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Two days after doing new front wheel bearings, I found grease coating the insides of the rotor hats, and it migrated to the inner rotor surfaces and covered the inside pads. A nauseating sight, I tell you all. I have Ate atomic groove rotors, and the slots were totally filled with grease! I was lucky to catch all this, had the wheels off for other reasons...
I got me some Valvoline DuraBlend semi-synthetic grease, multi-purpose but the 1st thing on the label says Disc Brake Wheel Bearings, so why not? Well, this stuff started out with the consistency of Pillsbury cake icing (yum). Now, it seems to be significantly thinner, runnier. Globs of it had dripped off the hub and landed on the rotor shield. I know it gets thinner when it's hot, but now at room temp. it doesn't seem to return to original state. I guess it's 'broken in'.
I took the hubs off, cleaned things up, and I got my old rubber seals and cut the lip off of them. I put these half-seals behind the new ones to put xtra pressure back there, doubled 'em up sort of. I was afraid to add much more grease. I did add a bit.
The 1st time around I packed the grease by hand, and if anything I was afraid of not adding enuff. So I don't think I over-packed them, but this was my 1st time with this job. On the back of the hub, there was evidence of the rubber seal contacting the metal seal ring, but grease got past there anyway, in large amounts. No leaks on the front, the metal caps.
Is this grease no good? Did I simply over-pack them? I don't get it. Strangely, I never really noticed a change in braking. Is this what a disc brake specification means, safe if it contacts braking surfaces? I put on some new brake pads anyway. Any ideas out there? Sorry if this was long!
Thanks,
vytas
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