Do new wheel bearings need to be greased?

I got a set of new front wheel bearings from partsnmore.com and installed them last weekend. The install went ok.
The bearings looked like they were sealed to me... With plastic covers on both sides, so I assumed they were sealed with grease and didn't take them apart to confirm.
Post install, after a short ride there is grinding coming from the front wheel. I don't think it is the brakes since it still grinds after the brakes are applied.

Did I need to grease those new bearings?

 

New bearings that are sealed come already greased. They don't need grease unless they are open and you can see through them and there is no grease in there. You should check into what's making the noise though, maybe you left out a spacer or something.

 

Ok will do. I am getting a ton of drag too. I was thinking it might be the speedo gears, but for the drag...

 

Sealed bearing are grease packed or should be.I would put the bike on it's center stand and remove the caliper.Give it a spin.check the front wheel spacer is in right and not rubbing.Not much more then a few things it could be before rechecking the bearing

 

I will raise a flag of caution. I have received bearings sealed in packages with nothing more than a light coat of a thin grease to preserve them. I would highly recommend repacking with a good lithium or molybdenum high pressure grease.
Of course, sealed bearings would not need such treatment.

 

Ok thanks for the tips. I have ordered another set of bearings as well just encase these weren't greased or I screw them up in the process of finding out what and where my problem is....
If I remember, I will update this as to whether the bearings at partsnmore.com come packed with grease.

 

Naughty boy. Daddy spank. You know what ASS-U-ME does...

If they have plastic covers on the side, they're not sealed. The covers can be pried off with a knife blade or a really, really small screwdriver. Then they can be repacked.

OTOH, as Robert mentioned, there's usually at least SOME grease in there, so they shouldn't be making the noise you describe. I'd follow LeaningLeft's advice and make sure something isn't rubbing.

 

XJ wheel bearings are sealed, and lubricated at the factory. Don't pry the covers off.

Do what leaningleft said.

If it is a bearing you either got a bum one or damaged them installing.

 

Ok I figured it out.
I somehow put the wheel back together wrong and the driver's side brake disk was eating into metal on the brake caliper. I still haven't figured out what the heck I assembled wrong, but I am going to take the wheel off and the bearings out to investigate the rest of it and whatever other damage there might be....

 

Come to find out, I was so paranoid to get everything as tight as possible, I pushed in the fork legs too hard and then tightened the bolts at the bottom of the forks causing the caliper to bind on the rotor.
I loosened the fork bolts and it immediately relieved about 1/4 inch.
I didn't take the rest of it apart because the wheel spins freely without grinding now.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.