Wheelbearings

[Traveler]

Considering a wheel bearing replacement project.
Worth doing at 120k km's, or is it too soon? Cannot hear any noise, no reason to believe the bearings are shot. Just preventative maintenance.

[ricster]

I'm going to watch this one carefully.... My Iron Maiden is on 230 000km, and I think it is a good time to do the change too

[Marino4x4]

Wheel bearing grease should be replaced every 40 000 km or every 24 months. Your bearings should be still in a good condition after 120 000 km. A grease change is maybe all you need. Ask someone that has the correct tools to do it for you, or you can buy a tool from Peter Connan. He made some that he sells. This is something that most dealer do not service although it is a very important component.

[Tinus lotz]

I agree just clean and new grease look in the manual but there is a hole thead on it and get the correct tool

[Traveler]

Thanks for the advice.

[Kagiso II]

Boezman het 220 000 op - met oorspronklike bearings MAAR voor volgende laaaang trip gan sy berrings vervang word [en dan boks die wat uitkom en ry dit saam vir 'spêrrz'

[Peter Connan]

The front wheelbearings on a Patrol are massive.

I have in the past few months re-packed two sets. The first were my own. My car then had 260k km on, and I doubt they had ever even been re-packed (the car was quite neglected when I got it, for example no anti-freeze etc.). The other was a buddie's 4.5. He had to have one wheel's bearing replaced as it got water in at some point and thus rusted. The other side is still fine at 200k km though.

My feeling is that if they get serviced and greased properly every say 100k km, and you check for water after every trip containing deep water crossings (by removing one of the bolts on the bottom swivel bearing caps and probing with a piece of wire), they will probably last forever. However, I do believe that every time you service these, you need to replace the major seals in the assembly, being the inner axle oil seal (also clean and re-grease the Birfields at the same time), the seal inside the stub axle that seals against the birfield and the grease seal at the back of the hub.
If the wipers on the outside of the knuckle show damage, they should also be replaced. All the above seals and the necessary grease will currently set you back about R3k.

And yes, I do still have some spanners available.

[Carel]

Ek het my wielmoere die ander dag nagegaan en toe vind ek dat daar 'n speling op albei voorwiele is. Is dit moontlik die bearings wat los is? Daar is nie 'n geraas nie, net die speling as jy die wiel wikkel. Ek het 155000 km op my Patrol (nie die Safari nie)

[Peter Connan]

Carel, as die wielmoere vas is, is dit heel waarskynlik die bearings wat los is. Die enigste ander kandidaat is die swivel (of kingpin) bearings. As dit hulle is, en jy le onder die kar terwyl iemand die wiel skud, sal jy kan sien dat die hele hub assembly beweeg.

Jou Patrol is 'n 4.5 ne? Indien wel, sal jy 'n spesiale spanner nodig he om die bearings ordentlik te torque. Ek het as jy soek.

[Carel]

Ja Peter dit is die 4.5. Ek sal die naweek bietjie kyk waar is die beweging.