Chevy & GMC Vans

After 700 plus Kilometers the bearings didn't whine or anything weird. The hub was hot, but not hotter than the water I use to wash dishes, ie. if you hold your fingers there for 15-20 seconds it becomes uncomfortable. Total Kms since doing them has been over 1000 so I figure all is well. If not, there is not much I can do here in Carlisle although I have some tools in the van, it isn't like I have all I need to re-pack bearings. For that matter I don't even have what I need to get the cap off the hub.

I just replaced both left and right front wheel bearings, inners and outers, and drove from Vancouver to Kamloops and back.
When I arrived in Kamloops after a 322 km 110+kmh non stop trip, I pulled over and checked the temperature of my hubs with my hand and they were cold to the touch.
No heat had been generated.
The gease dam they are refering to is a gob of grease place inside, between the spindal and the rotor to stop the grease in your bearing from running away from where the bearing is.
When driving around the city you will produce a lot of heat from brakeing and the grease will wash away from the bearing as the rotor gets hot. When you park you vehical the grease dam will give the grease a better chance of remaining in the area of the bearing and it will be ready for the next trip.
I also pack the dust cap with grease and squish it on. Both of these tips helps keep the grease where it should be, in the bearing. Use only high temperature grease.
When torqueing the castel nut down torque it to 15 ft/lbs and back it off to the first point where you are able to get the cotter pin through. After two or three thousand miles jack up the front wheels and repeat this torque sequence.
Myself, I repack the bearings at this point but I am kind of annal about PM.
Now you are ready for 35- 40,000 miles of trouble free driving.
In my thirty-five odd years of working on my own vehicals I have never had a wheel bearing fail.
Some food for thought.
Have a safe trip.

Peter

Not a whole lot I can do here. At most I could pick up some new cotter pins and back off the nut a hole. BTW it is high temp bearing grease, and what you described is pretty much what I was told to do except I was told to torque to 12ft/lb, back off, and then snug up the nut not tighten. Basically it was tightened until just snug with no pressure beyond that. Hopefully all goes well on the trip home. I will check them there unless people think I should get what I need to pop the dust caps here and check.

It sounds like you did a good job on the repack. if you are nervous you could jack up the front tire and check for any wobble by pushing and pulling on the top of the tire. If you have wobble then your brearings are going bad again. Remember to use the top and bottom of the tire to check for wheel bearings. I saw a guy in High school using the front and back of the tire and flipping out that his bearings were gone. It wasn't the bearings it was the tie rod ends that were worn.

I am planning on checking them when I check the brakes and replace the wires this week. I am hoping all is well, but will know soon enough.