Has anyone used the special tool or fitting offered by corvette central or ecklers designed for greasing the rear wheel bearings ? This seems like a must have for corvettes as they are supposed to be greased every 25000. miles .Also does the spindle have to be removed to install it .I have a 68 convert 350 4spd .I have only owned it for a year and don't know when the bearings were serviced last .Love the car my first vette.

Whiteknight

If it's the tool I'm thinking about, it can only grease the inner bearings, not the outer. You need to drop the outside of each halfshaft, (taping the bearing caps on the u-joints, of course), remove the dust caps, take off the spindle nut, and I can't recall if you remove the bearing seals or not, but while you're down there, you might as well replace them. Install the tool, and grease away. The greasing part takes all of one minute, and it's back together it all goes. Torque the spindle nut back to 100ft/lbs.

This is easily a Saturday afternoon job, as getting to the bearings will take you the better part of the afternoon. Best of luck with the outer bearings.

Good luck.


|UPDATED|3/13/2004 12:06:22 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Thanks for the information,I may have to try this . I'm not experiencing any problems yet ,but would like the peace of mind that the bearings are greased, even if it'
s only the inner bearing.

whiteknight

What type of grease is used when greasing the inner bearings? Chassis grease or wheel bearing? I bought the same tool but not sure what grease to use.

Do not use chassis grease.

Use wheel bearing grease only. The higher the temperature rating (i.e. melting point) the better.

"Git 'er done"

John

Can you buy the wheel bearing grease in tubes for the grease guns and if so where at?

Any auto parts store should have it. You can probably even get it at K-Mart. If you go to the sporting goods department at Wal-Mart, look in the boat stuff. Tubes of wheel bearing grease will be abundant there.

John

You have to be careful when you use that so you don't push the seal out of the outer side. If you go to www.fastcorvette.com they have a deal where you can ren t the complete set of tools to do your wheel bearings. they have the grease also and they sell the shims and buy back the old ones you don't need. I bought the tools off E-bay for $100.00 and then I found this site.I plan on reselling the tools after I'm done. I need to replace the spindles on both sides because a "friend" talked me into slip-fitting the inner bearings so I could grease the outer easier. The bearing spun on the spindle and ruined it. $240.00 ea. from the General now. They have them for $128.00 ea. on this site.

Since you've had the car only a year, you may want check they've been previously properly serviced. I suggest since everything is disconnected, spin the spindle and listen and feel the bearings. If they are really bad you'll know and you'll have to pull the spindles. I just finished putting mine all back together. I knew one was bad by spinning and did both sides since I had to buy the tools.

--Eric