Lets talk grease.

[AlabamaDan]

Seems like this topic is still open for debate... I too have recently started taking care of a 1980 C10 and a 1958 tractor and lots of zerk fittings to fill. In the past we always seemed to have grease around... I don't however remember the brand. I too am looking for the best great to use...

 

[Duner Wi]

Mystic JT 6 Hi Temp in most everything.
I purchase by the 5 gallon bucket .

 

[caterpillar guy]

Wheel bearing grease is such an over rated thing. Most wheel bearings don't turn as fast as most bearings on machinery like combines Harvesters and such. And they just get Gun grease of whatever most people put in them. I personally like Oil run bearings for wheel bearings and if They hold up on Semi's they will work for any other bearing in use other than if you are running them in water submerged a lot. Then nothing will last for a long time. I use oil where I can and gun grease for any place else in wheel bearings.

 

[rick n ohio]

In the past I used a grease with Moly in it for everything. then I was told that moly should not be used in things that spin like a bearing. Even though I never had a problem I switched to Lucas red and tacky..

now it seems like Im wearing things out that did not wear with moly. Anyway does anyone jave any input about greases and grease types?

BTW water contamination is not a thing here so I don't need that in a g

Wheel bearing grease is such an over rated thing. Most wheel bearings don't turn as fast as most bearings on machinery like combines Harvesters and such. And they just get Gun grease of whatever most people put in them. I personally like Oil run bearings for wheel bearings and if They hold up on Semi's they will work for any other bearing in use other than if you are running them in water submerged a lot. Then nothing will last for a long time. I use oil where I can and gun grease for any place else in wheel

Wheel bearing grease is such an over rated thing. Most wheel bearings don't turn as fast as most bearings on machinery like combines Harvesters and such. And they just get Gun grease of whatever most people put in them. I personally like Oil run bearings for wheel bearings and if They hold up on Semi's they will work for any other bearing in use other than if you are running them in water submerged a lot. Then nothing will last for a long time. I use oil where I can and gun grease for any place else in wheel bearings.

I'll put my 2cents on this one in worked on a asphalt plant for 43 years sometime around 25 years ago I switched to grease with molly in it.without counting the plant had probably fifty bearings around the plant on conveyors bucket elevators dust screws .this plant ran 12 to 15 hours a day and alot of 24 hours a day when night shift started I have to call this bull crap I had great success with this grease.

 

[Welding man]

In the past I used a grease with Moly in it for everything. then I was told that moly should not be used in things that spin like a bearing. Even though I never had a problem I switched to Lucas red and tacky..

now it seems like Im wearing things out that did not wear with moly. Anyway does anyone jave any input about greases and grease types?

BTW water contamination is not a thing here so I don't need that in a grease.

My assessment is, any grease is better than no grease. I work on and service a lot of different types of trucks and off road equipment. I don't think a lot of my customers even know what a grease gun is. We change out a lot of fittings that won't even take grease. We use whatever we can get our hands on.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

All I have to say about grease is
Someone needs to make a grease that can't jump and can easly be removed from my bibs.
If I get close to grease it jumps on my BIBS.

 

[Wdj]

The John Deere 1270 log harvester at work is lithium grease is specified. Something about moly being bad for sensors . Im not the operator so don’t remember specifics.

 

[tom upton]

In the past I used a grease with Moly in it for everything. then I was told that moly should not be used in things that spin like a bearing. Even though I never had a problem I switched to Lucas red and tacky..

now it seems like Im wearing things out that did not wear with moly. Anyway does anyone jave any input about greases and grease types?

BTW water contamination is not a thing here so I don't need that in a grease.

I dont consider myself an expert, but I do have 45 years or so working with bearings and the lubrication of same in the sawmill industry, which utilizes many different types of bearings. Without going into a whole lot of blarney on iso specifications etc on bearing construction, and applications in general using Moly grease on most all farm equipment will be just fine. In fact like you elude it is probably a better choice than grease without Moly as it tends to last longer and will be more apt to prevent things like fretting. When you get into HIGH PRECISION rolling bearings like linear bearings ,angular contact bearings etc. that are used in machine tools etc, but NOT on most farm equipment that I am aware of then Moly becomes a no no.

 

[Mcrafty1]

I have used Wolf's Head red grease for over 30 years without any problems. Works for me, I get it by the case at Napa.

I too have switched to Wolf's Head a couple years ago...I buy it shipped to the door from Amazon...it's not cheap but I like the fact it stays well in most everything I need it for. That being said in the 50 years of owning various types of equipment I've used about every type/brand of grease on the market. I have Trucks, a Dozer an excavator and a wheel loader. Also an old Kolman shaker screen with bearings everywhere you look. I've had most all of the things mentioned at least ten years and some much longer, the truck 20 or more. I've never had what I would call premature grease related failures on any of it. I DO work alone and the equipment never lacks for grease which I believe goes a long way toward avoiding grease related failures, more so than the type of grease used. The 4020 I've only owned for a few months so I don't include that in my list.

 

[mark1955]

slick 50 used to work very well on bearings, it had Teflon mixed in with it, also the eggs slid right out onto the plate

 

[mark1955]

most vehicles today, you cannot grease the bearings, every bearing is sealed, by the time you hear it, it is too late, to try and save it.

 

[AlabamaDan]

slick 50 used to work very well on bearings, it had Teflon mixed in with it, also the eggs slid right out onto the plate

I haven't thought about Slick 50 in years. I used to run that in my 73 Ford Back in the day. Mixed it in the oil.

 

[INCase]

In the past I used a grease with Moly in it for everything. then I was told that moly should not be used in things that spin like a bearing. Even though I never had a problem I switched to Lucas red and tacky..

now it seems like Im wearing things out that did not wear with moly. Anyway does anyone jave any input about greases and grease types?

BTW water contamination is not a thing here so I don't need that in a grease.

never been a fan of Lucas products.. might look at a different brand maybe a couple the others suggested????

 

[farmersamm]

Have to look it up, but IIRC................the red tacky stuff has a higher dropping point. This isn't the cat's meow when it comes to most bearings. Anything before warmup will result in a thick grease that doesn't flow well.

I tried the equivalent stuff in wheel bearings years ago, and gave up on it. Saw an increase in wear. Might just by me, but this was my experience. I stick to a regular Moly Lith base NLG2 for all applications on the equipment. I think the main factor is GREASE.........keep it greased religiously. Not once a day,, but at your lunch break when in the field. Little time spent, less cost to replace stuff. Same with chain lube...............I'll lube about every coupla hours. The thin spray stuff.......not the goopy stuff. The thin stuff flows down in the rollers.

While it's off topic...........................I greased the wheel bearings on my deckover trailer back in 2014 when I built it. Haven't greased, or had to adjust them since. And it's a relatively high mileage trailer that seldom has less than a capacity load. Valvoline Synpower full synthetic. But be careful......this grease cannot be combined with any non synthetic grease. Bearings have to be fully cleaned before using it. I use the same grease on my hitch balls for the bumper pulls, and goosenecks.

Back to wheel bearings................................ Do a little experiment just for your own education. Set them with no endplay, and run a few miles........check the hub for heat. Back them off to around .0015 endplay..........then check the hubs. You will find that they run cooler with endplay. It is near impossible to set a tapered roller bearing with perfect 0 endplay. The default setting is around 1.5 thou. Check with Timken if you don't believe me.

 

[farmersamm]

Hey.........MY BAD

I use this stuff,, or the equivalent https://north40.com/harvest-kingr-all-season-lith-flex-multi-purpose-grease It's not a moly grease. Sorry.

 

[farmersamm]

If you look at ball bearing specs, you can find max running temperature. This generally breaks down between the actual internal parts(rollers, etc), and the type of seal material. You'll find that most greases will hold up well to the bearing specs. This should be all that concerns you.

 

[farmersamm]

If you're exceeding temps in a regular environment(some bearings are made to run in very hot environments, but aren't the ones were discussing), it means that the bearing is generally damaged in some way. It's already toast.

 

[farmersamm]

I'll put my 2cents on this one in worked on a asphalt plant for 43 years sometime around 25 years ago I switched to grease with molly in it.without counting the plant had probably fifty bearings around the plant on conveyors bucket elevators dust screws .this plant ran 12 to 15 hours a day and alot of 24 hours a day when night shift started I have to call this bull crap I had great success with this grease.

I agree on oil bath wheel bearings............FOR WEAR PROPERTIES. But..........if the vehicle sits for long periods, the vent in the filler cap on the hub will let air in, and cause rust on any part of the wheel bearing above the oil fill line(the oil runs off the bearing). So.........if you have a truck, or trailer, that sits for long periods between use............greased bearings are your friend, unless you move the equipment every so often to get oil up on the top part of the bearing.

 

[AlabamaDan]

I never knew there would be such a discussion! Who knew?

 

[tom upton]

Have to look it up, but IIRC................the red tacky stuff has a higher dropping point. This isn't the cat's meow when it comes to most bearings. Anything before warmup will result in a thick grease that doesn't flow well.

I tried the equivalent stuff in wheel bearings years ago, and gave up on it. Saw an increase in wear. Might just by me, but this was my experience. I stick to a regular Moly Lith base NLG2 for all applications on the equipment. I think the main factor is GREASE.........keep it greased religiously. Not once a day,, but at your lunch break when in the field. Little time spent, less cost to replace stuff. Same with chain lube...............I'll lube about every coupla hours. The thin spray stuff.......not the goopy stuff. The thin stuff flows down in the rollers.

While it's off topic...........................I greased the wheel bearings on my deckover trailer back in 2014 when I built it. Haven't greased, or had to adjust them since. And it's a relatively high mileage trailer that seldom has less than a capacity load. Valvoline Synpower full synthetic. But be careful......this grease cannot be combined with any non synthetic grease. Bearings have to be fully cleaned before using it. I use the same grease on my hitch balls for the bumper pulls, and goosenecks.

Back to wheel bearings................................ Do a little experiment just for your own education. Set them with no endplay, and run a few miles........check the hub for heat. Back them off to around .0015 endplay..........then check the hubs. You will find that they run cooler with endplay. It is near impossible to set a tapered roller bearing with perfect 0 endplay. The default setting is around 1.5 thou. Check with Timken if you don't believe me.

So do you actually meausure the .0015 axial movement? And if its not at .0015 how do you possibly adjust end play that close when you have to line up the hole to the slot in the castelated nut? Then there is the ambient temperature v/s the running temperature that given the coefficent of expansion would probably change your setting by more than the .0015 you say you set at. The way to set your wheel bearings on trailer is a feel thing to determine when you have a slight amount of drag by rotating wheel when tightening up your bearing nut then backing it off till the cotter pin will go in. I am not saying your suggested .0015 is not good, its just not practical to achieve and know this is what you will have especially when it gets up to running temperature. That being said there are many applications were tapered roller bearings have to be set even closer than your .0015. Often a predetermined preload will be specified. However setting to 0 or a specified preload would not be done with a castle nut and a cotter pin. Heck depending on the pitch of the thread the clearance from cotter pin to the hole in axle and the slot in the nut would probably let it move axially .0015? Sorry about the rant I just dont want some young lads out there thinking they have to achieve .0015 on there trailer wheel bearings.