Thread: Help needed - replacing Defender wheel bearings

My experience has been with series (oil fed) bearings & I always used wheel bearing grease when installing bearings.
They were still good after 10 years & 150k. I assume the grease blends in with the oil.
P.S. I just checked series & 110 workshop manuals & they say "pack with grease"

It will never hurt to put some grease on before install
If nothing else it will help when pre-loading them prior to filling
The swivel hubs

When running oil beaRings I always overfill the housings

S

Always pack the bearings with grease. ALWAYS.

Cheers Rod

Thank you. Bearings will be packed with grease.

I didn't pack mine with grease, soaked them in diff oil and overfilled the hubs. Can't remember if I drilled a hole in the stub axle...

This is what happens without grease




Cheers Rod

Rod, thats a little bit different eh
OP was asking whether to pre-grease bearings that are oil lubricated.
Yours look as if they never saw anything that resembles lubrication apart from water!

I have always drilled 5mm hole in the stub-axle underside between the bearing seats to ensure quick and complete inner bearing oiling even if it is largely unnecessary
BUT then I still little pre-grease the bearings before install.

Steve

I also run oil instead of grease.
While it wouldnt hurt to pre grease them before installing i never have and cant see how it could be necessary .
Assembly lube when installing cams or rebuilding an engine for example is more for the time before the oil pump can get the oil to the top of an engine . We dont have that problem with our hubs.
I do use quite a bit of quality oil when installing though and no metal surfaces are dry.