Interesting conversation, skim read the lengthy posts, and wanted to toss
in a theory, that from the factory, they might not assemble the bearings
with a packing of grease, so the semi fluid grease is used to allow faster
assembly and fast fill of a suitable lubricant, as this semi fluid will fill voids
in the bearings that a heavy grease will not.
In addition to that, the fluid type grease might keep the seals and wipers
"splash" lubed on a closed knuckle system.
As a side note, older heavy trucking trailers used wheel bearing grease,
and sometime in the 80s switched over to gear lube and a sight glass in
the hubs, they even make conversion kits to switch over from grease to
oil, all usually is needed is to replace the inner seal to hold the oil.
If heavy trucking can use oil instead, I see little trouble with a semi fluid
grease being an issue, I personally would prefer a lube that can flow and
keep the moving parts lubricated, instead of the crusty grease I have seen
that gets thick and hard and quits protecting the critical parts
Wild
Super cool, Wild Yes in some ways using a fluid is much easier than the conventional packing, or so I have noticed, there are other little perks about liquid lubrication aside from the fluid working is way into the voids that thicker grease wont,
Slightly less rolling resistance, better cold weather function, and drawing heat away from the bearing, but the overhaul advantage of fluid lube in the wheel hub is that it simply lasts longer,
And this is a Yes as well agree 100%
In addition to that, the fluid type grease might keep the seals and wipers
"splash" lubed on a closed knuckle system.
actually if your Suzuki solid axles are like all the rest of them and use a Felt wiper seal, this felt can absorb the fluid grease and be drawn into it and thru the "Capillary Action" pull the fluid thru the porous felt and coat the entire seal even if the level is un maintained,
Now I have not noticed a Fill plug on these Suzuki solid axles, like its larger Toyota Cousin, Is this the case ?
And Yes semi trucks , trailers, fluid wheel hubs, There is a slight difference in seal design for oil or fluid containment, One of the first things I noticed about The Toyota solid axle,
Thanks Wild, super cool post
