Since my XJS V12 didn't have grease nipples fitted to the Front Hubs, the only way to grease them was to take the Calipers off and then pull off the Rotors, which I didn't want to do if I could help it.

As there is a danger when you put the Calipers back, that if you have to lever the pistons back to ease them over the 'Rotors' you could easily send brake fluid back up to the master cylinder, which could mess up the valves.

And though you may be able to avoid this by leaving the bleed nipples open bleeding the brakes all over again can be a real PIA!

So I came up with this idea, which seemed to work very well!

Having taken the Road Wheel off as well as the Grease Cap, I took out the split pin, together with the Castle nut as well as the big steel washer and also the Outer Front Bearing.

Then I got a got a grease cap, from a scrap XJS and drilled a hole through the center, into which I screwed a grease nipple, with a backing nut.

Then with all of the above mentioned components taken out, I simply replaced the old grease cap with the one that I had modified by adding the grease nipple.

Having done that, I then connected the Grease Gun to the Grease Nipple and slowly pumped the grease in, while also turning the 'Rotor' to help to wind the Grease in.

Just the friction fit of the Grease Cap was enough to hold it in place, providing you pump the Grease in very slowly.

After which you then remove the Modified Grease Cap With The Grease Nipple, then put the Outer Front Bearing back, with the big steel washer and the Castle Nut and Split Pin.

Then replace the Original Grease Cap and the job was done!

Comments Welcome, Tell me what you think!

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That probably took care of the outer bearing, what about the inner one?

How are you sure you filled that enormous void in the hub and actually got grease into the inner bearing?
(';')

 

LnrB

Because and I quote: "Having taken the Road Wheel off as well as the Grease Cap, I took out the split pin, together with the Castle nut as well as the big steel washer and also the Outer Front Bearing."

The boy's done good, say I. But what i am really in suspense about is how did OB open his mouth wide enough to get the dremel in?

Greg

 

Necessity is the mother of all inventions. Good job OB.

 

Good job.

No grease nipples on the hubs. Is that a Jag cost cutting measure back then, or have the hubs been replaced?.

 

Aha. Thank you, Greg, I missed the Outer Front Bearing part.
Yes, he certainly is resourceful!
Maybe the tooth wasn't in the very back.
(';')

 

This brings to mind a subject that pops up every now and then......

What are the benefits and detriments of *totally* filling a hub with grease as described above?

For years it's been standard practice to *partially* fill the cavity between the bearings but even the necessity/rationale for *that* has been questioned. I've disassembled, cleaned, and repacked gawd-knows-how-many hubs in my life. Seems to me that the grease in the cavity of the hub just sits there and does nothing. I clean out the old and gob in some new....just because 'that's how it has always been done'. But I often shake my head at the practice and ask myself 'Why am I doing this?'

A few times I've walked out onto the ragged edge and left the cavity dry. Nothing horrible has happened. But being a coward I've reverted back to the tradition of gobbing grease into the cavity.

Cheers
DD

 

I'm wondering why your hubs don't have Zerk fittings. If I remember correctly, both my 84 and 88 have them.

 

Older cars had Zerk fittings on the hubs. Newer cars shouldn't need them. Jaguar and most manufactures switched to neoprene wheel bearing seals in the early 80's which sealed the grease in so it wouldn't leak out and thus adding via Zerk was no longer necessary. Prior to the neoprene switch the seals were leather, rubber or cork which would quickly deteriorate and the grease would liquefy when hot and weep out. If you have a newer car with modern high temp wheel bearing grease, good seals, then there no need for Zerks. Good wheel bearing seals are absolutely essential to prevent grease from contaminating the brake pads.

 

Although I have not repacked wheel bearings in quite some time, I used a bearing greaser. This is two plastic, metal or nylon cones that the bearing was placed between. The top cone contacted the bearing on the inner race and the bottom cone contacted the bearing on the outer ring. The threaded center post was hollow with a zerk fitting on top. A retaining nut was spun down the center shaft to hold the two cones tight to the bearing. With a few pumps of the grease gun you forced the grease through the bearing and pushed out any old stuff my solvent didn't remove.

 

Hi Elinor

I used a measured amount of grease for each hub, which was about half a Tin full on each side.

But it wasn't the actual tin of grease that you see in the Photo, as on 'Gregs' advice I swopped it for the high melting point one.

As I was pumping the grease in, with every couple of pumps, I turned the Rotor and could hear the grease squishing around.

So will probably add some more, when I put on some new tyres/tires and then I'll change the oil at the same time.

 

Hi Greg

A Big Thank You! as if you give it the 'Thumbs up' then that's as big a compliment, as I'm ever likely to get, considering that I am still on a massive learning curve.

 

Thanks Jim

You really made my day!

 

Hi Grant

Thanks!

I was also surprised that the Hubs didn't have the grease nipples, even though I think that they are the originals.

 

Hi Doug

The only reason I greased the hub, was because I had a stuck Caliper and thought that the heat generated may have melted the grease.

So I put some more in just in case.

 

According to my Manual (which is not a proper Jag one) it should have them but since they didn't I had to improvise.

 

Even though one of my Hubs got Hot, due to a stuck Caliper, I couldn't see any signs of grease leaking out and since they don't have any grease nipples, they must have the new type seals.

 

I've never seen one of those before, it looks a really useful piece of Kit!

 

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but if your going to get effective grease into a wheel bearing that wheel bearing needs to be removed and "packed" with grease, I doub't haveing a zerk in the outer cap is going to do much other then making one feel some sense of satisfaction but in the end it's probably not going to do much in the way of introducing grease to the inside of a wheel bearing. That "cap" on the back hubs of my XJS is a good way to drop $ on grease but I can assure you I'm not in any way convinced it's any good to properly introduce grease to the inner and outer bearings. It's not an amazingly hard job to pull the front or rear hub and do the job right and it's not something that even needs to be done very often plus they'll be loaded and adjusted properly in the end and also a good chance for inspection as to the condition of the bearings.

 

!! I haven't seen one of these since I was a small child!

My uncle had a metal one that he'd mounted on a center post in his garage I think and it was very old then. I asked him once what it was but I was too young to understand his answer.

Pleasant memories, pleasant memories.

He died suddenly while I was in college, of a congenital heart condition at the age of 39.
(';')