Ok, so what will I need?

[dreddub]

Ok, she's home. No incidents. Overall, seems pretty solid and very pleased with her. Haven't decided on a name yet. Will make another thread to ask a question about turn signals.

Posting pics here momentarily.

Dreddub

[dreddub]

Here she is smiling in her new garage:


Coming home on the trailer:


So not bad. Amazed at what is solid, and what is missing... Guess each of these have a story to tell, huh? Anyway, Galvy chassis in particular attracted me to this one. Figure that is a good way to be sure she's solid and a step toward saftey.

Please see my other post to see if you can help me get her on the road.

Thanks,

Dreddub

[Howsomever]

Hey Dreddub and everyone else,

The rear wheel bearings are lubed by the rearend diff oil not bearing grease. It travels from the diff inside the housing kind of with the axle to each wheel and keeps the bearings oiled. The beauty of it is metal pieces tend to fall to the bottom of things where bearing grease will hold things and keep it in the bearings. Oil is kept in by the inner hub seal and the felt washers on the end of the halfshafts. That being said I would pull the rear prop shaft, top off oil in the rearend and leave the halfshafts in. That way the turning rearend gears will keep the oil moving toward the wheel bearings and lubing them the way it was designed.

[ArlowCT]

I have been following this thread and have been wondering why people pack the bearings with grease?

As I understand it, the axle tube is open to the inside of the hub. The bearings in the hub are open to let oil flow from the axle tube through the outer bearing to the inner. The bearings should always be in a bath of oil if the oil level is correct. The oil seal on the back of the hub keeps the oil in and the felt/rubber washer on the end of the halfshaft keeps the oil from leaking out through the center cap.

If the bearings were packed with grease won't the grease be diluted by the oil very quickly by driving?

Please let me know if I'm not understanding this right, I don't want to kill the next set of bearings I put in the truck.

Thanks!

[gudjeon]

I could be talking out of my butt, but here goes. LR had non-oil hole drive member on "later" models because packing the bearings would suffice for lube until gear oil migrated there and took over. Older drive members had an oil filler hole so the hub could be filled with gear oil for initial lubing and the gear oil here would end up being in the diff and vice versa. I have had both kinds and I repack with grease anyway. Yes, it may wash out, but it lubes all the same after a while.

[J!m]

I always pack a new set of bearings. Are you going to install them dry?!?!

Yes, the gear oil will eventually wash the grease out, but it will only do that if oil is there. While waiting for the oil to 'arrive' the bearings are bathed in grease. When you change your gear oil, the (diluted) grease will come out, and the fresh oil will find its way to the bearings eventually, which are still wet from the old oil.

ALWAYS check the level (every oil change at the very least, and any time you go 'wading' as well!) and keep it full. The pinion seal is the first to go usually, and must be renewed to keep oil in and water out.