Thread: Swivel Housing

I use the penrite semi fluid grease in mine, seems to work well. I'd prefer oil, but it doesn't hold it long at the moment due to a stuffed seal.

What level do you fill it to? Does it do any damage?

Put as much as I can in pretty much, but it's messy much to get in, best put in with a sause bottle or such and when hot. But the swivels normally hold 1/2 a litre of oil.

Thanks for that sounds like a good idea.

What do you mean worn? The balls or the seals? Are the balls rusty?

I have never seen swivel balls which need replacement through wear, only seals, but they are only $15 per side.

IMO oil is the only way to go, as you need the splash lubrication to keep the top swivel pin lubricated.

Me (and many others I have heard) have been able to pack the swivel housings with just grease in Rangies (and SI Discoverys too i guess) all the time with no problems. Normal bearing grease becomes quite fluid when its warm so you shouldn't have any problems with yours.

Having said that, SIIIs have Uni-Joints inside their swivel housings...and Rangies have CV joints. Maybe Uni joints need something more fluid than grease?

Originally Posted by timberwolf_302

Me (and many others I have heard) have been able to pack the swivel housings with just grease in Rangies (and SI Discoverys too i guess) all the time with no problems. Normal bearing grease becomes quite fluid when its warm so you shouldn't have any problems with yours.

Having said that, SIIIs have Uni-Joints inside their swivel housings...and Rangies have CV joints. Maybe Uni joints need something more fluid than grease?

Axles don't (or shouldn't) get hot enough for the grease to become completely liquid.

The biggest problem is that Series trucks have an upper swivel pin with a bush, and only a tiny hole for the oil to be splashed up into them. Discos and rangies, etc mostly have a bearing at the top.

However - toyotas and the like which run grease from stock, tend to have much shorter CV-life and CV-bush life than rovers.

Originally Posted by timberwolf_302

Me (and many others I have heard) have been able to pack the swivel housings with just grease in Rangies (and SI Discoverys too i guess) all the time with no problems. Normal bearing grease becomes quite fluid when its warm so you shouldn't have any problems with yours.

Having said that, SIIIs have Uni-Joints inside their swivel housings...and Rangies have CV joints. Maybe Uni joints need something more fluid than grease?

Grease is not a good idea with swivels with fibre top bushes (most Landrovers), but semifluid grease is sort of acceptable. You will get away with grease a lot more often with Rangerovers and Discoveries and Defenders that have full time four wheel drive than you will with the typical Series which is part time four wheel drive and typically has free wheeling hubs. In this situation the grease does not get at all hot and the only way any lubricant gets into the top bearing is by axle bounce, which is not enough to throw even semifluid grease into the upper swivel bearing.