millsy
4x4 Earth Contributer
Just a reminder from some id..t that forgot to re-grease his bearings this winter!
We had just about finished a great 6 day trek through the Victorian deserts when the bearings blew up. This was 130km south east of Loxton, about 60 or 70km into the Sunset country. Lots af horrible noises coming from the front left wheel. Lots of dollars being paid to the mechanic tomorrow night when I collect the car from Loxton. Plus $46 for the bus fare, and the three and a half our trip out there after work, and three and a half back again.
I must admit I had a lot of fun playing in the puddles at various stages of this trip, and the two previous somewhat muddy trips over the past month. But it looks like the rear dust seal had deteriorated, and so water and mud had found its way into the hubs.
Might think more carefully about thrashing through puddles and mud in the future! And will certainly need to re-pack the bearings regularly, especially after a few trips through the water and mud. It wouldn't take them long to go rusty if water had got in! Which is obviously what has what happened this time. Not to mention the damage done by the sand particles grinding around inside as well!
Also, I had never inspected the bearings since buying my first 4x4 about about 40,000km ago! Expensive oversight. Bearings seem to last 'for ever' in ordinary cars, and I just had not thought about it.
Now I can remember the times the bearings blew up on some of my boat trailers, and the 'bearing buddies' that I bought to keep the water out. I guess 4x4 vehicles out in the mud are a lot like trailers launching and retrieving the boats.
LOOK AFTER THOSE BEARINGS!!
Could have easily been avoided for the sake of a bit of grease and a couple of hours work!
Apparently water had also got into the steering knuckle hubs, and so the mechanic had to strip these down and re-grease the upper and lower bearing races, and clean all the old grease and water out of the hubs, and clean and repack the CV joints with grease!
So new bearings on both sides now, and all that work on the steering knuckles on both sides. I might have to give him the truck, if he will take it, to pay for the repairs!
Hope some one who reads this is saved from making the same mistake!
Cheers, Millsy.
We had just about finished a great 6 day trek through the Victorian deserts when the bearings blew up. This was 130km south east of Loxton, about 60 or 70km into the Sunset country. Lots af horrible noises coming from the front left wheel. Lots of dollars being paid to the mechanic tomorrow night when I collect the car from Loxton. Plus $46 for the bus fare, and the three and a half our trip out there after work, and three and a half back again.
I must admit I had a lot of fun playing in the puddles at various stages of this trip, and the two previous somewhat muddy trips over the past month. But it looks like the rear dust seal had deteriorated, and so water and mud had found its way into the hubs.
Might think more carefully about thrashing through puddles and mud in the future! And will certainly need to re-pack the bearings regularly, especially after a few trips through the water and mud. It wouldn't take them long to go rusty if water had got in! Which is obviously what has what happened this time. Not to mention the damage done by the sand particles grinding around inside as well!
Also, I had never inspected the bearings since buying my first 4x4 about about 40,000km ago! Expensive oversight. Bearings seem to last 'for ever' in ordinary cars, and I just had not thought about it.
Now I can remember the times the bearings blew up on some of my boat trailers, and the 'bearing buddies' that I bought to keep the water out. I guess 4x4 vehicles out in the mud are a lot like trailers launching and retrieving the boats.
LOOK AFTER THOSE BEARINGS!!
Could have easily been avoided for the sake of a bit of grease and a couple of hours work!
Apparently water had also got into the steering knuckle hubs, and so the mechanic had to strip these down and re-grease the upper and lower bearing races, and clean all the old grease and water out of the hubs, and clean and repack the CV joints with grease!
So new bearings on both sides now, and all that work on the steering knuckles on both sides. I might have to give him the truck, if he will take it, to pay for the repairs!
Hope some one who reads this is saved from making the same mistake!
Cheers, Millsy.
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