The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Two speed wheel seals

58 6C 6500 ....
While performing the brake rebuild, it only made sense to pull axels and hubs, check bearings and install wheel hub seals. (The snow ball effect). Unfortunately, their aren't any numbers on my worn seals. Napa doesn't list anything for a gm corporate rear. My truck is equipped with the vacuum two speed rear. Has anyone a part number for these seals, and if so how did you find the info. Knowing the resource path helps procuring parts in the future. (teach a man to fish....).

Find an oldtime parts man who can still read a progressive size chart- - - -the one in the back of every printed bearing and seal catalog I've seen for the past 50 years. That one will list the OD, ID and thickness of every seal the company manufactures, plus cross references to other manufacturers' part numbers. Then all you need is an accurate dial caliper and some good measurements. I'd probably start looking for that kind of person at an industrial bearing place, rather than a parts store. Lip seals aren't unique to automotive applications- - - -the same seals are used in a wide variety of industrial situations.
Jerry

I did mine this spring... Rear axle seal National USA 455037; inner bearing Timken USA 495AX; outer bearing Timken CANADA 39590. My rear is a 1952 Canadian GMC vacuum 2 speed. I was able to get part numbers from original seals and bearings (I know you didn't ask but thought good too reference them here too in case). I actually got them from the neighborhood big truck shop. (Carrier / International Truck Centre)

Thanks Jerry. When measuring for the id, would you measure the diameter of the surface the seal rides on or the diameter of the rubber portion of the seal?
Thanks for the numbers 52vff, however I believe we have two different axles. Based on the info I found on line the 455037 has an od of 5.506 and mine measures 4.8 od. Is yours a corporate 15,000 lb rear with vacuum operated two speed? If so, I may have incorrectly identified my rear.

Hy vikikng58, according to my parts book the "seal unit, rear wheel bearing" o.e.m. p/n is 3717672 = National 6696S. Just as a side note, years ago I went to buy rear wheel seals for my 59 Spartan 100, when the parts man brought the box out I opened it and compared it to my sample seal, the i.d. was smaller, I said to the partsman that the seal was wrong, he said that was the number listed in his book for that truck, he said did you look in the box for an instruction sheet. I looked in the seal box and sure enough there was a piece of paper in there, the instruction was to remove the factory wiper from the axle tube and install the new seal. The new seal was a "Scott" type of seal which does not rotate on the axle but is clamped to the axle tube by tight fitting rubber on the inner bore of the seal, the o.d. of the seal fits into the hub bore just like a standard seal, so the seal rotates internally, this type of seal is for oil lubricated bearings/hubs, the oil also lubricates the internal part of the seal, hope that helps