Have a 2012 Z520 with dual axle trailer. Other than having my tires rotated every year I haven’t had any other maintenance done. What do I need to do with the vault hubs, I hear some people say not to touch them unless problematic. I’m all about preventative maintenance so I’m torn about how to care for them. I’m the sole owner and have taken good care of the trailer. Has maybe 15-20k miles on it I would guess.
That’s not a lot of miles for a 2012. If the wheels are clean [not losing visible fluid], you’re probably all right for another couple of years. You could jack up one wheel at a time and spin to see how they look and sound. If it were me, I’d probably have my dealer service them at the point you’ve reached, but as noted, you can probably squeeze another year or two if everything looks and sounds fine upon [exterior] inspection.
John Clark — Findlay, Ohio
here is the thing I have learned on the vault hubs. If there isn't anything wrong with them, then leave them alone. What you can do is:
1. jack the wheel off the ground; spin the wheel. If it rotates freely (except for brake pad drag) then its good.
2. While its jacked up rock the tire inward and outward; If the end play is only slight (less than 1/8"). Then its good to go.
3. Take the tire off; inspect the inner oil seal; if there isn't a bunch of oil running out its good to go.
4. One last thing. The black plastic cap on the front of the hub is spring loaded and should be protruding out past the end of the metal just a bit. If it is flush with the end cap you need to remove the cap and pump in a little more of the hybroid grease/oil into the hub and replace the cap. It would be a good idea to replace the O ring inside the barrel of the hub when you do this. The black cap is spring loaded and will keep just a little positive pressure inside the bearing housing. that keeps water from getting sucked into the hub when you back the warm hub into that cool water at the lake.
Last edited by Ranger519VS; 02-10-2020 at 04:03 PM.
Butch Derickson
2011 Z521 w/250 hp SHO
Traverse City, Michigan
Thanks guys. I check them every time I haul the boat. The hubs feel cool to the touch and no audible/concerning noises when engaged. I’ll keep my fingers crossed
My trailer is a 2013 and I’ve put around 90 thousand miles on it. I’ve had seven seal failures in the first five years. Vault has been great about sending me the parts for free. Now that being said Tammi from ufp said each year the the caps should be knocked off and pump new hybrid grease into the spindle and replace the caps with new ones. Since I’ve done this I’ve been problem free.
Gun Control..... Is hitting your target every time
What year did ranger start using the vault hub?
2010Originally Posted by R491V
2018 Z521L 250 PRO XS V8
How did you know you had a seal failure? Leaking the hybrid grease? I thought the owners manual says not to touch them for 5yrs or 100k miles.
Following. I have a 2013 and wondering if I should service them. Bought the boat a couple months ago.
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