Wheel Bearing Maintenance

One thing that is often forgotten until they are to worn to repair is the wheel bearings. At least once a year and always on a new bike I look at and add grease to the wheel bearings.

You will be surprised how little grease is in the bearings from the factory.

This is easily done without removing the bearing from the hub.

After removing the wheel from the bike, using a small pick tool (purchased at Harbor Freight) remove the plastic cover from the outside of the bearing, this exposes the ball bearings.

Apply a good grease to the ball bearings using your finger or a small screwdriver. Spin the inside of the bearing with your finger or I use a phillips screwdriver in my cordless drill, pushing the handle end into the center of the bearing and turning on the drill. While spinning the bearing apply grease to the ball bearings which are coated as they spin in the housing. 

After doing this, add a little more grease to the bearing and replace the plastic cover, forcing more grease into the bearings as the cover is snapped back in place.
Use your pick tool to seat the edges of the plastic cover back in the bearing housing.

Clean the excess grease form the hub and bearing area, do the same thing to the other side and the other wheel and you are ready to put the wheels back on and ride.
Don't forget to check your brake rotors and sprocket bolts while you have the wheels off.