PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

tcane · #9 06-11-2002, 01:44 PM

I just received in the mail an official M-B maintenance manual (991 pages) covering all diesel and gas models up to year 1980 from the 220D to the 450 and including the 600 long with 6 doors. The procedure for adjusting the wheel bearings is as I outlined above and the Haynes manual uses (including what I found that to tighten the lock nut until the hub is hard to turn then back-off 1/3 turn, unlike the Haynes that says to tighten the locknut until the bearings/hub won't turn - then my new manual says to check end play using a dial gauge).

Your ques. about the synthetic grease with a 400 degree melt temp - I am not familiar with this grease, but as I wrote greases with lower melt temps will work but many will have a bit of liquid at room temp or at higher temps that will seep out and coat the wheel, tire, and other parts with oil. Remember, your have disc brakes and they reach higher operating temps than the old drum brakes and require greases with higher melt points (I did a lot of experimenting with greases when I was a tech advisor to American Honda) and I found that 450 F. and specific gravity greater than 1.0 was what I wanted. This was more than a few years ago, and the only greases that met my needs/requirements were BG SLC wheel bearing grease part no. 607 (available from BG distributors, BG products are used by some M-B dealerships, other car dealers and independent repair shops as well - not found in any auto parts store; can be bought usually from the BG dealer or a car dealership, look up an old post in the Tech forum for info to find BG products or an internet search or call around - BG makes some very good products, they test them here in TX at Texas A&M in College Station) and Lubriplate 1200 wheel bearing grease which is easier to find. I am sure there are now other greases that will work fine, provided they have a melt point of 450 F. or higher and a SG greater than 1.0 (or says water will not displace).

Your synthetic grease may work OK, but it may seep some liquid. The only way to know is try to put a little on an impenetrable surface surface (like a plastic sandwich baggy, a plate, a piece of metal, etc.) and put it out in the hot sun to see if liquid seeps out - if it does then you're wheel, tires, etc. will get coated and is a mess needing more frequent cleaning because it is a dust/dirt/grime magnet. Let us know what happens.

I do know from extensive use that BG SLC grease will go 50,000 miles before needing to repack the wheel bearings and water will not displace it. Maintenance spec calls for repacking at about 25,000 miles and/or 2 years and more often in dusty or wet conditions (rainy areas or going through low water at stream crossings and/or rain run-off). Since I've found a grease that works, I'm sticking with it.

Good Luck!
Tom