Stepdown Rear Axle Bearings

Unknown

Just to be sure, the houseing has a screw on each side that appears to be packed with grease at the bearing. Is that correct ? Regular or high temp wheel bearing grease and full or leave a little air space ? Need to use hand pressure gun to fill it or just stuff in what you can ? I assume then that the bearing can not get any lube from the gear oil in the main houseing, right ? THANKS, BUD

Park_W

Bud, you're correct about those bearings and the two screw plugs. Remove the plugs, install a grease fitting temporarily and give a couple of good shots with a hand-operated gun. If you feel any increase in resistance, STOP. Hudson didn't put fittings there because they knew someone who didn't know better would put a pressure gun on them and blow out the bearing grease seals. And you're right, the bearings don't get grease from the differential lube. There are seals on the inner side of the bearings to prevent that.

Jay_G

What I was told from the guy that rebuilt mine was unscrew the screw plug. Screw in a standard grease fitting. Give it ONE stroke from a manual gun. Unscrew the fitting, replace the plug and you are good to go. any more that that and you could blow the grease seal out. The grease was any good bearing grease.



Jay

Jon B

Why put the grease fitting in temporarily?



When I take my Hudson to the ezy-lube place, I'm on it like a mother hen, making especially sure the grease jockey hits the throwout bearing fitting, and DOESN'T hit either of the rear wheel bearing fittings.

Unknown

THANKS GUYS, better safe than sorry. BUD

Unknown

Jon B wrote:

Why put the grease fitting in temporarily?



When I take my Hudson to the ezy-lube place, I'm on it like a mother hen, making especially sure the grease jockey hits the throwout bearing fitting, and DOESN'T hit either of the rear wheel bearing fittings.

---

We get a lot of the best expert advice on here--FREE--when ever I go to a PAID expert I usually end up with a sick feeling, I like to do my own , then I know. Spent my life working on/driveing trucks and a little more grease ain't gonna kill me. Thanks again, BUD

nick s

if you don't know anything about the past servicing of the bearings, I would suggest pulling the axles to clean and inspect the bearings then handpack and install (replacing if necessary). 60 year old grease dosen't much resemble grease and a its better to discover that a little moisture did major damage under controlled circumstances.

as for pulling the fittings and replugging - i like it because a seldom used fitting is likely to clog as the oil separates from the thickeners in the grease within the fitting. I believe that is the reason Hudson opted to use temporary fittings and plugged the holes.

Unknown

When doing the rear brakes I always pull the axles and clean, check and hand pack the bearings. Replace the outer seal and ready to go for many miles and months. Have replaced a truck load of clutches and brake shoes after some grease monkeys kept shooting grease into fittings trying to see it come out some place else. And back in the 40 and 50s the grease rack boys were told to shoot the grease till it came out some place.

RL Chilton

Billy K.TN. wrote:

When doing the rear brakes I always pull the axles and clean, check and hand pack the bearings. Replace the outer seal and ready to go for many miles and months. Have replaced a truck load of clutches and brake shoes after some grease monkeys kept shooting grease into fittings trying to see it come out some place else. And back in the 40 and 50s the grease rack boys were told to shoot the grease till it came out some place.

Unfortunately, a lot of us, yours truly included, were taught the same meager applications past down from one "armchair mechanic" to the next. Trouble with this urban legend is, certain applications this sage advice applies and others, it does not (rear axle is prime example).