Hey Gents. I did a little investigative wrenching today. I wanted to find out the condition of the wheel bearings and brake assemblies. I was only able to get into the Port side today. The Starboard side will receive attention tomorrow.
First I had to delve into my "Road Box". It contains ALL the sockets that I need to perform emergency road-side repairs when necessary. After removing the 8 sided hub cap with my field expedient socket, I pulled the hub. Here is what I found.
The wheel bearings, seal, and cups are in very good condition. However they were starving for sufficient lubrication. I cleaned everything in a solvent bath, then repacked the bearings and put everything back together. I was surprised to find that the lip in the seal was still 1/8" thick.
Contents of my Road Box. These sockets have seen some good use in their day.
My Field Expedient Square Socket is being brought up to speed, just like the others....
My experience tells me that when grease becomes black like this, all of the oils have run out. I found the void in the hub to be devoid of grease, so it was packed properly too. Thanks for looking.