[VAC] Re: wheel bearings

["Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxx>]

It really would be a better idea to use wheel bearing grease rather than
general purpose grease. General purpose grease will lubricate fine until
you really heat up the brakes on a long grade, then it will probably
turn to oil and run past the seals leaving no lubricant.

I've had the brakes hot enough on my Caravel on just a 1/4 mile down
grade (I let them hold the truck back for a while too) that I could
smell the heat in the truck cab (with the window open, probably a
following breeze).

I know of one local who used to have a service station who used plain
chassis grease when customers wanted car wheel bearings packed. He
claims none ever came back complaining. He doesn't know how many failed
on the road in a hot mountainous climate (which isn't Iowa) and wrecked
spindles, drums or disk brakes, maybe the cars and their passengers. USE
WHEEL BEARING GREASE, its different for a good reason.

Gerald J.