I've been looking at getting new wheels but after looking I finally remembered the I'm nor sure what you call them on the front wheels there's a cap if you pop it off in the center of the hub its like a barring packed full of grease. So do you need this or could I change something to get rid of it? Please help
Official name is a "wheel bearing dust cap" The cover is there to keep rain water, road spray from puddles, and dust and dirt out of the bearing. I know of nothing that replaces it.
Even though some wheels with center caps will cover the spindle, they don't seal tightly and even if dirt and water don't get in, grease will surely get out and all over your brakes and wheels!
can't think of a reason you would want to ever run without them... most of the time if I see one missing, the bearing is bad...
I replaced mine with a set of chrome ones to compliment the chrome nuts and black steel wheels. You definitely need them if you value your life, or just run without them and try and guess when the bearings fail and the front wheels fall off at highway speeds.
Go ahead, leave it off and neglect it like I did; then you'll have the pleasure of trying to grind the inside race off of the spindle - which will become so hot that it will naturally weld itself to the spindle. When I discovered a wisp of smoke come from my left wheel one afternoon, I pulled the wheel off, there were no ball bearings or outside race to be seen. When you grind you'll endure the challenge of NOT damaging the spindle in the process. I even cut the inside race in six places and tried to hammer it off - nothing doing! A wise man will leave the caps on...
I don't see where any more conversation is necessary " A word to the wise - shud be sufficient"... DON'T REMOVE THEM. PERIOD.
Yea but sometimes others come in to read and see what someone else has commented and makes a decision based on those experiences. Like who wants to be grinding on a spindle?.. "When you grind you'll endure the challenge of NOT damaging the spindle in the process. I even cut the inside race in six places and tried to hammer it off - nothing doing!"
Without the dust caps, the road dirt will get into the outer bearing and destroy it plus the thick wheel bearing grease gets pretty warm when the wheels are turning and will leak out on your rims and tires
Since we went there... On my boat trailer, it originally had a grease zerk in the middle of the spindle. You would pump grease into the zerk, and it would push the grease toward the back of the spindle and force it toward the outside. If there was any nasty grease, or watered down grease, it would push it out as you pumped the grease in. On the outside was a flat rubber plug, no cap. Anyone ever seen anything like that on a car? Not a bearing buddy.
Those are "bearing buddies".. I never seen them on a vehicle. I installed them on my trailer. I once thought about drilling the cap and fitting a zerk.. But never done it. I figured there was a concept to it that I was probably missing. The buddies have a spring that you can see.. Edit: I just seen you said not a bearing buddy.. Not sure what you have then.
If you get carried away pumping grease into those style caps, you can push out the rear seal fairly easily. Yes, that's a Grease Buddy style cap, Grease Buddy being a Trademarked name. There are others out there that are similar. You should still take them apart every season and put new grease in the bearings. To the original poster: Put grease caps on. They fit behind all wheels. You need them. SPark
