PatGalvin
Jedi Warrior
Offline
Hey all
I am really frustrated with these too-thick front hub grease seals. The felt seals (from BP Northwest)are just too darn thick and won't compress properly. I've installed hub on bearings without seals, torqued to 10 ft lbs, backed off one flat plus enough to fit cotter pin, and hub spins freely and feels great. Install fat felt seal and it hardly spins at all. I've had it on and off five times....
If you look at the metal backed felt seal and the inner bearing, you can see the inner ring of the inner bearing sits proud of the outer ring of the bearing. So, it pushes on the seal and causes the metal seal backing to deform and press on the outer bearing ring. See photo of grease seal on stub axle (shown this way, just to illustrate point) where inner ring of bearing pushes on inner portion of grease seal - allowing outer portion of metal seal retainer ring to contact outer bearing ring. Basically, it tightens up and won't spin without a lot of apparent drag on the hub.
In a fit of frustration, I cut the felt seal (I can always buy another) and that was ugly. The felt doesn't trim very neatly, to say the least. So now I can load the bearing properly and the hub spins properly. But the seal is mangled in there, I'm sure.
Thoughts on this? I can buy another seal from another provider if that is the answer. See several photos to show my challenge.
This is the kit manu'd by PowerTune, in case anyone cares. Thanks for any ideas
Pat
I am really frustrated with these too-thick front hub grease seals. The felt seals (from BP Northwest)are just too darn thick and won't compress properly. I've installed hub on bearings without seals, torqued to 10 ft lbs, backed off one flat plus enough to fit cotter pin, and hub spins freely and feels great. Install fat felt seal and it hardly spins at all. I've had it on and off five times....
If you look at the metal backed felt seal and the inner bearing, you can see the inner ring of the inner bearing sits proud of the outer ring of the bearing. So, it pushes on the seal and causes the metal seal backing to deform and press on the outer bearing ring. See photo of grease seal on stub axle (shown this way, just to illustrate point) where inner ring of bearing pushes on inner portion of grease seal - allowing outer portion of metal seal retainer ring to contact outer bearing ring. Basically, it tightens up and won't spin without a lot of apparent drag on the hub.
In a fit of frustration, I cut the felt seal (I can always buy another) and that was ugly. The felt doesn't trim very neatly, to say the least. So now I can load the bearing properly and the hub spins properly. But the seal is mangled in there, I'm sure.
Thoughts on this? I can buy another seal from another provider if that is the answer. See several photos to show my challenge.
This is the kit manu'd by PowerTune, in case anyone cares. Thanks for any ideas
Pat