Wheel Bearing Grease Seal

[KELLY88]

How in the world do you get these new seals onto the rotors? I've been working at this for an hour on the seals alone. Tried freezing them even and still no use. I'm afraid to hit them too hard for fear of bending, one actually is a little bit already, not very badly though. I'm lost at this point, what's the trick? It's for the truck in my sig.

 

[4x4junkie]

I've always just tapped them in with a hammer, working around it a little at a time until it's seated.

You sure you got the right seals?

 

[KELLY88]

Pretty sure, they look the exact same size as the old ones. Dana 35 bearing grease seals is what the parts counter looked up and these are what they gave me. Motor City Bearings and Seals part No. S-4250. Is it possible the rotors are wrong? The bearings fit but they had to give me ABS rotors because they were out of the non-ABS rotors.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

I just tap them in with a small hammer, no fancy tricks about it.

 

[Tony Raine]

yup, just tap it with a hammer. you could also cut out a circle chunk of wood a little bigger than the seal and hammer on it.

 

[KELLY88]

Been trying to tap it with a small hammer. Got the first one with a lot of persistence but the second one is giving me trouble now. Everytime I hit the high side it knocks the low side out. Very frustrating. I'm starting to think these were the cheap seals and as such are going to be a bigger pain to work with.

As for the wood, I thought about that except I'm afraid of getting wood shavings in the grease.

 

[Shran]

My trick is grinding a very small amount of the seal off where it goes into the rotor, so the edge is tapered a little. They're made of metal so you won't hurt them, just grind small amounts, then clean them out really well. Make sure you grease the seal before attempting to put it in.

You can also get a seal installer tool to do this, but it's not absolutely necessary.

 

[Roadkill]

I always used a piece of 2x4 and a hammer. Lay it wide side on the seal and hit the centre. It drives both sides in, turn it 45* and do it again. Final seating was just with a ball pein hammer. Never had a problem with either the abs or non-abs rotors. I even got good at knocking the old one out without damage to re-pack the inner bearings then drop it back in.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Yea, I reuse that seal a few times as well.

As for it popping out, just keep tapping around it in a circle till you get it started.

 

[Boggin]

took mine out several times i just tap it in with a hammer it usually isnt to hard

 

[marccus]

if you got a hook in one seal, even on the outside,they are only cheep, get a new one, the side that you are not tapping.hold pressure with thumb, so it does't pop up.

 

[KELLY88]

My trick is grinding a very small amount of the seal off where it goes into the rotor, so the edge is tapered a little. They're made of metal so you won't hurt them, just grind small amounts, then clean them out really well. Make sure you grease the seal before attempting to put it in.

You can also get a seal installer tool to do this, but it's not absolutely necessary.

That's what I ended up doing. Took a dremel to the edge and went in small passes until it fit in. Worked like a charm.

So ends a 12 hour brake, rotor and bearing replacement job. It should never even have taken a third of that time. 5 trips to various parts stores for different reasons probably had something to do with it along with this little frustrating problem. If anyone's curious, last night I heard a clicking noise from the left front while driving. Felt the hub when I got home and it was too hot to hold for more than a few seconds. After only a 10 minute drive. Took it apart this morning to inspect and found the inner wheel bearing had grenaded. That's fun to find. Figured I would never clean all those metal shards out, and a brake job was going to be due in 6 months at max anyway, might as well do that while its apart.

Anyway there's the story. She's done and back on her own tires again. Thanks for everyone's tips and tricks.

 

[Roadkill]

Glad it's all done now. I got so used to re-packing my bearings after wheeling that I could do both sides in 45 minutes start to finish. Mind you I had ever tool I needed in the bed tool box along with extra seals and bearings. Too bad I don't have the truck anymore, I still have seals and bearings for it. LOL

 

[Shran]

Yeah, glad to hear you got it. Now that you know how to do it it'll be easier next time.

I also have my front axle teardown and put back together down to a minimal amount of time...spent way more time in there than I ever thought I would.

 

[KELLY88]

Ya seems quite a few people have their axle rebuild down to a small amount of time. Good skill to have. I haven't gotten any furthur than the inner bearings yet, no u-joints or anything like that but I'm sure it'll come sooner or later.