www.iFourWinns.com

So i went to the boatshow and talked to the volvo guys there standing by there deisel motors looking bored LOL. I asked them about the maintenance free gimbal bearing and they said "It wont matter that this drive does not have a lube point because the bearing is maintenance free and lifetime and we will only be producing maintenance free bearings from now on so all the replacements will come with a plug to remove the stock zerk because we found the stock zerk would let water get in. Im thinking there is no such thing as a lifetime bearing of anysort and if it is lifetime it should be warrantied for life LOL. Just wondering what your take/opinion is on this

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Four winns 180 horizon

My take is that 1) you're right, no mechanical thing lasts forever, but 2) it'll probably last a very long time, become noisy when it does eventually need to be replaced (it'll give you some warning), and over the long run will probably cost less than having the drive pulled every year to lube it.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Well consider many autos like Hondas have sealed bearings in the front hub that last over 300-400 thousand miles sometimes and really take pounding for years (mine is 16 years old 300k miles) they can wear out but don't very often and they are never lubed.

Just my .02

Dave

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Guns kill people like spoons make people fat.
2007 Horizon 190 Gxi
97 Pathfinder SE 4x4
73 International Scout II

It's great if the gimbal bearing does not have to be lubed every year. If it only lasts five years great. BUT dosen't the drive still have to be pulled "yearly" to lube the u-joints? I use qoutes because I have no intention of going through the expense of pulling the out drive every year to protect some low cost parts that will need periodic replacement anyway.

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'96 Horizon 200
"Have fenders...will raft"

The newer u-joints are maintenance free also.

Doesn't mean your bellows don't need to be checked, though.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic