TORONTO, Ont. – With questions about installation now answered, Petro Canada is saying that grease is the word for wheel ends.

Semi-fluid greases offer a longer life, and won’t run out if a wheel seal fails, says Nicolas Samman, manager – grease product marketing. The idea of using semi-fluid greases in the application had been under fire because of wheel losses linked to bearing failures. But the Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations (TMC) recently updated its Recommended Practice, adding more grease into the hubs.

Typically, Canadian operators are using 80W-90 gear oil in the wheel ends that incorporate oil baths. But if seals leak, brake components can be soaked and oil can spill out onto the road, Samman says. “But grease will stay in place.” While TMC recommends that wheel ends lubricated with semi-fluid grease should be pulled after 160,000 km for an inspection, the synthetic versions can offer a service life of up to 800,000 km, he says. “Once you use the grease for some time, you have the confidence. You can tell from the end play how the thing will function.” n