Front Driver Side Wheel Leak

[Dave and Cris]

After returning from our last trip, I parked our Itasca Ellipse 2006/FreightLiner XC chassis on our concrete pad and lowered the jacks to take some of the load off of the tires. That was about 30 days ago.

When I drove the MH forward last Thursday to hook up the towed vehicle, I noticed the hard plastic sheet I placed under the wheels, was coated with oil (driver side front wheel only).

I crawled underneath the coach and inspected the interior side of the wheel and noticed some oil stains on the wheel well/under carriage and wet oil was dripping from the tire. I then pulled the rubber gasket behind the exterior rim cover to access/view the oil reservoir for the wheel. The reservoir was empty. I picked up some 90-W80 gear oil and replenished the reservoir. I drove the MH for about five miles, inspected reservoir and had to add some more gear oil. I repeated this process about six times. On the seventh stop, the reservoir was full of oil to the full mark AND no new oil stains were present in the wheel well and the tire was completely dry. I then drove the MH on the Interstate for about 60 miles and parked the MH at an RV park. I inspected the interior of the wheel and no new oil was leaking around the wheel and the oil reservoir was full. We have been parked here for three days, and no oil has leaked from the wheel.

Does any one have an idea what is happening here??

Dave

[Mike Canter]

It is that time of the year for drastic changes in temperatures. On aircraft changes in temperatures cause contraction and later expansion of metal and sometimes the oring or other seals just can't keep up with it and will suddenly leak then once the plane is warmed up and flown the leak just disappears. I would suspect maybe that is what happened and I would closely watch it for a while. The only concern would be if the oil got onto the brake pads/shoes. Can you see well enogh to check that with the wheel on?

[Dave and Cris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Canter It is that time of the year for drastic changes in temperatures. On aircraft changes in temperatures cause contraction and later expansion of metal and sometimes the oring or other seals just can't keep up with it and will suddenly leak then once the plane is warmed up and flown the leak just disappears. I would suspect maybe that is what happened and I would closely watch it for a while. The only concern would be if the oil got onto the brake pads/shoes. Can you see well enogh to check that with the wheel on?

Mike, thanks for the reply. You confirmed one of the thought I had about the leak. However, I do not want to take any chances so I am sitting writing this email in the Albuquerque-Freightliner waiting lot. I drove the MH about 30 miles from the campground to here and there are fresh oil marks in the wheel well and interior side of the wheel is soaked with oil. I hope you are right. If you are I have to paid $350 because it will not be covered by warranty. When I bought the MH, I told myself I was not going to "cut any corners" when comes to maintenance. So here I sit. I will post the results of the inspection. Again, thanks for the reply.

Dave

[JoeT]

$350 sounds awfully high. I had a leaking right front seal on my XC Chassis and replacement was $183.25 including tax, shop supplies, parts and labor. Freightliner covered it under warranty.

[Dave and Cris]

Well, Freightliner concluded the wheel seal had failed and because our MH was out of warranty, is was $400 which included replacing the brake pads which were soiled with gear oil.

Dave