Looking for advice re greasing rear wheel bearings on XK120 OTS please., I’m probably overthinking it but as it involves brakes want to be sure:
• Have found the rear nipples and have read that one should pump grease into these until grease emerges from the little vent holes on the top of each bearing housing. Also read that one should apply grease sparingly for fear of excess grease getting into the brakes. But what does this mean in practice? Ie If I stop as soon as grease comes out of the vent holes should I be right?
• Can anyone describe or preferably provide photo of the location of these vent holes, please?
• Attempted it last night but bailed out and then had a devil of a time wrestling to remove the grease gun fitting from the nipple under the car as the Monza F1 race time approached.
• Have purchased the extended LockNLube fitting which gets good reviews. Proposing to use Castrol LMM grease.
• PS, successfully did the front bearings on the weekend, they needed it, noticed a very dry sounding bearing, lucky as have a longish trip planned, figured the rears may be similarly dry.
You pump grease in until it snakes out of the vent hole…there is an axle tube seal inboard of the grease nipple which separates the diff oil from the axle bearing grease, and a hub grease seal outboard of the nipple which prevents grease from reaching anywhere past the hub…no grease-fouling of the brake shoes.
From memory, the little vent hole is at about 2 o’clock looking at the left side wheel, 10 o’clock for the right.
Thanks Lee, if the axle could be viewed from directly above is the vent hole in the same plain as the grease nipple? ie find the nipple then follow a circle around the axle to find the vent hole?
The instructions assume that the vent hole is not plugged up solid with road crud, and that the outboard seal on the axle shaft is in good condition. If it was not, grease would start to come out around the hub and eventually get onto the brakes.
Axle shaft seal.
Just lubed the rear wheel bearings on my 120. I too had trouble finding the “weep hole”. With the wheel off, and a clean housing surface, it can be seen from above, 180* around from the grease nipple, rather centered on the flat surface seen from above. From below, where I activated the grease gun, I couldn’t see it, and expelled more than a wisp on the first side. Without a well placed mirror, a couple of pumps at a time works better.
