What type of grease for wheel bearings

Unlike lithium-complex greases, which need a significant amount of antimony-zinc or other types of additives, calcium-sulfonate thickeners have inherent extreme-pressure and anti-wear properties. In addition, while sulfonates are known to be natural rust inhibitors, lithium-complex greases invariably need rust-inhibiting additives. Furthermore, calcium sulfonate , by virtue of its thickener property, provides excellent water-resistance properties and does not break down even in the presence of water.

To improve their water-resistance properties, lithium-complex greases usually require tackifiers, which are prone to deplete quickly in the presence of water. Calcium-sulfonate greases are also compatible with lithium and lithium-complex greases. The only limitations with calcium-sulfonate greases are their inferior pumpability and cost.

However, recent technological advances have brought these greases up to par with lithium-complex greases. A calcium-sulfonate grease can also be applied in more types of industries compared to lithium-complex greases, thus making it the preferred choice for a high-performance multi-purpose grease. We encourage you to read our updated Privacy Policy Hide.

Toggle navigation Toggle search. Magazine Subscribe Today! Current Issue Archive Advertise. Grease Composition Lubricating greases basically are composed of a thickener 10 to 15 percent , base oil 80 to 90 percent and performance additives 5 to 10 percent.

Multi-Purpose Grease In simple terms, a multi-purpose grease can be defined as a grease combining the properties of two or more specialized greases that can be applied in more than one application. High-Performance Multi-Purpose Greases In modern machinery design and construction, machines operate under more severe conditions with the expectation of increased productivity and less downtime.

Comparison of fully formulated greases These stringent requirements can be met by more efficient high-performance greases like lithium-complex, calcium-sulfonate, aluminum-complex, polyurea and clay-based greases. Lithium Complex vs. Calcium Sulfonate Lithium-complex greases generally possess good stability, high-temperature characteristics and water-resistance properties.

Comparing grease application suitability Calcium-sulfonate greases exhibit superior mechanical and shear stability compared to lithium-complex greases, indicating less leakage and run-out during operation.

About the Author Dr. Anoop Kumar. Anoop Kumar is the director of research and business development at Royal Manufacturing. He has more than 20 years of experience in the field of lubricants and greases, along with a doctorat Dropping point refers to the temperature at which the grease changes from its semi-solid state to a liquid state.

Most greases have the recommended dropping point of degrees Fahrenheit. Grease with a low dropping point won't serve its purpose as a lubricant. Depending on the quality of the bearing, they normally last between 85, and , miles. Some premium bearings can be pushed to , miles. Like yours did. Your wheel bearings were probably originally lubed with a lithiumcomplex grease, a perfectly good grease for wheel-bearing use, even on a boat trailer if it's maintained.

Shooting some more grease into the bearing cap with a grease gun isn't a bad idea. Shooting an incompatible grease in is. This counterpoints the need to completely remove the last vestiges of old grease from a bearing whenever it's repacked. Yes, you want to remove the dirt and wear particles, but odds are you won't know what kind of grease the last mechanic used.

I'm not going to print a huge grease compatibility chart here, although that kind of information is available on the Internet. If you always clean the bearings properly before repacking, it will never be a problem. Don't have a nice parts-washing sink with recirculating solvent handy to your driveway? It's still easy to clean the bearings properly.

Remove the bearings, inner and outer, and any shims, lockwashers and clamp nuts. The bearing inner or outer races can stay pressed in place, however. Scrub the inside of the bearing cavity with paper towels until you've got as much grease out as possible, and wipe as much off the bearing itself.