Jamie57

and I'd like your opinion on it.

I'm putting new hub bearings on my axle when I swap it over the 99 HP D30 with the 4:11s in it.
What I want to do is find a way to run a grease fitting to the hub bearing so when I do my maintenance I can add a shot to the hub.
I've worked on Tanks and other big machinery that has remote grease nipples plumbed to very out of the way bearings. I've had to retrofit some military vehicles with some when I worked for the Army up here so I know it can be done.
I just have a problem with greased from the factory items that do not need upkeep until they fail. At $100 a pop for good Timken's, I'd like to keep them awhile.
Don't worry about fab work. This is actually quite simple. I did my ball joints on a Ranger I had. From Ford new ones didn't come with fittings.

Good idea or am I out to lunch?

wrapstar

Its a sealed ball bearing the only way to do this without affecting the race which is what goes wrong with these would be to go through the seal and I doubt that would work

Jamie57

My buddy is changing his out tomorrow. I'm going to take one of his old ones and run it through the band saw. There has to be a grease reservoir somewhere in it.
I want to see just how they are put together. I was thinking of drilling and taping the case somewhere in the middle and running a tube with a nipple end around where the knuckle arm attaches to the tie rod end.
No need to hack the seals.

wrapstar

its just 2 halfs pressed over a sealed bearing nothing fancy.

hankthetank

you can't force grease into a sealed ball bearing like that. you're adding grease to a sealed cavity, depending on what type of seal it is (looks like a regular lip seal) somethings gotta give. old school tapered roller bearings wear out too.