Bearing Packer

[Ironhorse74]

Way back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth. I worked at a Standard Oil station next to a boat ramp by the Mississippi river. Wash out tje bearing in the parts washer. Then a glob of grease in the palm of my left hand and the bearing in my right. A rag at tje end of the day cleaned my hands up.

 

[JAKE-THE-TOOL-MAN]

I pack by hand, I am impressed with the function of the lisle packer but haven't purchased one yet due to buying other tools that get more frequent use. One day I will get a lisle packer.

 

[Schurkey]

I have the one in pic 2. It's the best packer made. A lot of folks complain that it's too hard to push the grease into the bearing. You put it on the ground and step on it or squeeze it in your vise . They work awesome.

For Fukk sakes, don't step on the thing. All the **** that's on the bottom of your shoe falls into the grease or on the bearings in the "working area" of the tool. At least, put a paper towel over the packer before you step on it, to keep the working area of the packer clean. I tip the thing sideways, give it a quarter-turn or whatever is needed in the vice. Clean, fast, productive.

I pack by hand, I am impressed with the function of the lisle packer but haven't purchased one yet due to buying other tools that get more frequent use. One day I will get a lisle packer.

I've had one similar to the Lisle for 20+ years. Mine is a Made-in-USA "E-Z Squeeze". Wonderful deal. Very recommended. I've never used the Lisle version. I saw the E-Z Squeeze version more than ten years before I saw the Lisle version. Lisle copied E-Z Squeeze.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IU9XXJM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

http://www.atoztool.com/images/pdf_images/ez_squeeze_bearing_packer_270.pdf

APPARENTLY, the E-Z Squeeze is sold by Gearwrench/KD as the 2775D. The photos I see on-line appear identical to mine, and some sources are showing "Made In USA".
$21 at Tooltopia.com, about $25 on Amazon.

I do both the inner and outer bearings from the hub at the same time--just stack 'em up, big on the bottom, smaller on the top, (narrow end down for both) and squeeze.

The instructions say that you can put the bearings in the packer with the old grease still in 'em, the new grease flushes the old out and they're good to go. I always wash the bearings in the solvent tank so that I can inspect the rollers 'n' cage without the old grease interfering with the inspection. Then I stack an inner and an outer bearing on the packer, squeeze in the vice until the grease extrudes from the bearings...done. Doesn't even leave too much mess in the packer. I suppose that if I was doing larger bearings, there might not be room to stack 'em. The only stuff I tend to work on is plain ol' ordinary automotive--not ag, not semi-trucks, etc.

 

[Notgrownup]

Bearing buddies on my trailer, easy peasy...but I do have a cone one...haven't used it for years...if I used the packer or di it by hand I try to get all the old grease out as well to inspect the bearing.

 

[HomeTheaterMan]

The one in the 2nd picture for me.

I used to always do it by hand, but the last time I did bearings I gave in and bought the Lisle. It worked amazingly well. I should have bought it a lot earlier.

 

[sberry]

I have an eze squeeze, its great. For one travel trailer would toss some grease in a qt zip bag but I have also pulled some grease back in the inner bearing with my fingers and can do them without removing the seal.
With a modern wheel grease a guy needs to pack them about once. I have never replaced a wheel bearing I have serviced. There is no reason for different kinds of grease in the packer.

 

[dalehsc]

pic one , it fits larger bearings which is what i see more often, it also pushes out old grease. Also an electric grease gun makes it alot quicker. Then you can use all the inner grease to fill the inner hub between the races. Ive seen a few of the newer china axles have a passage inside the axle tube with a zert on the very end of the axle where the bearing dust cap goes. When you lube it the grease comes from the center out and packs the bearings while they are installed. Electric grease gun is needed unless you have pop eye forearms and like pumping alot.

yep,does a great job,have had this for 20 yrs.

 

[signcrafter]

I have the lisle version and it's great. Easy and clean. Bought it from advance auto online along with some parts I needed and used a discount code to make it pretty cheap.

 

[theoldwizard1]

There is no reason for different kinds of grease in the packer.

So you use "chassis" grease on bearing ?

 

[sberry]

We use a combo grease which is wheel bearing rated, most are today. I do use 2 different kinds but have stuff most people don't which gets hauled thru dirt.
But if you did use a different grease would you put it in the bearing packer?
The nice thing about the tool is if they do not have grit in them simply put in and shove new thru. As I mention you can actually pack an inner without removal but I watch or feel to make sure I am not dragging grit from the hub back in. On occasion use left over grease from it, just reach in and pull some back thru.
It really only takes a pinch to lube a wheel bearing. The extra is just extra, doesn't really go back in once its squeezed out. A little fresh on the dust seal doesn't hurt.
Modern grease is about like modern oil, very good and last way longer than the stuff of old did. Bearing pack used to be a routine job, not only on some specialized equipment and the occasional trailer.
I am sure they have maint recommendations but don't really know how long its good for,,, as I said, never had one I serviced go out but for 1 on a dinky trailer got drug thru the mud and the seal was nothing to write home about, got water and dirt intrusion, not a problem on normal stuff.

 

[guy48065]

There is no reason for different kinds of grease in the packer.

SO many choices & I have no idea if it's really necessary to use "marine" grease on a boat trailer, or if that's just marketing hype.
Black moly stuff?
Red sticky synthetic stuff?
Blue sticky synthetic stuff?

Something else?

I'd prefer something that's available in both tubs and cartridges so I can REALLY have just one grease around. Did one of my utility trailers last week and quickly realized when I pulled one hub off that I didn't have enough grease of any type to completely clean & change ALL the grease--so I massaged some of the old black moly goo through the bearings & put it back together.

 

[ttpete]

I know those are common on boat trailer, but I thought they require "special" axles/spindle (center drilled with port for grease near the inner bearing) ?

Bearing Buddies are a fraud. You'd have to fill the whole hub with grease to get to the inner bearing, and then, where would the old grease go? RIGHT! It blows out the seal!

I've never seen grease get to the inner bearing using those things. They're why you see boat trailers by the side of the road with a spindle burned off every summer.

I use Bel-Ray waterproof wheel bearing grease. I also use genuine Timken wheel bearings and Chicago Rawhide seals, both of which I get from Bearing Service.

 

[ken w.]

What makes waterproof grease anymore waterproof than normal wheel bearing grease ? Every part store sell marine wheel bearing grease ? When I read the back of the package it usually has the same specs. ??

 

[ttpete]

What makes waterproof grease anymore waterproof than normal wheel bearing grease ? Every part store sell marine wheel bearing grease ? When I read the back of the package it usually has the same specs. ??

There are many types of grease, and some could emulsify with water. All they are saying is that it won't mix with water.

 

[Schurkey]

I'll never use anything but marine waterproof grease on my boat trailer bearings.
I use Sta-Lube Marine stuff. Wildly sticky.
http://www.crcindustries.com/EI/product_detail.aspx?id=SL3121

I've resisted the urge to buy a second E-Z Squeeze for the marine grease. At this point, I'm hand-packing the boat trailer bearings. I have a dedicated grease-gun using the marine grease cartridges for the Bearing Buddies, the shaft log, and various steering pivots on the boat.

I'm happy with pretty-much any other wheel bearing grease for automotive wheel bearings. I mostly use the bright-red stuff from Valvoline; it's listed as "GM Chrysler European Japanese" -compatible. That's what's in my E-Z Squeeze.
http://www.valvoline.com/our-products/grease-gear-oil/multi-purpose-grease

However, I also have a tub of Valvoline Moly-Fortified "Ford Lincoln Mercury" -compatible grease,
http://www.valvoline.com/our-products/grease-gear-oil/moly-fortified-multi-purpose-grease

The next front-axle disconnect box I rebuild for my Trailblazer is going to get something other than the Red grease. Perhaps the Moly-Fortified "F-L-M" stuff this time. The axle disconnect box has serious life-span issues; and perhaps a change of grease will improve it's service-life. There's a needle-bearing, the gear that rides on it, and the shift fork that wear-out prematurely in every box. Makes me very unhappy because the box is a b!tch to change. It's pressed-into the friggin' engine oil pan!

 

[Aqua-Andy]

Bearing Buddies are a fraud. You'd have to fill the whole hub with grease to get to the inner bearing, and then, where would the old grease go? RIGHT! It blows out the seal!

I've never seen grease get to the inner bearing using those things. They're why you see boat trailers by the side of the road with a spindle burned off every summer.

If you use bearing buddies properly they work excellent. They are not intended to pack a bearing but to keep water out by keeping positive pressure in hub. This is how a bearing buddy works, the hub and bearings are filled with grease. You want to fill the hub until the spring is half compressed. When you are driving to the lake the grease heats up and expands forcing the spring outwards. When you submerge the axle and the grease cools down the spring expands to take up the space. What happens without a bearing buddy is the grease and air in the hub cool down and create a negative pressure in the hub and water can and usually does seap in.

 

[ttpete]

If you use bearing buddies properly they work excellent. They are not intended to pack a bearing but to keep water out by keeping positive pressure in hub. This is how a bearing buddy works, the hub and bearings are filled with grease. You want to fill the hub until the spring is half compressed. When you are driving to the lake the grease heats up and expands forcing the spring outwards. When you submerge the axle and the grease cools down the spring expands to take up the space. What happens without a bearing buddy is the grease and air in the hub cool down and create a negative pressure in the hub and water can and usually does seap in.

You can go to your local Bearing Service store and get seals with a double lip, nothing in, and nothing out. We run a triple axle boat trailer and have no problems without using bearing buddies. They're a scam.

 

[guy48065]

You can go to your local Bearing Service store and get seals with a double lip, nothing in, and nothing out. We run a triple axle boat trailer and have no problems without using bearing buddies. They're a scam.

Not a scam--unless you fill them with Amsoil grease.

 

[sberry]

They work for some people, maybe ok for more local travel. If there was a seal I could get to keep the water out it would be my first choice. For the homebody crowd the Kendal Super Blue is pretty, comes in tubs and tubes and might be a dollar or 2 more than the Mystic at the farm store but its good. We used it for a while so we new what era the service had been done.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I've got the cone style used with a grease gun, never tried the second type.
I still pack them by hand. If I'm handling bearings or grease guns I'll be washing my hands anyway.

I do not expect bearing buddies to work well for packing new bearings. They are good for a gauge of grease level and to top off the grease.

 

[sberry]

There are farmers that grease a lot and I have one machine takes about a dozen tubes a year at one point. I do stock 2 flavors in basically 4 guns. I like a pistol with rubber in each type and a lever with straight pipe.
I use the pink for high speed and the black bear snot where it gets dirty and goes slower. The Mystic at the farm store is the real maker as far as I know. They have red and 3% moly. The home user can get by with 1, the red bearing and chassis stuff.
I do use the black on steering, mainly cause I can but I live on really filthy wet roads. 2 miles each way to the pavement. I just finished a rotate now. Had 15 and a year on it and the wheels were stuck some. The front rotors are super grooved at 25K but the pad looks great. The rears look good. There are no grease points. On older pieces we have replaced some stuff and if I am there aint scared to put a pump in something and most is not a wreck.

 

[jonti48310]

I have the Lisle packer. Just more convenient for me.

 

[GarageGuy89]

First time I packed a bearing by hand I was surprised at how easy it was and you can literally see yourself working magic in front of you.

Plenty of u-tube vids out there to explain it.

 

[sberry]

We have a few pieces in regular service long enough to evaluate how well something works or how often it really needs replaced and at what frequency. A couple we found it worth to add a pump on occasion between full service and quit having a problem. The black snot seems to hang in a lot longer under brutal conditions. A replacement ball joint on a common car could easily outlast the unit with a pump or 2 on occasion and anymore would expect it to.
I have some front end parts, I believe I replaced a piece or 2 in a 91 f250 been beat like a slave that are oem. When the truck was relatively new and in hi service simply leaned over and gave the tie rod ends a pump in the spring and fall for the most part, never got parked dry full of water and were plenty strong.
Same for the Ujoints in the front end and drive line. The OEM took a dump about 30 or 40k in, I replaced it all and havnt replaced a piece or had it apart since and its got 200 on it and 20 years since I service it including snow plowing.

 

[Farmall450]

"No hands on experience" get him the bearing buddy. Takes the place of the bearing cap and has a zerk fitting for a grease gun. Don't have to take it apart and mess with the pre-load.

^^^^^^^^^^
Most new trailers have zerks anyhow, check under the rubber seal.

 

[GRX]

Can and often do them by hand. Use a Packer - cone type when doing large bearings or in a busy shop situation when you need to do several a day.

Remembering a time when I made an apprentice completely clean a contaminated packer after he left it sitting open next to the grinder.

 

[TTA579]

I must be the only one here who used a ziploc bag, dropped the bearing in it with a bunch of grease and mooshed it around.

 

[sberry]

I must be the only one here who used a ziploc bag, dropped the bearing in it with a bunch of grease and mooshed it around.

It works well.

 

[fireeqpsrv]

I have one that was my wife's late father's. It holds a tube of grease and uses a lever to pack them.

 

[Scimmia]

If I'm packing a couple of bearings on a trailer, I just do it by hand. When I'm rebuilding equipment and need to pack 100+ bearings at a time, a packer is invaluable.