Anybody got any advice on front wheel bearing grease or lubricant if I don't clean out and repack with fresh Timken wheel bearing grease after every river crossing my front wheel bearings fall apart.
2003 Triton.
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Anybody got any advice on front wheel bearing grease or lubricant if I don't clean out and repack with fresh Timken wheel bearing grease after every river crossing my front wheel bearings fall apart.
2003 Triton.
Buy a Toyota.... No idea sorry, my old Isuzu was a shocker for wheel bearings and cvs was just one of those maintaince things you had to do
Bugger forgot about the CV's they will also be full of water:sick:
Fitted a cheap snorkel after the ute in front of me disappeared into a hole in the Rakaia River last year I thought his Navara was a submarine like the James Bond Lotus, might just keep out of water
Guy I know has similar issues with his.
Preventative maintenance seems to be it.
Every 4WD has its quirks. Even my land cruiser
Easy way is don’t get them wet:thumbsup:
Shit i have driven through heaps of water in my hilux and never ever checked them...
Dont just grease the bearings pack the entire cavity as full as you can= no room for water.
Try heaps of marine grease that you use with cutlis?? bearings. Believe it or not, it's supposed to be more water resistant.
If you doing a lot of water crossings you will need to do a lot more regular checks on wheel bearings and driveline oils etc.
No easy way around it. Be prepared to have to change them all often.
if doing lots of water crossings might pay to extend your diff breathers as well
If you take a look at the seals they are designed to keep grease in not not water out
Ad that to the water pressure trying to get in
And ad that to the vacuum created by rapidly cooling the hot housing/hub
You could have 3m high breathers and water would still get in there
Makes you feel good is about all they do
Good south island water keeps my diff strong and healthy
This^^^
You can fit a grease nipple to a lot of 4wd front hubs and pump extra grease into the hub without removing the hub from the spindle, A few pumps every 3-4 months keeps them full of grease. You may not keep all the water out but you can certainly minimise it.
And check the hubs seals where they run on the spindle as once they wear, water can be pushed in through the seal, It will keep the grease in but not good at keeping water out when worn.
Over fill your CVs with grease a bit too and ensure you're CV boots are cracked or perished and all the clamps are tight.
Diff breathers do work. You just need to get them as high as possible and in a dry place for them to vent. I think the issue with a lot of daily driver 4wds is that seals wear and water can find its way in. Also a hot diff hitting cold water can cause a small vacuum which can suck water in through worn seals too.
Using a 4wd in water or mud etc. does call for more regular maintenance though. I change my diff oils twice a year due to the environments we drive in. (Mud, Water, Silt Sand etc.) The price we are prepared to pay for using our 4wd for our Hobby.
Extended diff breathers do work, a normal diff breather is usually just a cap on top of the diff which close with pressure , a hot diff cold water and this is what creates the vacuum and sucks water in , extended diff breathers allow the diff to equalise and not as much vacuum , I have seen heaps of examples of how they help keep water out all things being equal with grease and seals ,
Have even tried pressurising the housings with compressed air from onboard compressor. Helps but still get water in past the seals. Also tried double seals with 1 facing backwards. Its a losing battle. No simple solution.
Easier to just replace oil and grease all the time.
Diff breathers DO work, Nissan safaris come out of the factory with them..
Defiantly needed on the rear diff if using to put the jet boat in, nice hot diff after a drive to the river then sit the diff in the water for 5min while pissing around with the boat, the diff has no trouble puling in water though the pinion and axle seals.
well that sounds not too far fetched but iv got em and im gonna pretend they do something! extended the fuel tank breather, two diffs, trans, and transfer case. I think for the price it was worth doing just in case you are wrong. Iv got a 1993 hiace, its not really a vehicle that can be traded in for another once its flogged out as they stopped making decent 4wd vans after 1993. so Im gonna do anything I can to try keep it well.
Have you replaced the seals recently to see if it helps.
It's not that you're running -44 offset and big tyres or something is it? Tends to chew up wheel bearings pretty quick
unimog, problem solved. axels wont even touch the water.
Thanks guys its a standard 2003 2.8td I have had for almost 10 years.
I've come to the conclusion repack the bearings if they are splashed by water :D and change diff oils for all they hold.