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zerk fittings yes or no
varian
Member Posts: 2,250 ✭✭✭✭
i often see on the lawnmower discussions the issue of zerk fittings, whether to buy a mower with them or not. i bought a husqvarna brand zero turn because it had zerk fittings everywhere and it has served me well. the only problems i have had is with the idler pulleys which dont have the fittings. i also own a gravely zero turn that is about 10 years old and has 877hrs on it. it does not have a zerk fitting anywhere and i have not had a single bearing failure. one of my neighbors has the exact same model that a blade spindle went out at about the 100 hr mark. saw a guy on utube taking a new "off the shelf" spindle apart that had a grease fitting and it had sealed bearings in it. so im not sure it really matters.
Comments
The problem isn't whether the mower has zerk fittings or not, it is whether the zerk fittings are on a spindle that has the inside bearing seal removed. I have 2 John Deere mowers that are 20 years old, have zerks on spindles, and I have removed the inner seals on the spindle bearings.
Zerk fittings and seals in place = no grease gets to bearings.
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain
yes that was my last point.
i pull the seals out of spindle bearings and put in zerkys
I also pull the seals when i replace bearings . Master mechanic taught me that many years ago . It was also an idea endorsed by Perry Shooter.
as stated pull the plastic cover on the bearings facing in toward the grease other wise no grease can get into the bearings . I am not sure why they do that but obvious the company's have to know it also maybe just a feel good sales gimmick
OK-I don't get this! How does one know determine if a bearing has a "seal" or not? Thanks
If you personally haven't removed the inner seal, it is still there. No manufacture that I am aware of has removed these seals.
Correct me if I am wrong.
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain
alpine; i'll tell you one way to know, its part of the bearing part number. however there are bearings with no seals and bearings with two seals. to work properly in a spindle application with a zerk fitting you need a bearing with one seal. so if you replace the bearing buy one with two seals and then remove the inner one. whole purpose of my post is "zerk fittings or not you really dont know what you have until you take it apart and how much does it really matter".
Well, I have a 1985 F-150, and I think it was dragged thru a zerk fitting factory. But I have a grease gun, and the truck is still running, so that tends to color my thinking on grease fittings.
I used to crawl under my 1975 F-250 every Saturday morning and grease all the front end zerks. I never had any front end problems.
I prefer grease fittings but grease fittings are only a good thing if you VERY regularly pump the bearings full of grease. Since most people don't do their routine maintenance sealed bearings are the way to go for the average Joe.
Seals are side plates that mount on the outer race with a flexible lip that touches the inner race providing a sealing effect while allowing for rotation. Some are easily removable if not needed. Shields are metal plates that have a slight gap at the inner race allowing lube to be pushed past. Open bearings, generally protected from the environment, have neither and the bearing balls and retainers are visible. I used to work in a parts crib handling many types of bearings and my favorite thing was when someone would hand me a box containing a bunch of broken pieces, hoping I could identify it (no problem).
So even if there is a grease fitting there it maybe sealed?? Why put a grease fitting there if this the case?
You can buy bearings with a seal on one side only.
You do realize that there are 'sealed' bearings that are 're-greasable'? Maybe not the little bearings like on a yard machine but REAL bearings on farm machinery.
If you need to know how this works, I'll be glad to explain/describe the mechanics.