Real Wheel Bearing Grease

[mrraford]

Ok, so I must be getting old. I went in search of a tub of wheel bearing grease this weekend and came up short. The "young guys" working at Napa, OReillys and Advance all gave me a look like I was a time traveler here to work on a steam train.
Is the old fashioned yellow-brown wheel bearing grease that we used to use in the front hub bearings still made? If so, where can I obtain said product? If not, am I just an old codger that needs to put down my buggy whip and why?
Inquiring minds need to know these things.

[J Franklin]

I think any good brand HI-TEMP wheel bearing grease will service your needs completely. I use Pennsoil brand.

[CarlG]

I even bought a tub of "Timken Wheel Bearing Grease" only to find out that it wasn't the stringy stuff I use to get eons ago.

[Brian T]

Carl,
I don't think you can get that stringy stuff anymore, another choice is #2 Mystik in a red tube, sticks like crap to a blanket, --- so I have been told.

[SeaSlugs]

I use either Valvoline GM Chrysler-European & Japanese Vehicle multi purpose grease, says its good for disc brake wheel bearings, steering linkage, chassis, suspension, U-joints. Pinkish red and sticky as can be.I believe it came from auto parts stores and or walmart...

I also use Lucas brand waterproof trailer wheel bearing grease. kinda odd color light green but man is it stringy and sticky. says its good for high heat/load trailer wheel bearings with brakes and just about every other use for a car on the tub. I found it at farm stores like tractor supply, Big R, Farm and fleet/Fleet farm.

Grease is essentially oil and have improved quite alot over the years. Ive yet to have either stuff get hard on me.

[Tom Wesenberg]

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In the 80's I repacked the front wheel bearings on my 1949 Chevy 1 1/2 ton truck. The truck only had about 33,000 miles and still had the original brown long fiber grease. It was so clean I should have just left it. Anyway if you buy Mystik JT-6 High Temp red grease you'll be fine. The stuff will let the bearings roll easier and it's a very sticky grease.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by mrraford

Ok, so I must be getting old. I went in search of a tub of wheel bearing grease this weekend and came up short. The "young guys" working at Napa, OReillys and Advance all gave me a look like I was a time traveler here to work on a steam train.
Is the old fashioned yellow-brown wheel bearing grease that we used to use in the front hub bearings still made? If so, where can I obtain said product? If not, am I just an old codger that needs to put down my buggy whip and why?
Inquiring minds need to know these things.

Yeah, I believe that you are speaking/remembering of the 'long fiber' wheel grease. I still have and use a couple tubs of that stuff. I also have several tubs of 'short fiber' (modern style) wheel grease. Some pale yellow color, some black color with graphite and some red colored. They all will do the job, and the newer formulated short fiber stuff is said to be 'high temp' application and high pressure application. Just like you, I always liked and used the thick sticky long fiber. Heck, any of them will do the job, IMO.
One of the main reasons that bearings/races will fail....even if you use correct grease....is improper installation and adjustment.

[Bob C]

Looks like NAPA has a pretty good selection. http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Re...Dp%3d3%26N%3d0

Bob

[Joe K]

Doesn't somebody use John Deere Cornhead grease? Sorry for the large print - it's how it comes.

Special-Purpose Corn Head Grease (AN102562, AH80490, TY24428)

A John Deere Corn Head Grease video is now available. To view the video, please click here.
Applications

· Formulated for John Deere corn head and other slow-speed gear cases
· Extra-soft grade of lubricating grease, required for row-unit gear cases of John Deere corn heads
· -30 to 330°F (-34 to 165°C)

Service rating

· NLGI grade 0
· JDMJ13A5, J13E6, and J25A

That print came out better than I thought.

Joe K

[J Franklin]

Error 404: If it is made for wheel bearings it would work also.

[Pat Martone]

I've been using Mobil 1 Synthetic grease (in both tube and tub forms) for greasing the chassis and wheel bearings. I assume that's ok?!

[Joe K]

Originally Posted by J Franklin

Error 404: If it is made for wheel bearings it would work also.

I see the movie doesn't play.

I think the attraction of corn-head grease is that it is "tacky." They used it for almost EVERYTHING over at the farm.

Joe K

[Tom Endy]

I think you can still get this grease from Napa. They may have to order it for you.

Tom Endy

[Gold Digger]

Someone makes some grease called "Big Foot" that is orange in color and makes strings 12 inches long. The stickiest stuff I ever saw. The only place I have found it is in Fairbanks, Alaska and I always stock up on it when I'm over there. I used to use Mystik #2 but this Big Foot will stay in worn out loader and excavator linkage all day.

[MikeK]

This is getting as interesting as a "Which oil should I use?" thread!

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by MikeK

This is getting as interesting as a "Which oil should I use?" thread!

Maybe we could merge them into one thread.

[tbirdtbird]

all 3 FLAPS have tubs or tubes of wheel bearing grease. If it says suitable for disc brakes that is what u want. The long fiber stuff has been gone for 25 yrs and is not coming back.
We use only Mobil 1 synthetic wheel bearing grease here. Very sticky and adherent; an obvious quality product as we handle it; no failures.
Tom W talks of Mystik but it is not around here.

[larrys40]

Originally Posted by Tom Endy

I think you can still get this grease from Napa. They may have to order it for you.

Tom Endy

Tom,
I absolutely agree the StaLube green can is the best sticky heavy grease I have found. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get it in my area and was told it was unavailable. If you have a source please advise. I still have a an empty can and use it when I make house calls and take pre-packed bearings.

Larry Shepard

[Big hammer]

And why did the fiber grease go away? More MPG! When I was pedaling a bike as a kid, I repacked the ball wheel bearings- big mistake very hard to pedal, removed fiber grease and used 30wt oil and became speed racer again :-)

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by Big hammer

And why did the fiber grease go away? More MPG! When I was pedaling a bike as a kid, I repacked the ball wheel bearings- big mistake very hard to pedal, removed fiber grease and used 30wt oil and became speed racer again :-)

the fiber old school grease was not effective for high temp applications as automobiles evolved. the new school high temp grease works fine for low temp applications. its like using white lithium grease its short term and dries up compared to synthetics...
its time for some of us to modernize our inventory

[ped58]

I have been using Mobil 1 for all my wheel bearings too.

[RonC]

Specifications can be found in the November 1932 Ford Service Bulletin.

For wheel bearings, Ford specified an NLGI grade 4 grease. This grease is firmer than the commonly used NLGI grade 2 multi-purpose grease most everyone uses today for wheel bearings. I believe the NLGI grade 4 was specified to reduce leakage. However today we use better seals allowing the use of thinner NLGI 2 grease which I believe is better for wheel bearings. If you have ever seen old grease in wheel bearings from the day you may have noticed how firm the grease is.

For the universal joint, Ford specified to use “universal joint” grease which was 600w oil thicken up with sodium tallow soap. Ford also stated that the universal grease was not as thick as wheel bearing grease.

The specification I found for Universal Grease in the November 1932 Ford Service Bulletin has a ASTM Worked Penetration of 310-330 which equates to NGLI 1 “tomato paste” grease.

A lot of people use the John Deere "Corn head Grease" for the universal joint which is an NLGI grade is 0. This may leak out more than the thicker NLGI grade 1 specified.

For the water pump, Ford specified pressure gun lubricant. Ford recommended NOT to use a "water pump grease" which is grease with a higher melting point than the water temperature reaches. Ford was afraid that globs of grease could break free and infiltrate the radiator and clog the tubes. The lower melting point wheel bearing grease could liquidfy and pass harmlessly through the system. This is probably why Ford recommended frequent regreasing of the water pump bearings.

For the distributor cam, Ford specified Vaseline. Today it is probable better to use distributer cam grease made for that purpose.


Here's a chart of grease grades: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NLGI_Grade


Here's a link for buying corn head grease
http://www.greenpartstore.com/John-D...ubricants.html

[Joe K]

Above an excellent study. Thank you.

One of the problems with driving an obsolete vehicle is that obsolescence wipes out both the dealer support AND the sundries. Meanwhile we do what we can to "reverse engineer" the necessary sundries.

Similar to my examination of the rear axle hub nuts - which has proven to me NOT to buy these nuts from a supplier - but go for the gusto with the best available in the modern marketplace.

But who would know unless someone like above does the legwork first?

Thanks,
Joe K

[Hicktick]

Don't you just love the smell of all the different old greases ???

Just thought of this ,.., worked in shop big new tub of grease ,,.,. guys couldn't keep it away from brake lathe ,.,,. crunchy grease ,,., ruined



,.,

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by Hicktick

Don't you just love the smell of all the different old greases ???

Just thought of this ,.., worked in shop big new tub of grease ,,.,. guys couldn't keep it away from brake lathe ,.,,. crunchy grease ,,., ruined



,.,

i do love the smell of SOME greases...i just dont like it when i think im "clean" and go inside and sit down but can still catch wiffs of it i know its on me somewhere...