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Tip: Grease tail wheel bearing.

Wiley E

Member
Here is how I have been repacking the grease in my " not so sealed" tail wheel bearings.
1. I use WD 40 and a air hose to clean old grease and dirt out. Squirt WD 40 into small gap between bearings and blow with air till bearing spins freely.
2. Find a marking pin with a tapered body that fits center hole and insert. Use a plastic bag and place around bearing. I used a small plastic hardware bag from Aircraft Spruce. Secure plastic bag to bearing using a small tiewrap.
3. Put a couple tablespoons of grease into bag.
4. Holding bag / bearing, gently twist and sqeeze the top of the bag forcing grease into bearing(Like the cake decorators). The bag may try to slip off bearing while sqeezing so hold on tight. You will know you are done when you see the grease come out the other side.
 

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No disrespect to Wiley.

I have standard vans wheel 240 hrs so far. I use LPS2 each season. I tried 30 wt, and the synthetic wheel bearing grease. Everything I put in there slings out post-haste. A real mess.

As stated - don't tighten, keep spare bearings, lube regularly and sparingly.


Absolutely DO NOT use the grease zerk on the wheel hub. Not an airworthiness thing but will sling grease it all over the back of the plane.


The tail wheel will spin at about 2400 rpm at 60 mph. Grease the bearing, put a bolt through it and put it in your drill press at it's highest speed. Be sure to extend the quill inside a soup can or forever clean grease out of your shop. I did this with my main gear dust seals. You can weigh the bearing before and after (or the can) to see how much departed and how much stayed. Let us know.
 
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When I did this I was in South Africa. Can't remember the diameter's but I found an NSK roller bearing with an OD that fitted the hub and I just had a teflon bushing turned as an insert with a shoulder between the two bearings to fit the bolt. Shouldn't be too hard to find.
 
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