greasing bearings problem?

[tonyk72]

I noticed that whenever I grease my bearings that it just oozes out the top. This doesn't seem right to me...What should I do to try and fix?

[Model Citizen]

You need to have more info, before anyone can come up with an explanation. Does this happen on all the bearings, plus does it happen immediately on the first pump? If it's full, it's going to come out somewhere.

Bridget

[tonyk72]

It happens on 3 of my bearings, I can usually see the grease come out after the first pump or two. On my other three bearings the grease will come out all over the place, including some square hole down the bottom.

I usually give 1-3 pumps of grease after ever other ride and never really noticed this happening until now. I have also been using WalMart brand Super Tech marine grade grease, but the latest tube I got has blue grease...prior to that it was a differnt color. You can see that in the pic...

[Rock Doctor]

Looks like you need to replace some gaskets.

RD

[speedycoop]

Are they the original bearings ? If not, could be non-greasable bearings installed or the bearing groove or hole is plugged. Grease should come out around axle lock collar as in your second pic.

[lt250rdude]

Could also be bad flanges that are bent a little bit making a gap between the two.

[tonyk72]

Today I had some time and removed the bearing flange...Is the bearing groove what I pointed out with yellow arrows? Is this where the grease is supposed to make it's way?

[brushcutter]

Tony, yes the arrows point to the grease groove. There should be a gasket between the 2 flange halves. Here's a link to a how to article on bearing replacement done by Mike, the admin.

6x6 World - Max II Axle and Bearing Replacement


A grease gun can put out up to 2700psi so be cautious about greasing the bearings too much, you can push your bearing seals out, which will allow mud and grime to ruin the bearing.

[tonyk72]

Thanks for the response...The video deoesn't really show me what I wanted to see though. I have a parts diagram from Recreatives and there is no gasket shown between the two flanges. I took off one of the other flanges where I don't have an issue and there was no gasket between the flanges either.
Part #22 is the only gasket listed, If I pull off the back bearing flange (part #2 -sandwiched between #22 and #3) , would that allow me to clean up the groove and remove any blockage? Can I remove #2 without removing the axle or any other parts?

[Mike]

Blockage probably isn't your problem. If you will watch in the video, I used silicone to seal between the flanges. Recreatives Industries uses a paper gasket between the flanges from the factory. Either way, you really need something there to seal off so that grease is forced into the bearing. Otherwise, even without a blockage, the path of least resistance is between the two flanges. Also, most flanges that I have removed were warped to some degree. It's just natural that the torque from the bolts pulls the flange together there at the bolts which will slightly warp the flanges. To keep you from pulling the axle, I would just clean the flanges and silicone them back together being careful not to use too much & not to get it on the bearing.

[amphibious drew]

3m has some rope body filler stuff. I can't remember what it was called but I just rap it around the bolts before tightening them and it forms a water tight gasket between the inner flange and the tub.

[brushcutter]

Well, maybe it's just my eyes, but it looks as though they have the gasket going between the tub and the inner flange. But it seems that I remember reading their assembly instructions some time back, and they tell us to put a 1/4" dia string of gm strip caulk between the tub and inner flange. The gasket then goes between the flanges, I just put a tiny bead of the strip caulk between both flanges, on each side of the gasket. I like that it stays tacky, doesn't turn loose from the flange and doesn't push out easily. For this just roll out a sting about 1/8" diameter and apply around the flanges, making sure to encircle the bolt holes, sandwich the gasket between the flanges with the bearing. In your pic with the yellow arrows the groove is visible and since you can see it you should be able to clean it.

Now, I don't know if you have a blockage or not, you see, as Bridget said earlier there isn't a lot of available space there for grease to go into, hence my earlier warning about over greasing, so what could appear to be a plugged hole could instead be grease rejection and merely mean that your bearings are full and will simply hold no more grease, and the only place it has to go is out the path of least resistance.
If you read this thread you should understand more of the bearing/grease issue.

http://www.6x6world.com/forums/general-6x6-atv-discussion/6673-so-you-think-youre-greasing-your-bearings.html

Hope this clears things up a little.

[tonyk72]

Thanks for all the help so far!
I laid a bead of silicon around the outer edge of the flange and tightened the bolts by hand yesterday. Today I torqued the bolts down. The silicon does a pretty good job of keeping the grease from oozing out the outer edges of the flange, but I neglected to seal off the little square hole down the bottom, around the bolts and the inner edge of the flange. The grease found a way out these areas...I saw no evidence of grease being pushed out of the inner race. I'll guess I'll pull it all apart and reseal with silicon again...

[brushcutter]

You don't have to wait overnight to tighten the parts up, just be sure to clean all the grease off the flanges and don't grease it until the silicone dries.