Axle Hub and Seal Removal

[sfedeli]

I've attached some photos in an album that illustrate how to properly install a hub seal and pre-lube the bearings on the drive axle of my 1985 PT40 Wanderlodge. If you are not familiar with how to properly seat wheel bearings and cannot safely support the weight of your coach using stands and a secondary jack (not the HWH jacks), this might not be a project for you. Please use great care when working under the coach in a situation like this! Here is a link to the album- http://www.wanderlodgeownersgroup.co...hp?albumid=314 I owe a great debt of thanks to Barry Grim of York PA ('90 SP36 Owner) and Jim Nichols ('93WB Owner) for all of their help!

[Rick]

Good pictures and notes. Sure wish I had all those cool tools.

[Bill Pape]

Thanks Shane

[Ernest Ekberg]

hopefully, the guys that did my seals did it the way you posted on that album. I would never attempt that. Some things are beyond my capabilities. Thanks for posting. Ernie- no leaks, now

[jimbonich]

For the record my main contribution was to stay out of the way and supply additional curse words when needed.

FWIW, I am in the same category in that I would not attempt to do this by myself, but I did find it fascinating to see how everything fits and works together--as well as how heavy-duty the components are to push a 45,000 lb. coach down the road.

I'm thinking of adding this as a separate tech session at the Coachworx Rally and having Shane explain all the varous components--brakes, seals, axle/differential, etc. I believe that this would be helpful to those of us who are not up to tackling this on our own, but would still benefit from seeing what is involved.

[oldmansax]

Good pictorial, Shane! I am glad to know 'Birds have outboard brake drums. All the old trucks I worked on had drum/hub made together or they were so rusted I couldn't get them apart.

Did you make the seal installer? I have some I bought from Stemco that are made with the handle. They are pretty handy.

Now I know who to call when I get ready to check the wheel bearings on mine!!

TOM

[birds_first]

Man this was a small deal for Shane, I'm surprised he didn't attempt it while someone was driving the bird down the road

[gcyeaw]

I recall when I had my coach towed they had to pull the axle to prevent the drive shaft from turning so as to not destroy the transmission (which was already toast) . The kid had to call his boss to find out how to do it. He lossened the nuts and started hitting the end of the axle with a sledge hammer. He wasn't getting any results so he called the boss back. When he got off the phone he just mumbled, "he told me to hit it harder". Sure enough, after a few more firm hits the tapered retaining washers popped free.

Shane's picture brought this memory back

[Jim Brookshire]

I will make sure that if I have rear seal problems it will be in the York/Hershey area. It sure is great to see Barry and Shane hard at work.

[sfedeli]

Originally Posted by oldmansax

Did you make the seal installer? I have some I bought from Stemco that are made with the handle. They are pretty handy.
TOM

Tom- I used a ring that a machinist down the street had. It happened to have the perfect radius for seating the outer shoulder of the seal without smashing the rubber seal. With that large, metal ring, you can just use a flat piece of aluminum or steel plate to seat the seal in the hub. Barry happened to have a seal/bearing race tool (what I'm pounding in the one photo), but it would have smashed the rubber seal if we used it by itself. To install the Scotseal #47697 (what the drive axle needs) correctly, you must use a ring. A few days ago, I found a large, old bearing race at a surplus warehouse for $3. It fits the Scotseal perfectly! The seal for the tags is a Scotseal #47691. It does not have the exposed rubber seal and can be driven on with a flat piece of metal across the seal or a ring that seats over the outer perimter.