Cleaning caged bearings

[George Ryals]

Back in the 60's when I was a teenager hanging around Finn Brother's Brake Service in Waycross, GA, those guys would routinely wash big truck wheel bearings in mineral spirits and spin them up in their hands with the air hose (250 psi). The sound was like a siren. They did this with big tapered wheel bearings and roller bearings from floating axle rear ends. These big bearings had enough mass to break your arm if they were to lock up at speed. It never happened. And none flew apart.