The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Trick to installing rear axle bearings?

Finished doin' a search and surprisingly found nothing. What is the most common method of installing these bearings and seals (of course washers first). Also just to clarify that the side of the seal with the most amount of metal faces outward (more visable rubber facing inward)?

Here is a shot of the axle seals. Is the one on the left showing the outside of the seal?

http://community.webshots.com/photo/111968325/113654786tKvaBw

No number 16 photo, or at least nothing came up for me. I could get number 15.

All oil seals that I have seen, have the inner lip slanted and pointed in towards the oil. That is to say the outer surface is slanted in towards the oil, as it approaches the shaft.

I agree with you Craig ... the one on the left has the outer ring upwards. I looked closely at my old ones in my axle but I just can't tell. I'm going to get a tool to pull them tomorrow and if I can tell anything after they are out I'll let you know. Although, one of them leaks badly and it was installed by PO last year. Perhaps he put it in backwards. Oh myyyyy ???

Since I have everything apart I'm replacing bearings also. Any special advice from the experienced ones out there for rear wheel bearings?

The easy way to remember which side is which is, the open edge or the sharp edge of the seal(rubber or leather), goes toward the oil you are trying to keep inside of the axle housing, or supply route to the oil. This is so the slight pressure of the oil, will push against the seal and make it tighter.

That is correct.
I installed my bearings with a large socket, I used the butt end against the bearing and another piece of stock against the socket to evenly spread the hammer blows. May damage the socket, I used one from the used tool place that only cost a dollar. Did the same thing with the seal.

Craig,

This sounds dumb, but it worked really well.

I have a few of those 1/2" NPT flanges (threaded hole in the middle and meant to anchor pipe to a flat surface)

I screwed a 6" pipe nipple into it, then screwed a cap onto the other end. Took it to the grinder and ground the diameter down about 1/8" or so - didn't take too long. It was the perfect diameter for driving the seals in without damage.

Of course, after I did this, Rugo finds his Lisle Bearing and Seal Driver kit he bought special for this task - too late, it is still in the package.

Spent 6 hours yesterday removing the old seals, bearings and washers. What a nasty job that was.
Several explitive deleted's were uttered, and yes I destroyed the old seals and bearings. The good news is that today I installed the new bearings and seals. I went to Lowes this morning and bought some 1/2 inch pipe and a gusset and made this driving tool ...

http://community.webshots.com/photo/108231222/114572948bZgAtq

It worked great. The new setup feels much less sloppy. Thanks to all for the tips. Now I can tackle those rear brakes and springs, etc.

Gusset? I can't say I've seen one of them. From the plumbing dept? I guess I'll go back and try to find one. The flange on it is big enough in diameter to meet the outside race? Did you have to grind it down at all?

Gussett: An Okie word. I believe it is also called a reducer... 2" to 1.5". And I made a typo in the earlier post. The pipe is a 3 inch long 1.5 inch nipple.
The "gussett" doesn't have threads inside the end that the nipple goes into but it does on the other end. The diameter from point to point on the perimeter of the gussett is perfect. No grinding or filing required. I also used a 6" 2x4 scrap to pound on and my trusty 5 lb sawed off sledge.

100 bonus points if you know what a sharpshooter really is.

Sharpshooter:
You mean the bug???

Hint #1: It is a tool.

Some words have different, but still valid, meanings. Are we supposed to read your mind and tell you what version of "sharpshooter" you are thinking of?

Grandpa Adams is where I first heard the term Sharpshooter, and he always called it that name.
I was 14 and digging fence posts on his small farm. It is a trenching shovel about 6" wide and 18" high. I have no idea where he came up with that name but it seems to be common.

I'll stick to Stovebolt stuff in the future.

I can guess a small trenching shovel is standard issue to a sharpshooter/sniper for digging a small depression. I bet it dates back to WW2 or even 1.

Speakin of sharpshooting, I sharpshot a trench back to Home Depot this morning and found that Gusset you showed. I saw that they had two different configurations available. One which had a smaller inside diameter hole which looks like a good pounding surface, etc.

Shoeless, were you actually able to thread the pipe from the backside as your picture seems to show? Aren't these taper threads and coming in from reverse to me would not allow the pipe to start. I don't think it really matters for the overall thickness of the infamous Gusset ("bushing" according to Home Depot) seem thick enough for me to pound on it directly without using a pipe.

Geez, wish I was retired so I could spend lots of quality time in the shop. At this rate, Shoeless is going to pass me up quickly :mad:

cheers

The pipe is not threaded in, just driven in.
Sounds like you found a better mousetrap!
And it's not a race ... more like a nice long
hike. We're interested in the journey, not the destination.

But look at it this way. If it was a race and you won, you'd suddenly have nothing fun to work on. So it would be obvious that you'd have no choice but to go out and buy another truck. I'm sure the wife would fully understand.

Actually, I'm glad that I'm not going too fast, for as soon as I finish the truck my Mrs will demand to have the garage back....

Ok I know its too late to mention this but the bearings can usually be tapped untill flush with the axle housing with the side of a short piece of 2x4. then just use a brass or aluminum drift (punch with a large tip) to finish driving it in by moving side to side. Once it is flush with the axle housing it is nearly impossible to get sideways. The seals can be tapped in flush with a large socket. Thus no parts to buy. I usually turn a large 3/4 drive socket backwards on the extension (but 1/2 drive will do if it is the right size) so I don't hit my hand. Also, If you clean the housing and the seal and put just a little RTV around the outside of the seal housing it can prevent some unexpected leaks. Be careful not to get the RTV on the rubber part of the seal or the bearing.