Nothing worse that one of your buddies coming back to find you or someone speeding up to pull you over on the trail and telling you are doing the Hansel & Gretel routine by leaving a trail of parts behind. Usually idler wheels are the culprit.

One major cause is from seizing up due to lack of grease. I have found that even when new bearings are installed, they lack enough grease to last a season. Although these bearings are considered sealed bearings, they can be disassembled, cleaned and repacked properly.

Any time I have replaced bearings, I repack them before a new install. I have caught a few with no grease at all.

This seized bearing was found while doing routine fall maintenance. Although it looks in good condition, roll each wheel to check for smooth movement. 

For this process, use a very sharp pointed knife in order to pry the grease cap off. Be very careful not to cut the cover as it will the render the bearing useless by allowing water in.

Gently remove the grease covers on the front and back side of the bearing exposing the damage inside.

As you can see once the bearing is fully exposed, it is completely dry of any kind of lubricant. This bearing was installed last year and was missed when doing a grease check at the beginning of the season.

Because this bearing was seized completely, freeing it up will be the first task. Placing a socket on both sides of the bearing and placing it in a vise will ensure the center race remains stationary. Grab the outside of the bearing with channel locks and rock it back and forth till it is free. WD40 will help free the grit and dirt causing the problem.

Because this bearing was seized completely, freeing it up will be the first task. Placing a socket on both sides of the bearing and placing it in a vise will ensure the center race remains stationary. Grab the outside of the bearing with channel locks and rock it back and forth till it is free. WD40 will help free the grit and dirt causing the problem. Use a good quality cleaner or degreaser to remove the dirt from the bearing. If you have a compressor and can blow dry the bearing that would be best. If compressed air is not available, even a ShopVac that can blow air from the hose would be beneficial. Be sure the bearing rolls free once the cleaning process has been completed.

This illustration is an old Snap-On wheel bearing greasing tool which is the cats meow for this job. Hand greasing will also be adequate. Just make sure the grease goes all the way through the bearing as you see in the picture.

Gently install the dust caps on both sides of the bearing and wipe away the excess grease. The job is done and the bearing is ready for use. I have redone bearings that have been completely seized and ran them for three more seasons with out any compromise. If the ball support inside the bearing is damaged then the bearing can not be reused as it keeps the ball bearings properly spaced.

If all the ball bearings pile up on one side the inner race will fall out and cause unnecessary damage. Why degrease the bearings when they are only 10$ each? The more money you keep in your pocket, the more money you have to put in your tank. The more items you fix, the less garbage ends up in our landfill sites.

This will also give you some reassurance it was done properly and the bearings are good to go and will not be the cause of Hansel and Gretel syndrome.