Wheel bearings

[yamaha fj rider]

I am getting ready to replace the wheel bearings on the new wheels for my FJ. My question is when you remove the seals on the new bearings there is very little grease and who knows what quality, should I repack these bearings before installing them? Looking forward to your thoughts and comments.

Kurt

[FJ Flyer]

They should be sealed bearings.  You should replace, anyway.  Give Charlie at CBR Bearings a call.  He'll hook you up with good quality (i.e., not chinese) bearings with a minimal shipping cost.

[yamaha fj rider]

These are brand new bearings. Thanks for the tip on where to get bearings not made in China, I will remember this in the future.

Kurt

[Pat Conlon]

Hey Kurt, sure go ahead and add some grease and reinstall the seals. It could not hurt.
I use heavy duty wheel bearing grease for boat trailers which are subject to submersion.

Cheers, hope to meet you in pet-the-tuna.... Pat

[movenon]

Kurt,  I added a little bit of grease. I didn't pack them full, just a little more than they put in. I figure it couldn't hurt.
George

[yamaha fj rider]

Pat and George thanks for your response. I went ahead and repacked the bearings before installing them. Is this something other people do? Good bearings with poor grease or no grease will fail. I was amazed how little grease was in these bearings. I use AmsOil synthetic grease.

Kurt

[movenon]

Most of the bearing manufactures use pretty high quality grease. I just feel that in a motorcycle application (relative lower rpm use but with higher stress loads and closer to moisture enviorments) a bit extra grease is good. AmsOil grease is about as good as it gets.
Those bearings are not designed just for motorcycle's, but for a range of applications. For example without looking at the bearing spec., it is designed for a rpm / load weight and direction range. Say at 10,000 rpm upper limit / light load then light grease is probably what you need, but if your application for that bearing is at 3000 rpm / heaver load then maybe a little more grease might be helpful. Not to mention the water penetration concerns.
I replaced all my wheel bearings in the rear conversion with double sealed units. Anyhow that's my opinion on those bearings. Putting a bit more grease in there you are just making the bearing a little more motorcycle wheel application specific . Has a bearing ever failed because of to much lubrication ? I don't know.
George

[FJ Flyer]

Interesting.  All the wheel bearings I've ever gotten for the FJ have been sealed.

[movenon]

Interesting.  All the wheel bearings I've ever gotten for the FJ have been sealed.

The GSXR rear wheel that I installed had 2 that were only sealed on one side. My front FZR wheel bearings were both sealed.
George

[Thmsdoyle]

My gsxr rear I just modded up was the same way. Bearings half locked up and seals only on the outside part of the bearing.

[rktmanfj]

You guys might be confusing shielded vs. sealed:   http://myballbearing.com/wiki_sealed_bearing.html        

Sealed bearings are rated for higher speeds than shielded.

I usually get the ~2rs (rubber shielded both sides) and fill 'em up.

[movenon]

You guys might be confusing shielded vs. sealed:   http://myballbearing.com/wiki_sealed_bearing.html        

Sealed bearings are rated for higher speeds than shielded.

I usually get the ~2rs (rubber shielded both sides) and fill 'em up.

Yes, you are correct. Shielded .
George

[FJ Flyer]

You guys might be confusing shielded vs. sealed:   http://myballbearing.com/wiki_sealed_bearing.html        

Sealed bearings are rated for higher speeds than shielded.

I usually get the ~2rs (rubber shielded both sides) and fill 'em up.

Best as I can remember, mine were sealed and marked as such.  No pop out caps to re-lube.

[movenon]

They also make them with metal shields which can also be "picked" out. They are about AL. foil thin... Well maybe a bit thicker but not by much. 
George