If the grease seals look fine is it necessary to replace them on the front axles when repacking the barrings?

Question

If the grease seals look fine is it necessary to replace them on the front axles when repacking the barrings?

Answer 1

If they weren't leaking before you changed the bearings, or if this is the first time you are changing the bearings, I wouldn't worry about them.

Answer 2

Yes.  Heat breaks down the benefits grease gives it and you can't determine that just by looking at it.  

Grease also absorbs water from the air and you can't see that either.  

Besides why would you go to all the trouble of replacing seals without replacing them with fresh grease?  If you going to all that trouble to do all that work why do it half way?  Grease only costs a few bucks for a can at Autozone.  

You wouldn't change the oil and not replace the filter would you ?

Good luck on your project.

Answer 3

necessary - no.

Really good idea? absolutely! You are in there anyway, and they are cheap.  

Answer 4

It's impossible to remove the inside bearing, to repack it, without removing the grease seal. If you plan on smearing new grease on it, without removing it, then you haven't accomplished much. The idea of repacking is to force new grease in so the old grease and dirt will be forced out. I even like to clean and inspect the bearings prior to repacking. Removing the grease seal will ALWAYS damage if not outright destroy it. Even if it still looks good after removal, which is dang nigh impossible, it will not press back in properly. It only costs a couple of bucks. Be safe and replace it.