Cub SLT1550 Spindle grease

[Allamand]

Hello all, been reading awhile, first post. Last year, one day to the date, I will have owned my 1550 for a year. Not much mowing here in northern WI, as it has been so dry, but finally had 9 hours on it last week, so decided to take off the deck and put on some Gators.

Deck removal was so simple, loved it, now putting it back was a bear! I did figure the order needed out though What got me was when I went to grease the spindles. As I was pumping in the new grease, I kept looking for the old grease to come out. Well, there wasn't even a trace of old grease

All I can think of is, the dealer never greased this baby up ANY where! I went to add grease to the front end, and sure enough, same thing. They had no grease in either front tire hubs or spindle

I have not said anything to the dealer, whom just started selling Cubs about 1 month before I bought mine, maybe that was bad, but only dealer for miles, and much more then the local Sears sold. Now I paid $2530 for this with tax, and really like the mover, but did this lack of grease damage these parts to the point I worry?

-steve

 

[TedLaRue]

Steve,

For your first post you've started a thread which may be very useful for future readers.


I understand your concerns, but I don't think you have anything to worry about.

It is normal to pump grease for a while before seeing anything come out of a joint. And quite often the grease that comes out looks like the new stuff you're putting in. That might lead you to think that there was no grease in there to begin with, but that would be an incorrect conclusion.

I think this is what happens: The grease moves around depending on centrifugal force or just the motion of the joint. Air replaces grease that gets moved out. When you pump new grease into the joint, it will replace the air, and hopefully get moved around with any existing grease. Some will eventually be expelled, and some air will replace it. This is the reason I prefer to use cheaper moly grease frequently rather than expensive grease once in a while.

You didn't say how much grease you put in without seeing old grease. Sometimes you have to pump a grease gun several times before it even starts pumping grease.

Overall, I think your machine was probably greased properly. If the spindles had no grease in them, there's no way they would have lasted 9 hours. I think you're probably over-concerned about your "baby". If you pumped grease into your fittings until you saw some oozing out, you should be ok for the future.

 

[JTKub]

There will always be some assembly grease in there from the initial assembly. If there was no lube at all in there, those spindles would have locked up during the first use. I don't doubt the dealer having totally overlooked it though. They do the absolute minimum to get them from their place to yours.

Joel

 

[GreenQuality]

Your not going to see any grease come out, while putting new grease in your deck spindels? why you have two rubber seal's one on top and on the bottom,only when spindels are moving will the old grease come out, you see inside your spindels there is a large cavity a bushing and taperd bearings you would be surprized how much grease a spindel will hold.I pack these spindel bearings with new grease by hand at least once a year.

 

[wesk]

What was the part # for the Gator blades you put on your SLT 1550?

 

[Allamand]

The part number to the gators were 91-938

As far as how much grease did I put in, i stopped counting well past 12 pumps per spindle. Also, unless the grease was completely clear, there was none that came out from pumping in the new grease. You see, my three spindles I have on my deck all have a small hole on the top and you can EASILY see the grease coming out, and it was ALL the new grease I was pumping in.

I have packed enough wheel bearings to know that grease just doesn't disappear, so where did it go? I had a 8 year old Wizzard mower before this Cub, and I never ever greased the spindles. I did replace on once, as I had a rock brake one of the mounting points on it, and there had never been any grease ever in that one, so I don't think a no grease issue would LOCK up a spindle either.

No of course I could be wrong in this, and if I am, sure would like to have Cub supply me with that new no mess grease

 

[GreenQuality]

Where is it going? I told you. your spindles have a large cavity which can hold alot of grease the word is hold, in which it does very well I may add.