HF Inner Bearing Seal

[mahai217]

Which ring do I tap/press to ease the grease seal out?

-outer
-middle
-inner

Thanks,

John



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[egjacks]

I don't have that trailer, but if I am looking at it correctly, I believe that all of those rings are part of the seal. I would tap as close to the outside as possible. Seals can theoretically be reused but they are often damaged when taken out, so many people, myself included, tend to plan on replacing them. I buy new seals along with bearings before I start taking things apart. Sometimes seals are damaged so slightly that the damage is not obvious, so it is better to be safe than sorry. Since they are usually cheap I think it is better to not worry about getting them out undamaged. Also, by having the new pieces on hand, you can see exactly the shape and size of the one you are trying to replace, this helps when everything is covered in grease.
good luck!

edit: on closer looking, I think that is the inside bearing that you can see. although same thing applies, just gently tap it on the outside, moving around the circumference of the bearing. Sometimes a large socket or other round solid thing can be used to evenly distribute the impact. The bearing will push the seal out.

[egjacks]

Here is a link that shows a guy tapping out the back seal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSbVSD6YCFE

[KCStudly]

Another trick is to put the hub back on the axle stub, leave out the outer bearing, put the nut and washer back on and give the hub a gentle tug against the washer. This will pull the seal out cleanly with less chance of damaging the bearing.

[swoody126]

IMHO, trying to save a seal is futile UNLESS you are on the side of the road in an emergency situation

the $$($3-$5 depending on the capacity of the axle) of a seal isn't worth chancing a failure in the NEAR future

i always replace seals EVERY TIME i have to remove bearings for service

just sayin'

sw

[swoody126]

Mahal217, here is a chart of what you are dealing with



sw

[les45]

IMHO, trying to save a seal is futile UNLESS you are on the side of the road in an emergency situation

the $$($3-$5 depending on the capacity of the axle) of a seal isn't worth chancing a failure in the NEAR future

i always replace seals EVERY TIME i have to remove bearings for service

just sayin'

sw

I agree. I just pry the seal out with a screwdriver, discard it, and install a new seal each time.

[mahai217]

I'm still amazed at how quick one can get valuable information on this forum. Thanks for your quick and detailed advice.

I called HF and they are sending out new seals -- I needed my receipt, store number, date, etc.

Now I can safely practice taking the others out and not worry if they get damaged. My goal was to have my trailer built and registered by the end of this week -- only a small setback I guess.

BTW, in case anyone was wondering... I did search through pages of information on the forum. I found a lot of great information -- just not a clear, understanding of which 'ring' to pound on -- I mean gently tap on.

Thanks again!

John

[Pinstriper]

Mahal217, here is a chart of what you are dealing with



sw

I'm still a bit of a novice at hubs, but cups are the same as races, right ? And you don't need to remove them to examine, and if they are ok (no scoring or damage) you just leave them in place, correct ?


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[elcam84]

Yes thats the bearing race. When replacing bearings you always replace the bearing race. Knock it out with a punch. Any wear you can't even see will cause premature failure of the new bearing.

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[KCStudly]

Preferably you would use an aluminum mandrel that just fits thru the clearance hole behind the outer bearing race ("cup") so that your taps are spread evenly around the exposed edge of the race and you drive it uniformly. Short of that a brass or aluminum punch gently tapping all around a little at a time. No steel punches, please.

Same thing going back in with the new race/cup. Us a mandrel. If an arbor press is available, so much the better! No hammering is best.

[elcam84]

Preferably you would use an aluminum mandrel that just fits thru the clearance hole behind the outer bearing race ("cup") so that your taps are spread evenly around the exposed edge of the race and you drive it uniformly. Short of that a brass or aluminum punch gently tapping all around a little at a time. No steel punches, please.

Same thing going back in with the new race/cup. Us a mandrel. If an arbor press is available, so much the better! No hammering is best.

Knocking out the old race doesnt matter just whack it out but dont scrape the bore of the hub.

Harbor freight used to have a decent and cheap bearing race driver set.

I used to sell a big brake kit for GM G body cars and replaced bunches of races on new rotors. I ended up making my own race drivers out of chunks of aluminum course that was when i had access to a lathe.


If you have one thats really stubborn you can freeze the race with liquid nitrogen or dry ice. However if you are using a press it can get a little dangerous as the race is very susceptible to shattering. Chrysler used some junk bearings in their spindles and they were a pain to replace and had to be replaced often as in they would fail within a few thousand miles on a new car...

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