 | Home > Technical > Converting Wheel Bearings to run on Oil |
 
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| g-mack Member Since: 07 Jan 2014 Location: northumberland Posts: 1967  
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why? whats the advantage using oil rather than grease? My 109 thread
my youtube channel |
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4th Apr 2014 12:05am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17382 
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So how would you fill them, and how would you check the level, and as asked above, what's the point anyway?
Land-Rovers and Landrovers have run since 1948 with grease-lubricated wheel-bearings with no problems whatsoever, so why try to "re-invent the wheel", especially since you'll probably end up with an inferior result? If you do do this, don't forget to tell your insurance company (unless they are too dim-witted to understand what you've done, they'll want reassurance that you're not going to have wheels seize up or going to lubricate the brakes). |
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4th Apr 2014 8:11am |
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558 
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oil is fed from the ball swivel housing on early landrovers
they changed to grease when the oil seal was fitted in the stub axle grease or oil ??? oil will tend to leak easier |
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4th Apr 2014 8:16am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17382
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I may be wrong, it's a long time since I last read any of the SI manuals, but I thought that the wheelbearings were always greased however a certain amount of oil migration through the stub axle from swivel housing to hub was tolerated. I don't recall this ever being the primary lubrication method.
I will (if I remember) dig out the early manuals tonight to check. |
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4th Apr 2014 9:34am |
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558
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may have built up with small amount of grease if fitting new ones
think it was about 1980 they changed to fit oil seal (maybe earlier ) you can convert later axles but is it any better ,don't think so really ,not worth the extra work and oil leak worrys |
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4th Apr 2014 9:40am |
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| Grey110 Member Since: 20 Jun 2012 Location: Delft Posts: 35 
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I once heard an explanation fthat made sense to me:
If you are offroading a lot there is a benefit in that you will see oil coming out as a sign that the hub seals leak. Then you know it is time to service the bearings. With grease you'll know once the bearings seize due to too much water. Was no reason for me to change to oil though. I take he hubs apart once a year and regrease the bearings. Martin Previous 2003 Defender 110 Hardtop TD5 2004 Defender 110 Station Wagon TD5 - Libyan Sand 2005 Discovery 3 - V8 - Black |
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4th Apr 2014 1:02pm |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018 
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I seen to recall filling swivels with oil when the military ran Lightweights and then when 90s came out moving over to single shot grease tubes which were then retrospectively applied to the Lightweights.
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4th Apr 2014 3:06pm |
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| cornish rattler Member Since: 31 Aug 2013 Location: Manchester Posts: 642 
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Thanks for your replies yeah I know series truck always ran with oil fed bearings and never gave any problems as reguards wear and once you replaced the bearings you could more or less forget them as reguards lubrication and tbh I don't like grease as a lubricant as once the grease has wiped it self clear from what ever its suppose to lubricate the grease never gets hot enough to lubricate as it should but with oil fed bearings the oil will always be there.
I have herd peeps doing this on disco's but when I had mine I never got round to doing it as I didn't have it long enough to do it but thought maybe peeps with defender's have and thought I would ask  Graham
1988 Defender 90 county 200tdi ( Beast ) Paul Walker 1973-2013 ( I Almost Had You ) |
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4th Apr 2014 11:33pm |
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| Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2645 
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It will work, but your stub axle seal lands will need to be in very good condition for the seals to hold back the oil. The best seal for the job is the RTC3511 dual-lipped one. My front hubs were full of swivel oil but not by design, the seals in the stub axles were knackered allowing the EP90 to migrate. Unfortunately the hub seal lands were not up to it so every 6,000 miles or so I'd have a hub seal go (usually on the motorway) and
 oil all over the brakes. Changed the offending stub axle seals last July and 15,000 miles later no more failures so far (touch wood!).
So personally I don't bother converting to run in oil, grease works fine for me. One could always re-grease them every year or two if you felt it necessary. |
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5th Apr 2014 9:08am |
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| cornish rattler Member Since: 31 Aug 2013 Location: Manchester Posts: 642
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Cheers retro, yeah I get you ok I think I will keep to grease then don't fancy having no brakes on a motorway
 Graham
1988 Defender 90 county 200tdi ( Beast ) Paul Walker 1973-2013 ( I Almost Had You ) |
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5th Apr 2014 11:09am |
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| eddy Member Since: 05 Aug 2012 Location: Mandurah WA Posts: 12 
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I changed out the wheel bearings on my TD5 110 and reverted back to locknuts and oil fed bearings using the double lipped oilseal RTC3511.All good after 20K.No leaks and bearings seem to run cooler.
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6th Apr 2014 9:46am |
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| newhue Member Since: 28 Apr 2014 Location: Brisbane Posts: 351
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I have done it, with the brief that oil finds it's way to the drive flange, where grease seems to get a bit thin. Perhaps it's our hot dry conditions, but the drive flange grease eventually fails causing wear on the spline. Eventually stripping out the flange usually, but can cause wear to the axel as well. So having oil lube it continously has merit.
The lubricating oil is the same that is in the diff, so all it takes is a little more when filling normally. You will need upgraded flanges with a seal in the cap, the outer twin lipped seal mentioned in previous post, and remove the inner seal. Then say good by to stripped flanges. I have done 75K like this with no leaks or issues. |
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6th May 2014 7:47pm |
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| cornish rattler Member Since: 31 Aug 2013 Location: Manchester Posts: 642
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Nice on it is still on my to do list but just going to re-grease the bearings for now as I have loads to do then when I am ready I will convert them
 Graham
1988 Defender 90 county 200tdi ( Beast ) Paul Walker 1973-2013 ( I Almost Had You ) |
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8th May 2014 10:49pm |
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| carrotbay Member Since: 18 Aug 2013 Location: Northants, UK Posts: 699 
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I have one wheel that is lubricated by oil .. Not by design but due to a failed inner hub seal
On inspection the splines and drive flange are in great condition compared to the other side which has dried up and has a load of play in it. I'll have to fix it though. 2008 Defender 110 XS SW - M57N2 / 6HP28X |
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9th May 2014 5:47am |
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