Club 80-90 Forums

Hey all - had the front brakes sorted out. Was driving gentle on the brakes for a bit but had some enforced hard braking. Loads of smoke and the grease cap shot off. Black grease sprayed over the wheel. I've managed to find it the next day by the side of the road. I'll bash it back on with rubber mallet but wondering if, apart from cleaning up the wheel would I need to regrease the bearings or anything? Only did about 5 miles without the cap on, probably 10 miles total since having brakes done.

Can't seem to add images anymore... 
Thanks in advance

 

Did you set the wheel bearing end float correctly?

hhhm I had the garage do it so can only assume so... 

Instructions on how to post pictures are on this thread.viewtopic.php?p=8351132#p8351132

Middle29 wrote: ↑06 Jun 2026, 08:04 Hey all - had the front brakes sorted out. Was driving gentle on the brakes for a bit but had some enforced hard braking. Loads of smoke and the grease cap shot off. Black grease sprayed over the wheel. I've managed to find it the next day by the side of the road. I'll bash it back on with rubber mallet but wondering if, apart from cleaning up the wheel would I need to regrease the bearings or anything? Only did about 5 miles without the cap on, probably 10 miles total since having brakes done.

Can't seem to add images anymore... 
Thanks in advance

 

Middle29 wrote: ↑06 Jun 2026, 12:45 hhhm I had the garage do it so can only assume so... 

Classic car type old school garage? If they gave the job to the apprentice who has only ever seen a fwd car he could have just done the nut up tight. Best to ask the garage as its a red flag for me.
The grease shouldn't be black if its got new wheen bearings. High temperature lithium grease for wheel bearings, honey coloured. CV grease is dark grey.

Not a classic car garage but it is an old school garage. They are normally pretty good, but I think I saw a youngster working on it. I'd be surprised if it was done wrong though but will check. I thought I read that the grease can tun black when under high temp.






Thanks Rob for pIc info

 

Also worth adding that the bearings were OEM, do they come with a sachet of grease? I seem to recall seeing them, but might be imagining that.

Hmmm - I have a feeling a lot of mechanics these days have no clue about setting endfloat on taper wheel bearings.  I used to get MOT advisories every year on the fronts when I had set them myself with only just perceptible play. That's the same as I have always done since learning on Cortinas and Vivas and such like. I must be getting old!

So would not surprise me if whoever did your bearings tightened them until there is no play at all and then the poor things overheated.  I don't think it is a difficult thing to learn how to do yourself if you do want to regrease them.

I have seen bearings come with sachets of grease but when I do them I tend to use my own grease and pack it between the rollers. I don't fill the cavity inside the hub but I do smear it around that area.  If too much is added then I guess it might pop the cap off but somehow I still think yours have popped off due to overheating caused by over tightening.

 

Too tight bearing or not enough grease can cause this.
If the spindle is not damaged then press in new bearings and good to go.

Tighten nut while rotating the hub until it cannot be turned, then loosen and tighten it again finger tight. The big washer should be movable with a screwdiver.

the method is in here somewhere:

http://syncro.org/Files/Bentley_Manual.pdf

Thanks but before I do all that - can you tell from these images that the current bearings are screwed?? And it wasn't just smoke from the new pads and grease cap not secured properly? 

They smoked because the grease got hot. Which means it lost its lubricity.
The bearing and the washer look black/blue-ish which means they overheated. The outer ones are toast for sure. Probably a new washer is also needed.

For a temporary fix - like to get to the garage from home in a few miles - you can repack them, but they will fail quick.

I would use FAG bearings, but any new cheap one is better than the old discoloured ones.

https://brickwerks.co.uk/product/wheel- ... ront-late/

As above, barbyou need to check of grease has hot on the pads. If Y you need new pads also.
Your garage has overtightened the nuts. As said the washer is moveable with a screwdriver.

Is that a nail in the nut in the pic?

Thanks all. Spoke to the garage and they will take another look/correct it next week. He said they do normally tighten it then loosen it off. I've used them for years and have good relationship with them but I reckon the junior was on it. Just to be clear the other wheel seems ok, all pics are of 1 wheel. No nail on the nut just a bit of grease or debris

The bearings were FAG from Brickwerks.

Couple questions, apologies If I'm asking stupid ones:

1. I only have multi purpose grease, should I pack it with that to drive to garage? - about 3 miles away. And am I literally squishing it in there without removing anything?

2. Where Bentley mentions washer being moveable with a screwdriver and finger pressure - does that mean back and forth (pushing it in) assuming not rotational? And also assuming it's the thin bit overlapping the bearing itself? In manual it's hard to tell. Poked it with a screwdriver and doesn;t appear to be any movement / give at all.

3. If I don't order new parts in and they just repack it with grease / loosen it - whats the outcome? Will that bearing just start moaning on roundabouts a lot sooner than it should?  

Cheers

 

Garage have royally FU imho.

LM grease is the stuff, high load/ high temperature rated for wheel bearings and the like.

Replace all bearings in their entirety, that means the outer tracks too.

Spindles will need inspecting for damage, lucky that one didn't glow red and then have a wheel fall off. Keep a paper record.

End float ahould be set with a dial gauge if you don't have the experience to gauge 0.003" (0.07mm)

Any grease is better than no grease. But you want bearing grease. New bearings come with grease but its not enough i think. They need packing then slathering. Palm of the hang greased and presing grease though by pushing bearing down.

The bearings are goosed - they need changing. You have had metal - metal (non lube contact). They wont just moan they may either lock up or just fall apart. Safety first. Let the garage advise. i wouldn't risk it. Bearings meed lube - it is how they are made to work.