rear axle seal question

[nukegm]

comrades! 2018 2500. 100,000 miles. went to do rear brakes yesterday.... both axle seals are leaking. one bad, soaked e brake. other just starting to seep. my question is, other than a loose wheel bearing or plugged vent, is there anything else i should look for to cause these leaks, or is it just age etc?

only asking because my 2002 2500 w 239,000 has not leaked yet. thanks in advance for any input.
cheers!

 

[Topzide]

Only other thing that comes to mind, tires out of balance? The excess vibrations could cause an issue. Venting issues with pests being a possible plugging, but of course, mud it the main culprit. Then again, could just be "luck of the draw".

I'd check axle run out, just to make sure that's not an issue. I try to rule all possibilities out before putting back together. Good luck with repairs.

 

[petersonj]

Other possibilities are the environment the truck runs in, or if the truck sets for long periods of time.

The 2002 truck must have been a good year for rear axles seals - 398,000 on mine and still the original seals.

- John

 

[nukegm]

hey guys. i plan on doing the seals sunday. i have all the specs on everything except one area. there seems to be some confusion about installing the rear hub/axle seal dry onto the tube/spindle. as in no grease on the rear spindle or seal. my question is grease the seal and surface it rides on or no?

thank you kindly for any info. cheers!

 

[petersonj]

there seems to be some confusion about installing the rear hub/axle seal dry onto the tube/spindle. as in no grease on the rear spindle or seal. my question is grease the seal and surface it rides on or no?

That depends on which kind of seal it is. Us old guys are used to always lubricating the lip of the seal where all of the action is, but things have changed some over the years. There are three types of seals out there that I am aware of.

* The old fashion simple seal - the outer edge is a static seal that seals inside the hub and the inner edge is a dynamic seal that seals against the axle tube. The inner seal needs to be lubed.

* SCOT seal (self contained oil transfer) - the dynamic seal is contained within component assembly. The outer edge is a static seal that seals inside the hub and the inner edge is a static seal that seals around the axle tube.

* PTFE seal - is like the old fashion seal, EXCEPT that the dynamic part of the seal it must be installed completely dry. No lube can touch the lip of the dynamic seal for four hours and it must not be rotated for four hours. Most likely this is not your replacement seal.

- John

 

[nukegm]

That depends on which kind of seal it is. Us old guys are used to always lubricating the lip of the seal where all of the action is, but things have changed some over the years. There are three types of seals out there that I am aware of.

* The old fashion simple seal - the outer edge is a static seal that seals inside the hub and the inner edge is a dynamic seal that seals against the axle tube. The inner seal needs to be lubed.

* SCOT seal (self contained oil transfer) - the dynamic seal is contained within component assembly. The outer edge is a static seal that seals inside the hub and the inner edge is a static seal that seals around the axle tube.

* PTFE seal - is like the old fashion seal, EXCEPT that the dynamic part of the seal it must be installed completely dry. No lube can touch the lip of the dynamic seal for four hours and it must not be move for four hours. Most likely this is not your replacement seal.

- John

thanks a bunch for that info.! the seals come tomorrow, so hopefully i can figure out what kind they are. i thought i might have read they are a 2 piece seal somewhere, but not 100 percent on that. about half of the vids on the youtube show grease. and half show dry. then a war commences in the comment section. pretty normal for the internet these days i guess. cheers sir! thanks again.

 

[petersonj]

Please let us know which type of seal you get. I know that some day I will have to replace mine.

- John

 

[nukegm]

ended up doing the drivers seal this am. it was a one piece seal, however the inside could be turned with your fingers. not sure what that makes it. nice to have my e brake back. i found the bearing was a bit loose on drivers side - i could pull and push it in and out just a little. the hub nut was finger loose also. i ended up putting diff fluid on the seal lip and the hub spindle thing. all seems good. parked it on a hill so fluid would go into drivers hub and re fill with fluid. this video from timken is 2 minutes. i followed their lead. in some timken literature it specifically said do NOT pack the bearings in grease as it creates hot spots and such. will do passenger side next week or so. had enough of crawling on gravel for the day. and im 56 not 30 anymore. cheers all !
seal pn timken 710564 for 2018 2500 single wheel

 

[petersonj]

it was a one piece seal, however the inside could be turned with your fingers. not sure what that makes it.

That would be the SCOT seal (self contained oil transfer). Fancy name for a self contained seal, but a good concept. The inside of the seal is static and latches onto the axle tube. The outside of the seal is also static and latches onto the hub. Sounds like everything went well.

- John

 

[Cummins12V98]

Would it also be called a “Unitized Seal? That’s what I run on my RV, oil bath.