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#1
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Front Wheel Bearings
Just finished my annual "whether it need it or not" oil change. Got to wondering when I last packed the front wheel bearings. My manual says to only pack when you have to take the wheel off for something like new brakes lining. I kind of remember doing things like that way back when. But I was surprised to see the manual did not recommend some specific mileage guideline.
Now, my 61 no longer has the ball bearings, as they were changed to roller when the disc brakes were added. And I suspect that rollers can go longer than ball between packing. Would someone with a 62 or later take a look in the manual and see what the recommendation is for roller bearings. Save me from a job I don't want to do. I'm getting too old for this stuff. |
#2
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Cleaning and packing tapered wheel bearings is pretty easy as you know. But if you just want to do a little check, pop the dust cap off and look at the grease. If it looks dry or chunky, you need to remove,clean and pack. If it still has a thin paste look, wipe a sample out and push between your thumb and index finger. It should feel smooth with no sign of grittiness. If you feel any grit or abrasion at all in the grease, remove,clean, repack. Finally, check the lateral play by grabbing the wheel/tire and flexing the assembly. You should feel a small amount of clearance in the bearings. About 1/8" is normal cold. Factory service manual recommendations are not the best for the way 90% of our cars are driven as collector cars. We generally put much lower mileage on our cars than the manual would recommend for cleaning and replacement, along with the better lubricants that have been developed over the past 50 years. I can look up the exact factory specs. and post if you would like tomorrow.
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#3
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May have my answer from a Corvette site. As the change to disc brakes used a change to C3 spindles and bearings and the Corvette C3 site says pack every 30,000 miles that should be the answer. Well, I haven't driven the car close to 30,000 and as I know I repacked at least when I remounted the front brakes I should be good. So I guess I'll get it off the jack stands and take a nap.
Can't even socially distance with a little solo cruise as it's been raining. |
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