What is Best Way to Clean Wheel Bearings

[AlfinVA]

I'm going to repack my wheel bearings. What is the best way to clean them for inspection and before repacking?
I've seen kerosene and mineral spirits recommended some places and criticized elsewhere. I've seen laquer thinner and gasoline recommended and criticized. What is the best cleaning solvent and WHY please.
I've seen air dry recommended and blowing them out with compressed air after the solvent wash. What's the right way, please? Thanks.

[klawockvet]

Get a pair of solvent proof gloves> my jobber sells mineral spirits for use in parts washers>thoroughly wash all old grease out of the bearings>dry them gently with blue paper towels>inspect them for brown discoloration or more serious galling>final drying with LIGHT air pressure won't be a problem, but spinning at high speeds can be>after clean and dry and inspected pack with the wheel bearing grease of your choice being careful to work it into the races>pack it well and place in either the exact same race or use a new set of bearings and cup>install a new seal and you are done. Old seals can sometimes be saved but usually not worth the hassle. If at all possible try to replace any bad bearings and seals with USA Timken or other USA product. Stay away from the cheap foreign bearings and seals found at the major auto dealers. Thats how I do it.

[nick c]

I don't use mineral spirits to clean a bearing because its too oily. The bearing must be bone dry for the grease to stick, so I use gasoline and compressed air. I always use a bearing packer to pack the bearings. Once you use a bearing packer, you will never pack a bearing by hand. It places the grease between the bearing cage and the race, then you can smear some on the outside of the bearing.
carry on nick c

[2935ford]

I use Varsol to clean them but have been told not to spin them dry with an air hose.
It's getting harder and harder but definitely if you replace them, USA only!

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

ALSO, you can CAREFULLY pry out 1 roller, with a small screwdriver, to inspect the inner race for pitting or pot holes. It's EASY to tap the roller back in place. What you wash them with, is NO big deal, as long as it cuts GREASE!! If you're SINGLE, you could put them in yo' DISHWASHER, IF that's too small a load, put the hubs & drums in, also!!!
Bill W.

[C26Pinelake]

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Originally Posted by nick c

I don't use mineral spirits to clean a bearing because its too oily. The bearing must be bone dry for the grease to stick, so I use gasoline and compressed air. I always use a bearing packer to pack the bearings. Once you use a bearing packer, you will never pack a bearing by hand. It places the grease between the bearing cage and the race, then you can smear some on the outside of the bearing.
carry on nick c

Right or wrong I do the same. When time allows I let them sit in the gasoline over night ! I use only Timken bearings where possible. Wayne

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by AlfinVA

What is the best cleaning solvent and WHY please.

The "best" is what you have available and cuts grease.

[WestCoast]

use any thing that removes grease, gas, diesel, solvent, it doesn't matter, none of those will hurt the bearing, soak a few minutes, shake the bearing in the cleaner to remove the grease, blow dry with low pressure air nozzle, pack with wheel bearing grease, the kind that will flow back to the bearing, not the long fiber type that gets flung off the bearing and sticks to the inside of the hub and stays there, pack the bearing and smear some on the out side of bearing and on the race

[WestCoast]

Mike V, your right, this is not rocket science, just get the old grease off and new grease on, simple

[Fullraceflathead]

I soak mine in Acetone in a glass mason jar with the lid on it to prevent evaporation.

[RonC]

From Timkens web site:

How do I clean the lubricant out of my bearing?
Start by wiping off all the oil or grease you can reach. Then, for mineral and synthetic oils and greases, wipe all surfaces with hydrocarbon solvent such as mineral spirits or kerosene, followed with an isopropyl alcohol wipe.

[Redbird]

Ever since taking apart my bicycle as a kid, I have used gasoline and compressed air. I have never had a bearing fail doing this.

[CTH automotive]

I always use my parts washer. If you don't have one of those, and before I had mine, a simple pan of gas and a tooth brush does the job. Compressed air never hurt a bearing unless you spin them. We were taught that in HS shop! Saw one kid do it cause the noise was so cool, till the cage blew apart! NEVER let them spin! But blow out thoroughly and follow everyone else's instructions here.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Redbird

Ever since taking apart my bicycle as a kid, I have used gasoline and compressed air. I have never had a bearing fail doing this.

X2

Then I repack by hand and use Mystik JT-6 high temp red grease.

[Kurt in NJ]

Working flat rate I learned to make a quick assessment of bearing condition to not waste time cleaning bad bearings ---when the bearing is first removed look at the undisturbed old grease on the cage between the rollers ---look close for silver flakes, if they are present the bearing is bad, no need to clean

If they pass cleaning starts, wash bearing with brush in solvent, blow loosened grease out from inside cage (do not blow air to spin, just through space between rollers, wash again, blow out again till dry---if weather or solvent conditions slow evaporation of solvent set on light bulb so heat evaporates solvent, inspect again looking through cage at inner race, roll each roller to inspect surface and large ends

Use clean grease, I keep 2 tubs of grease---one tub is kept immaculate ---the other (usually near empty) for dirty finger dipping

[Mitch//pa]

i use mineral spirits and a bearing packer
blow them dry with out spinning them

[Larry Jenkins]

A plastic container with a lid that will hold some solvent and the bearing cleans well when you shake the container..

Larry

[TinCup]

Kerosene, That's the way Dad did it!

[rudvirus]

Personally, I just take the old bearing out wipe them off the best I can. Then I inspect them if there good just repack them. Never do I take the time to get all the grease out. why you ask, look at the cars on the road today do they repack their bearings every 1000 miles nope. On all are race cars the family has never do we sit there and clean all the grease out just to repack them and none of them have failed on us.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Someone mentioned that OLD STRINGY wheel bearing grease, it WAS recommended for OLD G.M. cars that used BALL BEARINGS in the front hubs !
There were change over kits, to convert them to Timken Roller bearings.
Bill W.