Rear wheel bearings.

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peterb
Posts: 73
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:30 am

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by peterb »

Here are 2 articles on the subject of rear axle oil seals by Bob Bryan (together with a lot of other useful knowledge)
http://www.morris8-bobbryan.co.uk/articles.php
(See 'M8 Rear Axle Oil Seals' and 'M8 Rear Axle Oil Leaks')
I tried non-cork seals but my experience of them was the same as Trevor's.
I resorted to glued-in cork.
Ian Grace
Site Admin
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Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:55 am
Location: USA

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by Ian Grace »

Trevor,

Ha!!!

And I've had problems in the past gluing in the seals, then finding that the inside diameter is just a bit too tight on the half shaft and if you're not careful you end up pushing the ****** seal to the diff!
ian judd
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:01 pm

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by ian judd »

I fitted my plastic seals with Araldite as they were a very loose fit. I quickly inserted the half-shaft to keep them centred whilst the Araldite was setting. They certainly work very well.
Q151-970
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:25 am

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by Q151-970 »

I thought I'd just add this to a very useful post on rear wheel bearings....
tumblr_mjbdso0Dw01rb2j5zo1_500.jpg
tumblr_mjbdso0Dw01rb2j5zo1_500.jpg (38.95 KiB) Viewed 5728 times
martinng
Posts: 147
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2013 5:31 pm

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by martinng »

Another reason why I didn't buy a Bugatti!!
Martin
Ian Grace
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Location: USA

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by Ian Grace »

These days, someone would find that wheel in the hedge, register it, build a car around it and claim it as original!
gubben
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 7:21 am
Contact:

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by gubben »

I have followed this discussion with great interest. Can´t help wonder - what´s the problem with some oil inside a tube? :P Isn´t the paper seal between the hub and flange together with a sealed bearing enough? And has the grease nipple any function at all if I use a sealed bearing?
/Thomas
martinng
Posts: 147
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2013 5:31 pm

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by martinng »

Thomas this is exactly my thoughts too and perhaps somone can enlighten us.
However, today I have reassembled the hub with a new sealed bearing and new tab washer. It all fitted very well. I did check that the bearing would not foul the backplate by measuring from the top of the spacer washer that sits on the inside face of the bearing to the top of the bearing housing itself (9mm) and comparing that to the distance between the backplate and the top of the locating flange (10mm), so the clearance was fine - but remember I have a 'lip-seal' brazed to the top of my bearing housing so this might be different for those of you with the standard felt washer.
I cleaned up the backplate location and then refitted the bearing, which seated down beautifully as I tightened down the nut.
Bearing assembled and tab washer secured
Bearing assembled and tab washer secured
09R0041118adj01s.jpg (74.99 KiB) Viewed 5717 times
Now to fit the plastic axle seals - I have bought some so might as well use them. I do like the fact that they have a top flange so that there is no chance that they might disappear down the tubes! They are a nice fit on the halfshaft, but as others have suggested they are a sloppy fit in the axle tube as the picture shows (Seal o/d 30mm, tube i/d 30.7) about 25thou different.
25th slack at least
25th slack at least
10R0041134adj01s.jpg (69.3 KiB) Viewed 5717 times
So tomorrow I need to get some araldite or similar to finish the job.
Martin
Ian Grace
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Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by Ian Grace »

Interested to see the new flanged seals - not seen any like this before.
plj
Posts: 157
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:23 am

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by plj »

The last two sets I have fitted have had this feature.

PhilipB
sv4670
Posts: 72
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:15 pm

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by sv4670 »

If the wheel bearing has seals I don't think axle seals are really necessary. I would just make sure there is a good gasket between the half-shaft and the hub.
martinng
Posts: 147
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2013 5:31 pm

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by martinng »

Job completed and for completeness it seems reasonable to include the final set of photos to record this job.
I bonded the axle seal to the axle tube with slow set Araldite with the drive shaft in place as it set as suggested by Ian Judd. Needed to dry out the paper gasket in the oven as it seemed to have absorbed every bit of free moisture in the garage.Then cleaned up the flange on the drive shaft, fitted the paper gasket with red hermatite on either side, inserted the shaft and tightened it down. Now just to refit the brake drum and wheel and check that it still revolves!
Drive shaft a good fit in the oil seal
Drive shaft a good fit in the oil seal
80R0041151adj01s.jpg (71.54 KiB) Viewed 5704 times
Red Hermatite on the axle flanges
Red Hermatite on the axle flanges
85R0041158adj01s.jpg (63.21 KiB) Viewed 5704 times
Tightened down - and now the brake drum & wheel
Tightened down - and now the brake drum & wheel
90R0041160adj01s.jpg (63.75 KiB) Viewed 5704 times
Ian Grace
Site Admin
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Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by Ian Grace »

Looking good!

Reminded me that when I wind up the ring nut, I try the brake drum on to make sure that the flange of the drum is fitting snugly inside the backplate. If not, the nut isn't done up tight enough! At this point, the hub is usually quite stiff to turn if a new felt seal has been fitted, but the seal soon settled down and everything frees up in a few miles. I see you've had to shim the brake shoes?

Keep up the good work!
ian judd
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:01 pm

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by ian judd »

As sv4670 says, with sealed bearings the axle scrolls shouldn't really be needed, which is what I thought too. But somehow the oil kept getting through. The axle scrolls made all the difference.
Trevor Wilkinson
Posts: 161
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 4:44 pm
Location: Bedfordshire UK

Re: Rear wheel bearings.

Post by Trevor Wilkinson »

I have the axle scrolls, sealed bearings and felt hub seals. I work on the assumption that three attempts to stop oil getting on the brakes is better than one or two.
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