[Richard]

Sorry if it took me a minute to locate the questions. No grease excursion. The engineer at the OHLA manufacturer gave me specific instructions not to fill the OHLA completely with grease 2/3 to 3/4 full was the sweet spot. I did pack the bearings by hand during reassembly. I think your idea is good, but possibly overkill. As they come from the factory, they are partially filled with grease with no provision for adding grease. The circulating ATF fluid was a Newell idea, one not necessarily recommended by the engineer I spoke with. The circulating fluid is what necessitates the Uber expensive seal on the outboard shaft. If you are concerned about longevity, you could partially fill the box with 90W hypoid just above the bottom race of the bearing, like an oil filled bearing on the wheel ends. After all, it is a common tapered roller bearing.

I have not added grease since the conversion.


But it was a good prompt for me. The grease conversion is still going strong after three summer trips totaling over 30,000 miles. No leaks, no problems, and the OHLA still spins easily and smoothly by hand.