Thread: Front Wheel Bearing

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I pulled off the brake drum. There's no sign of a wheel cylinder leak but the bearing grease is about the color and consistency of a chocolate milkshake. This is definitely what was leaking on the outside of the wheel. What would cause this? Is it a sign the wrong grease was used? New brakes, drums and bearings were installed by a shop about a year (only 300 miles) ago. The clean grease inside the dust cap is red.

Originally Posted by Al G

I pulled off the brake drum. There's no sign of a wheel cylinder leak but the bearing grease is about the color and consistency of a chocolate milkshake. This is definitely what was leaking on the outside of the wheel. What would cause this? Is it a sign the wrong grease was used? New brakes, drums and bearings were installed by a shop about a year (only 300 miles) ago. The clean grease inside the dust cap is red.

The red color grease sounds like Pennzoil's Wheel Bearing Grease, which is good stuff. For grease to be like a chocolate milkshake it needs moisture, seems to me. Have you had the hubs submerged, or in a lot of water?

If it were mine I think I'd clean out all of the old grease, repack the bearings with a good wheel bearing grease, and be attentive to adjusting the pre-load on the wheel bearings when you put it back together. Others may offer some better guidance, but nothing's jumping out at me other than moisture and maybe being set a bit loose.

Originally Posted by Al G

New brakes, drums and bearings were installed by a shop about a year (only 300 miles) ago. The clean grease inside the dust cap is red.

If the shop is local, I'd find out what they put in there. I'd want to know. Wheel bearing grease is not supposed to be water soluble. It's supposed to be very thick and gunky and NOT able to run out of the wheel and onto the cap. It's not supposed to run even if you hold a flame to it. This looks like some sort of Lithium grease to me. Did they give the job to some noodle-head who didn't know any better ??????

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