htm

Though really GREAT stuff, Polyurea is incompatable with lithium. :-((

Izzy's aluminum complex would work, however.

Pop

 

No, neither the OEM or replacement grease seems to have any effect on the operation of the sensor at all.

Pop

 

Thanks Pop, had my pass. side hubs and spindle greased when I had my upper and lower ball joints replaced not to long ago, figured he was in there, might as well get it done. Need to get in there and do my drivers side next soon.

 

Mike,

Are you referring to the needle bearings or the spindle bearings, or both? They are separate things.

Pop

 

Think he did both, have't to look to confirm though. I know I told him to grease everything. He bought that outer hub seal that cost about 70.00 bucks or so, i,m assuming he did the axle shaft seal, he had the hubs off so I would say the spindle.. Have to look at the reciept.

 

Unless he knew to pump grease through the ABS sensor hole, he didn't lube the main hub bearings. Ford considers them "unserviceable".

Pop

 

I mentioned that procedure with the grease thru the ABS hole to service the hubs and he never heard of that so maybe he didn't do the hubs, he mentioned a clip or clips though. I'll have to look at my reciept. I'll be taking my truck up to him for inspection soon, I'll ask him, got me thinking now.