Zero Turn Mowers greasing the caster wheel pivots SCAG (kingpins)

Proper greasing of the caster wheel pivot kingpins on most zero turn mowers. Scag ships their ZT mowers with plugs in place of grease zerks in order to prevent their greasing on a frequent basis. The reason is excess grease has nowhere to go but pop the top cap off resulting in a lost cap and leaving the bearing exposed to the elements, which will eventually lock the pivot up.
Thanks for watching and work safe!

[@KTHKUHNKK]

That's amazing stuff The guy really didn't know what he was talking about. You learn something new everyday thank you. Keith

[@Never_give_upforver]

You’re the best in my opinion! You’ve answered every question about Scag cheetah mower.

[@pmtips4482]

Thank you for watching!

[@gregggibson3109]

Thank you sir for taking the time to put this video up. I just pulled my first exhaustive PM on a Scag Tiger Cat II at the 110 hour mark (4 years of operation). This is going to be the last step I address.

[@pmtips4482]

Thank you for watching and good luck with your SCAG!

[@shanerogers488]

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I was having such trouble with my Husqvarna zero turn, but the set-up here is exactly the same. Perfect video for what I needed!

[@pmtips4482]

Glad it helped! Thank you for watching!

[@KTHKUHNKK]

Good job my friend. You got to take care of them. Keith

[@whodahellru8124]

Great info, thanks for posting! I just had a career change and I’m serving lawn equipment. I don’t have much direction in shop so I have to find information on my own, so again thank you for posting!

[@pmtips4482]

Thanks for watching! I use KZbin every day for repairs and reviews on nearly every purchase, especially tools. Best of luck to you!

[@MJFUYT]

This was an excellent video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@pmtips4482]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ukmerkz5031]

Love it. I will never go back to the walk...

[@LouisianaTractorworks]

My SCAG has the bolt on caps. Thanks for reminding me that I need to do that. lol It's hard some times keeping up with all the equipment. Have a good week Pm! See ya!

[@pmtips4482]

Keep her greased! Have a good one!

[@gardnerraffa5970]

Thanks for info. I wondered why ferris does same thing. I did mine today and luckily all was good.

[@pmtips4482]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching!

[@KmnVybes]

thanks for making this video, I should've been doing this

[@pmtips4482]

Thank you for watching!

[@WarRags]

Very helpful video my man.

[@pmtips4482]

Thanks!

[@pmtips4482]

Note: thread size on this is 1/4 x 28 tpi. NOT 20 tpi.

[@dep6169]

excellent video

[@pmtips4482]

Thanks for watching!

[@mcahill135]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you

[@pmtips4482]

Glad it was helpful!

[@raintreelandscapingllc8648]

Thank you sir. Very helpful

[@pmtips4482]

Thank you for watching!

[@riclykins851]

I too have a Cheetah, this helps a lot. Thank you.

[@pmtips4482]

Glad it helped!

[@TheDisorderly1]

I have a Ferris that has a pretty similar setup and the top cap pops off when you add grease and it never comes out the bottom either. I too found that odd. Seems to me you'd want some grease to come out the bottom to clear the dirt from the seal and its sealing surface.

[@prebaned]

When your caps are tight, if you do not remove them when filling with grease, the grease comes out of lower seal. Good idea to remove the caps first.

[@pmtips4482]

Thanks!

[@chuckgilbert2035]

Bought a used Cheetah that did not have both of those grease caps. Had to remove the bearings and clean all the dirt/sand out of them. They are working fine now. I will be using this method to grease.

[@pmtips4482]

Thanks for sharing!

[@TheBeatenPaths]

Great video!! I would have filled up that cylinder though, after wiping the old grease out or, not wiped it out.

[@pmtips4482]

Great point!

[@kenmaher128]

Thanks! Very helpful for a beginner. Can you reply on greasing the spindles? There's a discharge point on the opposite side of the zerk that's supposed to keep you from blowing the seals. Can I keep adding grease until it starts coming out the discharge? To try to get the old stuff out/make sure it's full? I'm a little afraid to do it.

[@pmtips4482]

Ken, you can but I would go slow just in case the relief valve is stuck a little. About every 15 hours I give 5 to 6 pumps of grease. At 7 to 8 the relief valve will open and I can hear the grease escape. Thanks for watching!

[@kenmaher128]

@@pmtips4482 That's just what I'll do! Sounds more cautious than pumping away waiting for the stuff to come out the relief valve!

[@Stevenk32]

Great video! Im always scared to leave those zerks on. Afraid it is going to snap off on something

[@pmtips4482]

You and me both! Thanks!

[@TT-dz8zf]

Thanks for the video. Can you also make the next one on other greasing points? Thanks

[@pmtips4482]

Do you have the owner's manual! It has all the grease points and hours on each to grease. Thank you for watching!

[@nathanbraun4]

Thank you so much

[@pmtips4482]

You're most welcome!

[@1EVILZ06]

It’s two sets of bearings a lower bottom seal and two spacers.

[@pmtips4482]

Thank you for the information!

[@kennethrobinson1672]

Hey man ..when that part go bad does it make like a little popping noise ever now again

[@pmtips4482]

I have not experienced that yet but I think it would pop when the bearing broke or was bad. Thanks for watching!

[@prostreetcamaro]

The actual reason they dont put zerk's in them is because they will get broken off. Very very vulnerable spot.

[@pmtips4482]

It sure is! Thanks!

[@dalescott752]

I change the caps and it has a hole on the top and when you put grease in it come out of the cap on the top where the I guess it’s a vent hole don’t have to pull the cap off just pump grease in the king pin.

[@pmtips4482]

Be careful not to allow rain water to migrate in those top vent holes. Thanks!

[@bextar6365]

My residential Z-Turn mower does not have Zerk fittings on either side so I guess that I must pop the cover off to grease the kingpins ?

[@pmtips4482]

Maybe not. If there are no zerks, they are more than likely sealed bearings or graphite/oil impregnated bronze bushings. It's best to check your OM. Thanks!

[@brianrandall-gq7bx]

So when i put grease in mine the grease comes out the bottom of the king pin. The top of it after i remove the cap is dry and no grease at all. Is that a problem?

[@pmtips4482]

You probably should jack the caster up enough to take the weight off and try greasing then, see what happens and also you can pivot it by hand and see if you feel any abnormal resistance. Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@wesleyrice8864]

Can the Mobil XHP 222 be used anywhere it says chasis grease or is this a different type of grease?

[@pmtips4482]

I'm using this grease everywhere from wheel bearings to chassis, on machinery from excavators to front loaders, from spindles to axles. So far so good! Thanks for watching!

[@wesleyrice8864]

Thanks for the information.@@pmtips4482

[@goodboyringo9716]

My scag Turf Tiger came with grease fittings not plugs

[@pmtips4482]

Good deal then. I put them on mine and will leave them in place, but I'll never break them off from any kind of abuse. Thanks for watching!

[@randydeskins9359]

I have the Patriot it also came with the grease fittings.

[@M70ACARRY]

My Bobcat Zero turn uses bushings. Grease oozees out the bottom. I'd rather they used bearings, though. Kinda cheap of 'em.

[@pmtips4482]

I agree, many manufacturers take the cheap route. Thanks for watching!

[@apolonioavila8479]

💯💯💯💯💯

[@pmtips4482]

Thanks!

[@nathanbraun4]

I don’t have an owners manual for the mower. How do I get one?

[@pmtips4482]

I would check online first then call the manufacturer to try and get one, maybe a digital copy. Thanks and good luck!

[@danskinner467]

What size are the zerk fittings?

[@pmtips4482]

On my Scag Cheetah they are 1/4" x 28 taper thread. It's a common U.S. size. A lot of ZT mowers are coming with metric 6 x 1 (mm) zerks. Thanks for watching!

[@jeffreystarnes9500]

What about the wheel? When do you know to stop?

[@pmtips4482]

The wheel bearings themselves need several pumps every 10 to 20 hours. You can kind of get a feel for it after a few greasings. Thanks for watching!

[@patrickkohls2721]

So whatever happen to the canister that was leaking gas 9n your scag

[@pmtips4482]

I'm using the original canisters. I just empty the gasoline out of them and slap them back on. Now when we park the Scag after mowing, I'll loosen the fuel caps, then just barely snug them so no pressure will build in the tanks. So far so good. Thanks for watching!

[@EronIler]

Put a small hole in the cap so you can see the grease come out.

[@bextar6365]

Can I put a small hole in the cap and install a Zerk fitting since there is none below ?

[@pmtips4482]

No, it would probably push the cap off before forcing any grease in the bearing or bushing. Check your OM, your kingpins may have sealed bearings or impregnated oil bronze bushings. Thank you for watching!

[@mingsm123]

no special tool or screwdriver needed. just use your grease gun to pop the lid off.

[@pmtips4482]

Thanks!

[@guitarman7169]

By the time you shoot the grease in the cylinder, finger out the excess, you have wasted nearly as much as you put in. Why not just fill to the edge and replace the cap. Especially if it fills the circumference of the housing as it etches up?!

[@pmtips4482]

I had not been greasing the caster pivots properly for 5 years. In this case, I wanted to push up and out all the old grease I could. You are right though, as long as you feel you are getting fresh grease migrated up through the bearing, you're good to go. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@jRieg]

My Airens has sealed bearings don't need to grease them

[@travelnguy2002]

My Ariens is the same way. It's 17 years old, so I'm considering opening them up and greasing them. 🤞

[@pmtips4482]

Thanks for watching!

[@justinsnyder6256]

I like not having the zerk. They just get ripped off

[@pmtips4482]

Right, extra care has to be used with caster zerks left in. Thanks!

[@nathanbraun4]

My Cap broke off, and I try to put grease in it

[@pmtips4482]

You may have sealed bearings. Check your owners manual too for greasing information. Thanks for watching!

[@JimsEquipmentShed]

What a poor design, they should have a bolt on cap, and a weep hole for over pressure. And maybe a sticker that says grease two pumps, once every two weeks......... But no zerk fitting, requiring a special tool to put grease in? Ridiculous.......

[@pmtips4482]

I hear you! All the makers have their own little ideas. Thanks!

[@cheguevara5560]

Toro ride mowers have big screw on cap and you never have this issue ,so yes this is a poor design

[@Johnrider1234]

We have the beast. Turf tiger 2. 40 hp vanguard efi. 61 inch deck

[@pmtips4482]

Awesome! Enjoy it!

[@Petrodrol]

What size zerk fitting is that and where do I get them?

[@pmtips4482]

It should be a 1/4 by 28 (tapered/pipe fit), I got mine on Amazon. You can get straight or tapered, both will work, just be careful tightening them. Thanks for watching!

[@bextar6365]

@@pmtips4482 Harbor Freight....