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Jul 21st, 2025 | | | | Joined: May 2011 Posts: 62 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2011 Posts: 62 | my 1952 6400 shop manual calls to pack rear bearing with smooth cup grease. not sure what cup grease is? I though they ran in gear oil ?
Thanks
Jay | | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 | I think cup grease is just wheel bearing grease (not the old stringy stuff though.) I have a modern vehicle with full floating rear axles that are lubed by gear oil, but the manual when replacing them says to pack them with grease for initial lubrication until gear oil gets out to the wheels.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,675 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,675 | Cup grease is (was) much thicker than normal chassis lube grease. I don't know if it's even being made any more. It was made to be used in the oldtime threaded cup lubricators that were used on farm equipment and stationary engines, etc, back in the 19th. and early 20th. Centuries.
Jerry
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| | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,903 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,903 | We haven't sold cup grease in over 60 years. And it was a soap based grease that wasn't very good. Modern trucks have a filler plug. Before the factory installed fill plugs, we drilled a hole either in the axle flange or in the hub between the two bearings and threaded it 1/8 NPT. We then squirted 80W140 in the cavity and installed a 1/8 pipe plug. This avoids the risk of packing the bearings with a grease that is not compatible with the lubricant in the rear end. Back when the book was written hypoid gear was compatible with cup grease. I use 80W140 in my fleet of trucks as well as my antiques. | | | | | Joined: May 2011 Posts: 62 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2011 Posts: 62 | I understand now. drilling a hole in the hub seem to be the best way to go. after adding oil I would turn the hub until the was just sly of 90 so it would not be over filled and leak around the inner wheel seal. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2016 Posts: 1,841 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Feb 2016 Posts: 1,841 | I just squirt 90-140 into the center of the hub before sliding the outer bearing on, by the time you adjust the bearing and spin the wheel/hub several rotations, the bearings have as much lube as they can hold. The seal should not leak even if the hub is 100% full since there is no pressure built up, they excess lube will drain into the axle tube.
1957 Chevrolet 5700 LCF 283 SM420 2 speed rear, 1955 IH 300U T/A, 1978 Corvette 350 auto, 1978 Yamaha DT175, 1999 Harley Davidson Softail Fat Boy
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2011 Posts: 1,363 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2011 Posts: 1,363 | Park on a sidehill, allow gear lube to flow to hub, repeat on the side. Park on flat & recheck fluid level.
BC
1960 Chevy C10 driver 261 T5 4.10 dana 44 power loc
1949 GMC 250 project in waiting
1960 C60 pasture art
Retired GM dealer tech. 1980 - 2022
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