Re: Sure Lube Seals and Greasing Procedures
I've been faithful the last couple years in keeping my boat and trailer in good condition. This year I had the impeller, oils, and spark plugs renewed on my outboard. But the trailer thing is driving me nuts. Last year I had the local dealer replace the bearings and seals on my Karavan trailer using thrifty cardboard shrink wrap pack bearing kits cause I busted one of the seals on my hub by pumping grease into my Sure Lube axle. I didn't dare grease the bearings. After reading my manual and reading forums off other sites, I decided to attempt to grease again before beach trip. Using a 3 oz grease gun and slowly rotating the wheel, I pumped in grease slowly, some but not a lot. After traveling 250 mi and back, I discovered a seal rupture again :facepalm: Do those thrifty bearing packs have single lip seals? I read somewhere that I have to use Transcom brand seals when dealing with the Sure Lube system. That true? I bought some double lip seals from Northern Tool. What is a fool proof way of greasing a Sure Lube axle?
I found this forum doing a search myself for information about Sure Lube spindle and hub systems. I honestly do not think there is any fool proof way. There are basically two styles of this kind of system, one has a hole drilled in the spindle and the grease travels from the front axle spindle zerk and exits at the rear of the bearing between the bearing and the hub rear grease seal. The other has the zerk on the hub itself at the rear and also the grease enters the hub assembly between the bearing and the inside hub grease seal.
Quite simply they are a real pain to deal with. One can hear all kinds of stories on forums and convince oneself that you really do not know something. When basically they are a problem. When you add grease according to all the hype one hears and sees about such products the grease is supposed to force itself from the rear of the hub, through the rear bearing, fill the hub space and push through the front bearing to indicate the hub is full of grease. Hence supposedly you are supposed to be able to force new grease through the entire hub assembly to replace the moisture laden existing grease.
It has been my experience in the 59 years of life going fishing three times a week, and dealing with all kinds of boat trailers and bearing systems, and being lined up wrong with the stars that these systems do not work as advertised. Even with a manual grease gun and carefully turning the tire to try to work the grease through the bearings the rear seal will blow out of the hub with very little grease added, let alone trying to replace all the grease in the hub. It is simply what they do. The reason is simple, all that grease flows into the hub assembly between the rear grease seal and the rear bearing and has to force its way through the hub to the front bearing and remember there is also an axle washer that covers the front bearing for the most part and leaves very little space for grease to exit to indicate to you that you now have new grease in the hub.
I do not care if you use super, duper, engineered wonder grease seals and the temperature is 80 degrees if you try to push all the old grease out as advertised the rear hub seal will pop out of the hub.
So I quit trying and simply repack the bearings by hand once a year, fill the hub with as much grease as I can pack in there by hand and also fill the dust cap that covers the front zerk full of grease too to help keep water from coming in past that rubber cover. You really have to keep and eye on that rubber cover as it becomes weather checked and so on and does allow water into the hub. You can clean the dust cap off real good and use brand new rubber covers with some silicone sealant if you like.
To make it short, I have found that these style hubs are made to aggravate the fisherman, and are designed to pop the hub grease seal out if you do try to do as advertised and push all the old grease through the bearings and past the front axle washer, to accomplish this without popping the grease seal is about like the odds of winning the lottery.
So I just hand pack the bearings once a year, put as much grease as I can in the hub while working on it, and use new rubber dust plugs, caps, whatever you want to call them with a bit of silicone sealant once a year.
We as humans try to invent all kinds of ways to do things the easy way, but it never does work as planned. With boat bearings and seals, the best way is to do it the old way and pack the bearings by hand, keep a good new hub seal once a year and occasionally put your hand on the hub while towing and if one is getting hot, at the first opportune time rebuild that one.
I am not impressed with Sure Lube systems, and never will be. As far as I can tell they are designed to pop the grease seal. I suppose one could tap the seal in just a smidgeon past flush and use a small round punch and peen the hub over the seal a bit to hold it in there. Then each time you did need to work on the hub just file the peen indentations flush before installation of a new grease seal, then peen that one in also.
I registered just to comment on this subject. As yesterday in 70 degree weather I did just what I just stated I peened the seals to the hub. I hate working on the bearings and messing with that grease. A whole box of shop rags is required. Lol!!!
Anyways I put the new grease seal in there, and carefully, very carefully pumped five pumps with a grease gun(manual) and turned the wheel, five more pumps, and turn the wheel, five more and turn the wheel, and just as I saw grease just start to come past the front bearing past the axle washer.........you guessed it pop goes the rear seal. AAARRRRRRGGGG, so I took the wheel off and this time used a round punch and peened that thing in four places and it stayed put.
Time will tell, if this invention of necessity works. I plan to add about ten pumps of grease with a manual gun once a month to keep new grease in there and push out the old moisture laden grease that is always around the front bearing where water gets past that dust cap.
It only took me 30 years to come up with punching the hub to retain the seal. Just a little, enough to keep that thing from popping out and you look under there and cry...............
