Titbits on grease application

motorists will confirm that at times when they open their doors they touch grease and it is messy. We believe then that we are only giving suggestions and tips on the general cleanliness of application of grease to all parts. But in so doing we are not saying ignore the manufacturers’ specifications and guidelines. It is imperative that you follow the instructions contained in the handbook or equipment documents. In the absence of that, we recommend that you contact the suppliers’ agent for advice.

Titbits on maintenance of grease applications for your ease guide.

Ensure that when the bearing is removed care must be taken so that the old grease be cleaned off the spindle by using a clean cloth and obviously must be dry and not moist.

Obviously, the used grease should, as a must, be removed from the hubs and in this case we suggest that you use some cloth dipped in paraffin but we prefer solvents.

Bearings should be washed clean and use a bearing washer as this will ensure that the solvent is pushed inside the bearing cage.

Clean the grease retainers with a dry cloth.

The bearing surfaces must be dry and we suggest the use of air, as the fresh charge of grease does not stick on damp or wet surfaces.

Check the bearing components for wear and tear and if they exist we suggest that you replace the whole assembly.

We suggest that you do not hand pack as this will not guarantee that all the surfaces are properly covered which might contaminate through grit or dirt.

In avoidable circumstances use a bearing packer/grease gun as it will at least guarantee that all parts are lubricated.

Ensure that grease is packed in both the inner and outer bearings

We discourage topping of grease and rather prefer a complete repacking.

The compatibility of grease is a must moreso when you contemplate to change your supplier and in cases where it is applied on severe situations we are of the belief then that you need to thoroughly clean and then recharge the bearing. Possibly, the previous grease did not work as per required specifications or maybe unsatisfactory, we do not believe that a mixture of two different types of grease will yield better performance. There is a scenario where there will be an increase of rate of softening coupled with a rise in temperature. We therefore suggest that you do not mix grease that are incompatible as this will defeat the intended purpose.

Please do not over pack grease as this can be harmful.

Ensure that you do not overfill because there will be no space left for any grease flung out between the races.

The other aspect is that grease will continue circulating within the bearings and housing hence releasing and leading to increase temperature coupled with softening, leakages and possible failure.

The grease in the cavity between the bearings must not be filled beyond the diameter of the outer races or cups.

Please ensure that the dust cap is not filled with grease. Inasmuch as manufactures recommend a particular grease, there are, however, some cases where oil lubricates better than grease and we here are a few situations:

Where lubrication is required in a very dirty atmosphere.

Where the sealing effect of a grease at the end of the bearings is important.

Where operations are of high temperature, high pressures and low speeds.

Where shock loading occurs.

Where bearings are inaccessible and must operate with infrequent attention.

Where product being manufactured should be free from possible contamination by lubricants which may drip or spatter (splash). We suggest care must be taken on grease for particular applications that have a tendency of generating heat such that the grease will melt and fail to lubricate. In some cases grease has a melting point of +-100 degrees Celsius.

We have mentioned this before and we will continue to do so.
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