Rcdizy

First, I have all the special tools and know how to do spindle bearings.


But I have a question:

I am following this: http://www.duntovmotors.com/tech-rear-spindle.php


It says to completely fill the bearing housing with grease.

I searched and read on other posts that people who filled it full, when the grease heated up, it expanded and leaked out onto the parking brake etc.

Do you fill them completely full of grease or no?

'75

I don't fill them full. I pack the bearings and smear a little grease on the center of the housing. The grease that's not in the bearings will probably never flow into them anyway, plus the expansion and leakage problem you mentioned.

0Willcox Corvette

Classic case of someone that's probably never done one, reading something somewhere else and publishing it as gospel. BUNK...

Pack the bearings (we don't use packers either, we hand pack every bearing), put some ample grease in "the area" and assemble. I'm too old school for bearing packers, put the grease in your palm and pack it the old school way, when done you'll know the bearing has plenty of grease.

If you are setting up the clearance, do it dry.. Make sure you back set the bearings by rotating the set up tool and pulling outwards before popping it for clearance.

-Willcox

Scottd

That may be the best write up Ive seen. Very simple and straight forward. BUT....I have one question. The link was for someone using NEW spindles. How much different is it if you plan to re use your old spindles?

0Willcox Corvette

Based on the statement

"It says to completely fill the bearing housing with grease. I searched and read on other posts that people who filled it full, when the grease heated up, it expanded and leaked out onto the parking brake etc."

I don't consider this to be an accurate post and just as I stated above, it was probably copied from some poste by someone that has never done this job... It's just my feeling because the statement is not correct and I'm no picking on them by any means.

The procedure is the same for new as with old.... Back set the bearing clearance dry... Once you know the desired shim required, grease the bearings and put it back together. I like to run out to be between 3 and 4 thousandths and I have the luxury of having a lathe so that I can trim the spacer so that I can obtain that clearance on every job. I've been doing this for over thirty years and to date I've never had one bearing failure under warranty.

Never fill the housing full of grease.. grease will skreet as it ages, and if you pack the housing full it will leak out of the outer seal.

Willcox

Rcdizy

why is 3-4 thou better than .001?
I also have a lathe and can make it whatever is best.
i had both sides 1 thou end play with setup tool, waiting to proceed in next day or so

leadfoot4

You need some clearance to allow for expansion, due to heat generated by driving the car.

Rcdizy

so, having all the time in the world, knowledge, spacers, shims, and a lathe, to get the clearance to whatever exact number i want within spec... .003 is best? I thought spec was between .001-,008 tighter end being better.

When i removed the old bearings they were between .008, .010 and the wheels felt very loose.

leadfoot4

It's been a LONG time since I had a C-3's rear spindle apart, but if my 60+ year old memory is correct, I thought the FSM specified 0.005-0.008" of endplay in the rear spindle. I hardly think that you'd be able to accurately "feel" that little amount of movement, and if you were checking that by gripping the rear wheel at the 12 & 6 position, or the 3 & 9 position, what you could be feeling is play in the trailing arm bushing.

tracdogg2

Don't take this personally but this is incorrect. I have done extensive testing with heat expansion. As everything heats up the bearings get looser, not tighter. There is no reason to have more than .001 end play.
Mike

Rcdizy

i set them up at .002

becauae of the warnings I got about .001.


seems really good.

DUB

I do not pack the spindle reservoir with grease. I only apply a film on the inside.

As for tend play...I set them at .001" to .003"...and I do not go any more than .003 EVER.

THEN I spend the time making sure that rotor is as true as possible.

I do all of this so the lipped sealed calipers that I use will last.

DUB

Red86Z51

I found this thread to be VERY informative regarding grease. I just pulled my spindles yesterday for this job. Bubba was at it again...both spindles spun freely by hand before removal, BUT, the driver side had an audible grind noise and the pass. side seemed a little tight. When I removed driver side 2 of the outer bearings rollers came out in halves and it was dry as dust inside. The passenger side had LOTS of cooked, hard grease inside between the bearings but not much on the outer. As a side note, that side stunk worse than roadkill when I opened it up. I saw that both outer bearings and races were chewed up pretty good, but both of the inners were surprisingly AOK.

The reason for this mess? Neither side was set up properly for end-play clearance...neither side had any spacers. Spacer kits, bearings, races and seals are now on order.

Thanks Bubba!

7T1vette

Once you finally decide HOW to do this job, be sure to use a full-synthetic grease for packing the bearings. Synthetic lubes are so much better (in EVERY respect) to regular lubes, it just doesn't make any sense to use what Chevy recommended decades before synthetics became the "standard" of use. They don't "cake", they don't "separate", they don't "melt"; and they lubricate MUCH, MUCH better than regular grease.

You can't re-grease this area after-the-fact. Use the right stuff when you build them.

DUB

DUB

0Willcox Corvette

It is my personal preference..

Sure the spec is .001 - .008.. But I'll tell you I've been doing these a long time... I've never had one come back... I'm 0 for lifetime in failures so for me if 3-4 works I'm sticking with it.

Truly anything in the specified range will work but I tend to stick with what has worked for me.

IMHO,

Ernie

Red86Z51

Once set up correctly and greased properly, approximately how much time can I expect to pass before having to go in and re-grease the rears again?

Also, will there be that much of a difference in that elapsed time between servicing if I use synthetic vs. high temp/press. NGLI No. 2?

In my case, there will be no hard driving whatsoever. I'm older now and tend to drive with more of a helium foot...

7T1vette

That's the point; the rear T/A bearings are NOT servicible. Once you close them up, that's it until you replace the bearings again. Hence, the reason for switching to full-synthetic grease.

Yes, there are gizmos that are sold as ways to re-grease those bearings. But, they don't really work....no way to remove any 'old' grease. And, if you use full-synthetic, you don't NEED to service them.

Red86Z51

I've seen those "greasers", but have read time and time again they only hit the inner bearing...waste of money IMO.

So is there a particular synthetic grease you would recommend?

DUB

All I know is that I give a 5 year-50,000 mile guarantee on rear wheel bearings.

AS for any difference in using synthetic grease versus regular grease...I never give it any thought because I have yet to have to tear into one of my rear wheel bearing jobs when I used conventional grease....and none yet with the synthetic grease I use.

I also strive to not get any more that .003" bearing play when I do them.

DUB