Wheel Bearing Grease

[rallyace]

Any thoughts or opinions about using a lithium complex grease for wheel bearings? This will be a clean installation with new bearings, races, and seals.

[Sniper]

I use Lucas Red and Tacky, has a great reputation and is a lithium complex grease.  One thing to remember, and it may not be as big a deal these days, is that if you are running disc brakes DO NOT use drum brake wheel bearing grease.  Not even sure how available that is any more.  Disc brake wheel bearing grease is rated for higher temperatures, you can use it on drum brake wheel bearings but not the other way around.

Edited October 6, 2022 by Sniper

[andyd]

I will also support Sniper's statement regarding DISC BRAKE BEARING grease.........my 1940 Dodge is a hotrod, yep with disc brakes............years ago for some silly,stupid  reason when I installed new wheel bearings I used "wheel bearing grease"...........NOT stated for disc brakes.........well, I still remember watching the drivers side dust cap(I was running steel wheels at the time without hubcaps) fly off into the roadside bush trailing smoke then a rather "ODD" feeling to the brake pedal when I applied the brakes..............luckily I was able to stop safely and noted the slight angle that the drivers front wheel was at..............yep.......normal wheel bearing grease is NOT SUITABLE for disc brakes although Disc Brake Wheel Bearing grease is more than suitable for drum brakes as well as disc brakes.....The Moral to this story?............now I only have Disc Brake Wheel Bearing Grease in the shop.............here now finishes this story..............lol.........andyd

[rallyace]

3 hours ago, andyd said:

I will also support Sniper's statement regarding DISC BRAKE BEARING grease.........my 1940 Dodge is a hotrod, yep with disc brakes............years ago for some silly,stupid  reason when I installed new wheel bearings I used "wheel bearing grease"...........NOT stated for disc brakes.........well, I still remember watching the drivers side dust cap(I was running steel wheels at the time without hubcaps) fly off into the roadside bush trailing smoke then a rather "ODD" feeling to the brake pedal when I applied the brakes..............luckily I was able to stop safely and noted the slight angle that the drivers front wheel was at..............yep.......normal wheel bearing grease is NOT SUITABLE for disc brakes although Disc Brake Wheel Bearing grease is more than suitable for drum brakes as well as disc brakes.....The Moral to this story?............now I only have Disc Brake Wheel Bearing Grease in the shop.............here now finishes this story..............lol.........andyd

I am still using the stock drum brakes. I just had my spare front drums turned and have relined shoes ready to install. I have no history on the bearings and seals so I decided to replace them while I had it apart.  The lazy side of me says to get a bearing packer and pump grease into the bearings instead of doing it by hand, which I have done countless times and I hate the mess that it involves. My new camping trailer requires lithium complex grease for the wheel bearings, and I have both grease guns loaded with it. That is what made me think about whether it would be good for the ancient technology on our cars. Thanks for the input.

[Kilgore47]

I wear disposable rubber gloves when hand packing wheel bearings.  Much cleaner.  Also keep a roll of paper towels near by.  

[Plymouthy Adams]

I have a packing assembly using the grease gun, if I were to do this daily I would see the advantage, for the so few times I have need to repack bearings, still prefer hand method and as stated, if you don't like grease on you, wear gloves.  Don't forget to take a bit of wasted grease to wipe your steering stops.