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What should be documented before changing a bearing's lubricant brand or product?

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Treat the change as an identifiable technical revision

The properties relevant to bearing lubrication include more than a brand name or consistency grade.

Base oil, viscosity, thickener, additives and the operating duty can all matter, and any remaining old lubricant introduces a separate compatibility question. JTEKT's lubricant guidance addresses these properties and warns about mixing. The purpose of a change record is to show what was proposed, why it was considered suitable and how the transition was controlled. It should distinguish an approved product alternative from an undocumented top-up using whatever container was available. A later technician needs to know the actual product, not just “equivalent grease used.”

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Keep the evidence needed to evaluate the change later

Record old and new full product identities, technical data revisions, machine position, relevant speed and temperature, the basis for suitability, and the approved changeover method.

Include who authorised the technical decision and what post-change observations are required; do not invent an approval that has not occurred. Keep quantities and timing with the maintenance event. If the objective is to address a problem, define the symptom and how improvement will be assessed before the change. This makes the record useful for both routine lubricant control and later failure investigation, without allowing a similar grade label to conceal a formulation, compatibility or process difference.