Jump to content

Rear Axle Oil Seal Replacement


Recommended Posts

To replace the oil seal in the axle tube, you only need to remove the halfshaft from the rear axle. The hub will come out with the halfshaft and there's no need to remove the hub from the halfshaft if you're only replacing the oil seal in the axle.

 

Removing the halfshaft from the rear axle requires 6 small bolts to be unscrewed from behind the axle end flange (the heads of the bolts face in towards the differential). The halfshaft should slide out after these are removed.

 

If you're replacing the oil seal in the bearing carrier, then you will need to pull the hub off the halfshaft (or press the halfshaft out of the hub). When I did this i had to take it to an engineering workshop where a 30T press was used to separate the hub from the shaft. The 'special' tool often isn't man enough from what i've heard.

 

Hope that helps.

 

PS - in case you don't know, the speedi sleeves referred to above are for repairing your halfshafts if they are worn or pitted at the inner seal rubbing point.

Edited by bigmalcy
Link to post
Share on other sites

Forgot to mention that removing the axle tube seals themselves can be a pain and may require the use of an oil seal puller... and the 6 small bolts can be tight / worn / awkward to get at so it's one of those jobs that sounds simple but can end up taking time. Good luck!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Traditionally Tr ists have removed the axle tube seals in the usual fashion - cold chisel and some serious blows to split them- leaving wonderful deep scars which promote even more oil leaks.

Whilst in England a few years ago I came across a wonderful tool (I think in Halfords) with what is best described as a parrots beak which enables you to remove the seals without any butchery.

I too have very recently gone down the SKF speedi sleeve route and have no leaks to report after 3 months

 

james

Link to post
Share on other sites

If you have gone as far as removing the half shaft you must use the speedi sleeve. This inexpensive and cured my oil seal failre which had been going on for over 20 years. It has been dry ever since.

 

Good luck

Link to post
Share on other sites

Traditionally Tr ists have removed the axle tube seals in the usual fashion - cold chisel and some serious blows to split them- leaving wonderful deep scars which promote even more oil leaks.

Whilst in England a few years ago I came across a wonderful tool (I think in Halfords) with what is best described as a parrots beak which enables you to remove the seals without any butchery.

I too have very recently gone down the SKF speedi sleeve route and have no leaks to report after 3 months

 

james

Hi James,

Do you mean like this one Moss have on their ebay clearance?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OIL-SEAL-PULLER-MTR1002-/181219047624?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2a317f38c8

Cheers

Peter W

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 8 years later...

Ok so having found this thread, I need to change the outer seal on my "Girling" axle as grease is getting though to the brakes. I have heard that it's not a good idea to use a garage press to separate hub from stub axle on the IRS cars, does the same apply to solid axle types ?

Bob

Link to post
Share on other sites

Solid axle ones are fine to split, we have done several though they do take a fair bit of force so you do need to support the hub flange properly. I do have the correct Churchill tool if you want to borrow it.

Stuart.

 

photo1133.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites
22 minutes ago, Lebro said:

Thank you Stuart, Peter W has offered to lend me his, & he is a bit closer !

 

Bob

Perfect, they do take some winding up to get them to release. FWIW and I`m not saying you have but a lot of the time grease coming through onto the linings was due to over enthusiastic greasing of the axle outer end grease nipple.

Stuart.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm sure you are right, & I have not greased the bearings for some time now. The ammount of grease getting through is less each time I look, but I guess the seal has distorted, & realy needs to be renewed. Will do the inner one as well while the shaft is out.

Bob 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Speedi Sleeve - Made by SKF to repair worn seal areas of shafts etc.

 

1. Half Shaft Girling solid axle. TR3/3A/3B/4/4A .  where the axle tube seal wears on the axle shaft.    -    SKF 99131  or SKF CR 99131 (CR is uprated item)

2. Pinion Drive Flange on the nose of the axle/diff.   TR2/3/3A/3B/4/4A/4A IRS/250/5/6.  -  SKF 99149  or  SKF CR 99149  (CR is uprated item)  (Moss 520-500)

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 5 months later...

OK so I finally got round to trying to separate the hub from the shaft. using Peter's puller I have done to following:

Removed split pin & nut, cleaned out the split pin hole (which by the way is 9/64" dia) found a piece of piano wire to fit, & cut to length such that it does not quite foul the thread of the nut when screwed back on.

Replaced the nut the "wrong" way round to support the axle thread, fitted the puller, using original wheel nuts, tighened them up as much as I dare.

then wound in the central screw. have now got it about as tight as I dare (don't want to strip the thread on it) using extended tommy bar (see photo) & also my impact wrench. clobbered the end of the screw in between each tightening effort with a club hammer. no movement at all.

Any ideas ??

Bob

19d73c5d-3045-4382-b53b-2f1e3dcf32eb.thumb.jpg.6158f3d491d92680fd66e6fc686c1b73.jpg  da7edc2d-fb0a-4020-9e1d-8259bf91f2c0.thumb.jpg.4e436929282a71691b7dddce0207a913.jpg  

Link to post
Share on other sites

Not a daft question.   You did remove the washer from under the slotted nut so there is a gap from the nut to the hub flange?   ‘Course you did.  
I’d lean on the Tommy bar again.  Give the end of the tool a whack with a big club hammer. I have resorted to a sledge hammer before now.

With the pressure still loaded on the tool screw …..  You may get a result if you strike the front of the tool flange  half way between two wheel nut holes.  Along the axis of the half shaft thus ‘bending’ the drive flange.    I use a big brass drift and a club hammer.   The distortion of the flange on the taper may release it.   That is the method we adopted for consistent results when splitting IRS hubs.    Resorting to oxy/acetylene is also done but you need to heat the flange with the tool removed, then when heat soaked refit and load up the tool, and whack.  That is a reliable method but you need to work quickly with gloves.   Heating the tool is not recommended.
 

 Go to bed and try again tomorrow. Leave with pressure on.     Tighten again, whack again.

I have had shafts that refused to split with that tool and so I gave up.   The tool is more difficult to replace than it is to get hold of a spare half shaft assy.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for that Peter.   I have had an idea in the meantime,  with the 4 wheel nuts tightened up, striking the tool to push the shaft inwards is also pushing the tool body inwards (ok there will be some slack in the thread, but not much) I could try slackening the wheel nuts slightly to make a small gap between tool & flange. tighten up the tool as before, but now when the tool's screw is struck the shaft can move inwards without pulling the flange with it ?  Just a thought

Bob.

P.S.  I did not notice any washer, but there is certainly a gap between nut & hub !

Edited by Lebro
Link to post
Share on other sites

When we do them Bob theyre done at Chris place and he drops them tool end down into his pit so a drop of about 6ft, the impact works every time.

Stuart.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ha Ha  yes, I guess that would work. however that would mean taking the axle out, which is not on my "to do at this time" list.

Anyway, it is now separated - hurra !  I think it had split a while ago, I just had not noticed, I was expecting some movement after hitting it, but there was none.

I went back to it to remove the tool to check whether there was a washer there or not, and as I slackened off the tool, it all went loose. so I guess you need to slacken it off between tries to see if it has worked.  Will do that when I do the other side.  The offside is not showing any problem with grease getting through, but while I have the tool I may as well change the seal (which I have)  I also have the inner seals, but I won't need the special tool to get to those, so they can wait.

5cd69a47-802f-4c01-88ce-2d044d6e992f.thumb.jpg.aca5f50d522ee1fc09bf2f909f94d2fe.jpg  c7af5bd6-d6d5-4cf6-9b64-91b2e32f45f4.thumb.jpg.1b43b9325aa382c030dff6dfc9d6dd68.jpg

As you can see grease was certainly getting through it !

Bob

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Please familiarise yourself with our Terms and Conditions. By using this site, you agree to the following: Terms of Use.