It's time to grease the bearing on my Toyhauler. I've got some Lucas Red 'n' Tacky grease and the time. So what is best for cleaning the old grease out of the bearings?

Should I use mineral oil, kerosene, brake cleaner, Diesel fuel, or ????

 

I use plain ol' alcohol; cheap and does the trick. Whatever you do, DON'T spin the bearings with compressed air to dry them, as that can cause problems.

Steve

 

Alcohol... sounds good! It will clean and then evaporate quickly leaving no residue. Should I use Tequila or Vodka?!?!

Thanks for the tip Steve.

 

Tequila for you, Vodka or isopropol for the bearings :P

 

use whatever solvent you have handy, gas ,diesel ,paint thinner,really don't matter

 

I'd be a little hesitant to use gasoline or paint thinner if the job's being done in a garage with a gas water heater.

Steve

 

paint thinner is low grade mineral spirits less flamable than alcohol

 

Ray -

This is just one quote from the Web:

"The fumes from paint thinner are not only harmful if inhaled; they are also flammable. In order for paint thinner to be used safely, it should always be used in a well-ventilated area away from any source of open flame. Paint thinner fumes should never be inhaled, especially in high concentrations. Make sure your work area is well ventilated by opening a window or running an exhaust fan, and wear a face mask to reduce the inhalation of fumes."

Steve

 

well wash the with soap and water then,but that will probly be poison to somebody
I don't buy in to all that crap

 

Ive allwaysed used parts cleaner/stenisol then blow them out with air then use Brk cleaner to make sure they are clean and dry....I cleaned the hubs out with high pressure soap and water then finished with brk clean and a rag.Thats how the Rep from Utillity Trailer Mfg showed us.
But what do I know. I do the same with my boat trailers and utility trailers...

 

I wipe off all the grease that I can and then leave them in the parts cleaner for a while. After the parts cleaner I hit them with some brake cleaner.

 

My understanding is that if they are clean from contamination when you remove them you should actually not wash them in anything. Just use high quality clean grease and start packing them. Keep pushing in the new grease until no more of the old is coming out. My understanding is that many bearings are lost to people "washing" contamination into the bearing. It is what I was taught, it has served me well.

 

I've repacked hundreds of bearings - and use compressed air to dry them with no damage or problems.

just saying........

 

The problem with just re-greasing bearings is that there are several types of grease out there, and some types react. For a crash course on grease:
Grease starts as oil, and is thickened with the addition of soap. This soap base varies between manufacturers, and some types react, breaking down, and dropping the liquid oil out of suspension.

I have had bad luck using paint thinner, that was all I had available on the side of the road. Had a brake come apart and lock, and managed to drop the bearing in the dirt taking the hub off. Washed it with paint thinner in the dog's water dish, the dog was not happy.

 

You can DRY 'em with air, just don't SPIN 'em.

Steve