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lingling · 04-29-2018, 01:49 PM

Had front seal replaced twice in 3000 ,miles second time only lasted 250 miles. Could there be an underlying problem causing this. Can't keep throwing away $500 every other week. 2003 Dolphin 36 with 56000 miles on it.

04georgieboy · 04-29-2018, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lingling

Had front seal replaced twice in 3000 ,miles second time only lasted 250 miles. Could there be an underlying problem causing this. Can't keep throwing away $500 every other week. 2003 Dolphin 36 with 56000 miles on it.

With the seal removed have a very detailed look where the seal makes contact with the shaft. There may be a small defect on the shaft. I had the same issue 30 years ago with a Toyota, changing seals. Turned out to be a rough spot on the shaft.

Missed the word "axle" and assumed front oil seal. My issue was front oil seal. Same troubleshooting applies though.

twinboat · 04-29-2018, 02:17 PM

Some seals use a wear sleeve on the spindle.

If the replacement seal doesn't use the wear ring, and its left on, it will damage the new seal.

The seal can also be damaged by poor installation, into the hub, or while installing the hub on the spindle.

Explain your concerns with the shop you use.

M&EM · 04-29-2018, 06:36 PM

Take a look at the center rubber plug on the plastic cap that shows oil level. It is designed to have a small slit to allow venting as things heat up. No venting may cause increased pressure that the seals can't take. Had same issue with one front wheel where replacement of seal 2 times was leading toward a new spindle as a solution. Someone suggested changing out the plug first. It did solve my problem. That was 8 years ago.

kennersonf · 04-29-2018, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinboat

Some seals use a wear sleeve on the spindle.

If the replacement seal doesn't use the wear ring, and its left on, it will damage the new seal.
.

The original seal is a two part seal with a wear sleeve on the spindle. I had the right front seal replaced several years and the new seal was a one piece seal. The mechanic did not remove the wear sleeve. After the test drive, I looked under motorhome and discovered it was still leaking. I had not left the facility yet so they had to start over. It was then that they discovered the wear sleeve. At first glance, it appears that it is part of the spindle machining. Also, if the front hub is not steamed cleaned before reassembly, then the old oil residue will drip down for a while when the hub heats up do to braking.

greystroke · 04-29-2018, 07:32 PM

I replaced my drivers side front seal in my XC Chassis. Mine was a two part seal. They most important part of installing the seal is endplay. For mine it was spec'd at 0-5 thousandths. If you get it too loose or too tight the seal will fail after a few miles. I bought a new dial indicator just for this purpose and followed Freightliners procedure word by word. Finally after hours of adjustment it went in solid at 3.5. It is a matter of shims and other hardware to hold the hub on. Torque must also be correct.

My seal consisted of two parts. One part is pressed on the shaft. The other part is on the hub. When installed correctly the seal does not rotate. the hub rotates around the seal. This is different than the seals I put in when I was a kid. Now I am hitting 80. Tough job for me because I have lost strength.

If you are going to replace the part on the shaft you could damage the shaft by removing it.

When you install it back on the shaft it should be done with a special tool. If you hammer it on you may damage it.

Hub must be installed and held even while installing the bearings or the seal may pop out of the hub and seat crooked. Since I have no strength I built temp cradles to hold the heavy hub.

Endplay is super critical and can only be checked after torque.

Yours may not be as difficult as mine. Mine does not leak a drop anymore. What I have said is in the Freightliner procedure.