OK. So I'm starting another thread about my inner wheel bearings and the grease seals. I really need to make a call on this tonight. As a refresher, I took the front drums off to have them turned. The machinist tapped out the inner bearings and seals and I didn't note the orientation. The seals are apparently a rare type that has a metal flange on one side.
Here are four pictures showing how they might go in. I'm showing the old seals just for illustration purposes. I plan to clean and repack the bearings and install new seals tonight.
Picture 1. In this picture the flanged side of the seal is down in the hub, making contact with the outer edge of the bearing. So the rubber on the seal does not make contact with the bearing but apparently instead would make contact with the base of the spindle.
Picture 2 shows how the same arrangement would look on the spindle.
Picture 3 depicts the seal with the rubber seal down in the hub and the flange facing up.
Picture 4 shows the spindle with the seal on it in the orientations shown in picture 3. Note that this picture is not realistic as the flange is never actually going to go IN to the backing plate as seen here because the top edge of the flange will be flush with the wheel hub.
Now I was initially of the opinion that Picture 3 was how this this thing is supposed to go but now I have my doubts.
My reasons for this is are:
1. I tried this orientation and kept thinking about it. I could have sworn I smelled something coming from the wheels. I bought a new pair of seals and decided to go pack in and clean and repack everything. When I took off the drum the rubber seal was fried. The fresh grease was black, probably from the burning rubber.
2. It seems that with the rubber part facing the bearing that there's way too much play in the whole set up. Like the bearing isn't being held firmly into place.
I don't get it. I swear I've looked everywhere for a good illustration and simply can't find one. Or a video.
Here are four pictures showing how they might go in. I'm showing the old seals just for illustration purposes. I plan to clean and repack the bearings and install new seals tonight.
Picture 1. In this picture the flanged side of the seal is down in the hub, making contact with the outer edge of the bearing. So the rubber on the seal does not make contact with the bearing but apparently instead would make contact with the base of the spindle.
Picture 2 shows how the same arrangement would look on the spindle.
Picture 3 depicts the seal with the rubber seal down in the hub and the flange facing up.
Picture 4 shows the spindle with the seal on it in the orientations shown in picture 3. Note that this picture is not realistic as the flange is never actually going to go IN to the backing plate as seen here because the top edge of the flange will be flush with the wheel hub.
Now I was initially of the opinion that Picture 3 was how this this thing is supposed to go but now I have my doubts.
My reasons for this is are:
1. I tried this orientation and kept thinking about it. I could have sworn I smelled something coming from the wheels. I bought a new pair of seals and decided to go pack in and clean and repack everything. When I took off the drum the rubber seal was fried. The fresh grease was black, probably from the burning rubber.
2. It seems that with the rubber part facing the bearing that there's way too much play in the whole set up. Like the bearing isn't being held firmly into place.
I don't get it. I swear I've looked everywhere for a good illustration and simply can't find one. Or a video.
