Grease for mower deck spindles?

[JimS]

I ordered replacement spindles (not OEM) for my Husqvarna riding mower and the new spindles have a grease fitting on the top. Old ones didn't. This is a homeowner level machine. They look like sealed bearings so I am wondering about greasing. I suppose the inner seal may be missing but no way to tell without tearing it apart. These have always just had sealed bearings on previous mowers and I have replaced just the bearings sometimes and other times the whole spindle with housing. Wondering if I should bother with greasing or not. I saw a post somewhere that said the poster found out the bearings were sealed and he was just pumping grease into the large space between them.

 

[KennyG]

I have replaced a number of these and have developed an opinion. The bearings are typically sealed whether there is a zerk or not. However, when the spindles without zerks fail, the bearings are usually dry indicating a seal failure and the shafts are corroded, indicating moisture in the spindle. If you pump the spindle full of grease, it keeps the moisture out, cools the bearings and keeps the bearings lubricated if the seals fail.

 

[RandyT]

Just be careful because if the bearings fit tight to the shaft and the housing the grease can pressurize the cavity and blow out the seals also.

 

[tomplum]

Yes. Put in 10 shots of lithium grease a season. No need to wonder anymore about it. An OEM would have the inner seal off the lower bearing.

 

[JimS]

I was able to push the shaft out by hand and both bearings are sealed (both sides) as I suspected. So greasing will just fill the empty space between bearings. I have replaced bearings on other spindles and never seen evidence of moisture buildup in the cavity between bearings. Filling the cavity with grease may prolong the life of the bearing but not if the outer seal is the one that fails. I could remove the inner seals but the life without additional grease is pretty good in my experience. I am going with not adding additional grease.

 

[RickB]

A well designed true greaseable mower spindle will have a special lower seal with the lip facing outward. This is for two reasons; this design works better at keeping trash away from the bearing and it also allows excess grease to escape without inverting the seal lip and rendering it ineffective.

 

[sriddle1]

I use John Deere Multi-Purpose Extreme Duty Synthetic - TY25744 for my Mower Deck spindles, steering Linkage, drive shafts, Snow Blower, etc., etc., etc. Tolerates extremely high and cold operating temperatures

 

[ruffdog]

Just pulled a spindle on the wife's x744 with the 62c deck. The bearings top to bottom were well lubed and the bearings did not have seals. Outboard of each bearing there was a separate seal that rode on a spacer between bearing and pulley (top). I normally give each spindle 5 pumps every 3rd time mowing. I don't have excess grease outside of the seal but it is well lubed.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I use John Deere Multi-Purpose Extreme Duty Synthetic - TY25744 for my Mower Deck spindles, steering Linkage, drive shafts, Snow Blower, etc., etc., etc. Tolerates extremely high and cold operating temperatures

I agree with the synthetic grease. Schaeffer Manufacturing is my choice.

 

[dhering1]

I just opened a original OEM spindle (532187292) on my 2015 Husqvarna YTH24V48LS lawn tractor and found grease still in the bearings. I have only greased them once in the 9 years I've had it and routinely mow an acre lawn over Florida sand. Interestingly the top bearing is sealed on both sides and the bottom bearing is only sealed on the bottom.Both bearings are Chinese make.
Also, I found virtually no grease in the cavity between the top and bottom bearings.

 

[tomplum]

I just opened a original OEM spindle (532187292) on my 2015 Husqvarna YTH24V48LS lawn tractor and found grease still in the bearings. I have only greased them once in the 9 years I've had it and routinely mow an acre lawn over Florida sand. Interestingly the top bearing is sealed on both sides and the bottom bearing is only sealed on the bottom.Both bearings are Chinese make.
Also, I found virtually no grease in the cavity between the top and bottom bearings.

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Pics and everything. Welcome to TBN.

 

[Richard001]

Was there a reason to take the spindles apart ?

 

[SARG]

I'll just mention my experience ....... depends on the make of the machine.
At one point I had three MTD Yardman machines and the spindle bearings were very easy to replace. I just bought a roll of bearings.
Then I got a Husqvarna machine and the bottom spindle bearing is pressed on making it necessary to replace the entire spindle.
I found that inserting grease just made the chore of replacement very messy

 

[SteveS42240]

If the spindles have sealed bearings, there is no reason to grease the shafts. I am getting 3 or 4 years out of the bearings in my mower deck and when they start getting noisy, I take the spindle off and replace the bearings. Actually, I keep an extra spindle on the shelf to swap out if I hear one squealing while mowing.

 

[KennyG]

If there is no need to grease them, they wouldn't put zerks on them. I grease mine and they are doing fine after 15 years.

 

[RandyT]

If there is no need to grease them, they wouldn't put zerks on them. I grease mine and they are doing fine after 15 years.

The grease zerk is a marketing ploy to appease the customers into thinking they are getting something extra when they have grease zerks. Grease them or not it doesn't make any difference.

 

[DarkBlack]

Zerk fittings go in the design, to make the housing universal, so they can source different bearings from different vendors, depending on price and availability at the time they stock up. They can use sealed or open and nothing has to be changed.

 

[dadohead]

I have replaced a number of these and have developed an opinion. The bearings are typically sealed whether there is a zerk or not. However, when the spindles without zerks fail, the bearings are usually dry indicating a seal failure and the shafts are corroded, indicating moisture in the spindle. If you pump the spindle full of grease, it keeps the moisture out, cools the bearings and keeps the bearings lubricated if the seals fail.

^^^^this^^^^

I'm a retired tractor engineer. Grease is pumped into spindle housings to displace water that often finds it's way inside due to condensation and/or power washing. Pretty common on big box store level mowers.

 

[Smokeydog]

Tapered roller bearings in my woods finish mower spindles with regular greasing lasted +25 years, ~2500hours. Just a couple of pumps every 8hours usually after using and spindles still warm. Got to be extra careful with any pneumatic or electric grease gun can easily push seals out. Same for trailer ex-lube axles. Good to have manual lever grease gun sometimes.