need help with grease seal question

imported_rusty

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ok should my hub be up tight against the axel to keep the grease seal from slipping out ? or do i need new grease seals? as you can see in the picture its coming out I replace them 3 weeks ago and these are the rubber ones. should i use the ones with the metal on the outside for a tighter fit in the hub? thanks

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The-Machinist

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Re: need help with grease seal question

In my opinion, you should s---can those rubber seals and get the metal seals. I tried the rubber seals once, At least I got to learn how to weld new spindles on my trailer at 2 am in the middle af arkansas:mad:
 

wayne h

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Re: need help with grease seal question

from the pics it looks like the seal is either too thick or not into the hub enough it looks like it might have blown out ? they usually dont leak around the hub and seal . something weird is going on there
 

Al Kungel

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Re: need help with grease seal question

On my boat trailer the grease seal housing is metal and they are driven into the hub and they will not come out by themselves. In fact whenever I take the seals out they are destroyed in the process.
 

imported_rusty

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Re: need help with grease seal question

when I put the seals in they went in flush with the hubs i dont know why they started to back out, its just with the new axel i put on its makeing me wonder whats going on here. today i will try the metal ones.
 

dingbat

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Re: need help with grease seal question

I've used self-aligning seals (small rubber outer ring) for years without a problem. They are much more tolerant of out of tolerance bores than the metal banded seals.

My guess would be one of two things, possibly both. The hub is worn and the bore is no longer within spec. or the seal blew out because of too much grease in the hub.

Are you using bearing buddies or a similar product by chance?
 

wayne h

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Re: need help with grease seal question

i have seen over greased buddy bearings blow a seal out of the hub , also seen a hot hub sunk at the boat ramp making it cool fast maybe thats what pop the seal out ? seals dont usually pop out like that . this is why i stated something more is going on there .
 

dingbat

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Re: need help with grease seal question

i have seen over greased buddy bearings blow a seal out of the hub , also seen a hot hub sunk at the boat ramp making it cool fast maybe thats what pop the seal out ? seals dont usually pop out like that . this is why i stated something more is going on there .

How does cooling a hub too fast create pressure? Cooling creates vacuums, heating crates pressure.
 

wayne h

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Re: need help with grease seal question

i did say MAYBE . but with the pressure of the buddy bearings and the rapid cooling/contracting of 2 different metal {the seal and the hub} i could see where it MIGHT pop a seal .. it was just a thought
How does cooling a hub too fast create pressure? Cooling creates vacuums, heating crates pressure.
 

imported_rusty

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Re: need help with grease seal question

ok just got done putting the metal ones in, now tomorrow for a test ride. yes i do have buddy bearings, but it never happen to me before. also the rubber ones i found out was for 1 and a quarter i need a 1 inch seal for my 1 inch bearings but even though the outside dia is the same either way. i understand grease will be coming out with the rubber seal but i dont know why it was backing out of the hub. is the grease seal suppose to be seated against the axel? i have about a half in of space now.
 

wayne h

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Re: need help with grease seal question

the grease seal should be flat to the hub or close when installed .. not sticking out like in your first pic thats way too much . it also should not be riding on the axle face also like in the first pic that will rip the seal to hell .it needs to be on the nice machined surface of the spindle just behind where the bearings ride.
 

The-Machinist

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Re: need help with grease seal question

Can you post a pic of the new situation?
 

imported_rusty

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Re: need help with grease seal question

ok i took her for about 3 miles test run all is good so far hubs are cool and grease seals stayed in so far. old grease seal # is 125255uc i dont know if that was the correct one or not, but i went to walmart and bought the once inch bearing kit and used those seals yesterday which are the metal ones. i tighten the hub until she got tight and back her off a quarter turn or to the next slot so i could put the cotter pin it and the hob had about a sixteenth inch of play in it, I could rock her back and forth a little bit, so i tighten her to the next slot to get the cotter pin in and get the play out of it and she rolls nice but not a freely as if i had her back off a little for the cotter pin but then i get the play in the hub. so which is the correct way?
 

pugbro

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Re: need help with grease seal question

I may not understand your remarks completely but if you are seating the seals by tightening the axle nut....that just might be the problem. the seal should be either pressed in or use a bearing tool and the seal should be flush or very close to being flush with the inside edge of the hub.
 

The-Machinist

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Re: need help with grease seal question

New bearing are often stiff when you first tighten them down. You dont want any play in the hub. Next time you go for a boat ride jack it up when you get back home, I bet she will spin slick as can be.
 

imported_rusty

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Re: need help with grease seal question

I may not understand your remarks completely but if you are seating the seals by tightening the axle nut....that just might be the problem. the seal should be either pressed in or use a bearing tool and the seal should be flush or very close to being flush with the inside edge of the hub.
I am seating the seals by putting a flat board across the top and tapping them in flush, i know not to put them in by tightening the axel nut. also thats what i was thinking a little snug and when I get back home she will spin really nice.
 
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