Knuckle seal installation question-
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 340
Likes: 0
From: Central OH
Knuckle seal installation question-
Hey all,
Have another firefighter at my station tonight, and we replaced the ball joints.
He may have to build or borrow a seal driver to get the knuckle seals on. We called a stealership hoping for quick favor, and the mech there said on the phone that the preferred method was to just assemble the whole hub/axle with the seal in place, and it would seat itself as the 4 studs were tightened.
Any truth to this?
Thanks all,
Dig
Have another firefighter at my station tonight, and we replaced the ball joints.
He may have to build or borrow a seal driver to get the knuckle seals on. We called a stealership hoping for quick favor, and the mech there said on the phone that the preferred method was to just assemble the whole hub/axle with the seal in place, and it would seat itself as the 4 studs were tightened.
Any truth to this?
Thanks all,
Dig
Locomotive breath
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 1
From: Mid Oh. Ponderosa
I don't believe so, me thinks he's full of it....maybe. I could be wrong. How would you tell if you were crushing it or not? I just did mine 2 weeks ago and they are a bugger to get on. I took the advice of our mech at work and used a drum sander in a drill press to take the blue paint off and enlarge it ever so slightly, enough to press it on with my home made driver.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,215
Likes: 8
From: WV
I'm having trouble picturing what the mechanic told you to do. Was he saying to install the axle without driving the seal on? I don't think there's any way it would seat properly that way. It takes quite a bit of force to drive it on.
Everything I've ever read about this seal says to install it on to the axle while the axle is out of the truck. Then grease the seal and slide/drive the axle into the knuckle using the seal driver.
Everything I've ever read about this seal says to install it on to the axle while the axle is out of the truck. Then grease the seal and slide/drive the axle into the knuckle using the seal driver.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,174
Likes: 1
From: Millersburg, OR
We have tried that before. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't.
Best way is to get a pipe that fits over the shaft and seats right in the metal part of the seal. Then use a hammer and beat the seal on there.
Best way is to get a pipe that fits over the shaft and seats right in the metal part of the seal. Then use a hammer and beat the seal on there.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,635
Likes: 3
From: Lansdale, PA
I did mine with the driver and don't see how you can get it on without it and not wreck it. Unless you sand some of the id so it slips on easier, it goes on real hard.
I don't see how putting it together will pull it into place, there is no nut to pull the axle into the knuckle, and just tightening the wheelbearing bolts up will just push the axle into the diff and not seat the seal all the way and also put more strain on the sliding part of the seal.
Don't do it like the mechanic told you. Please
I don't see how putting it together will pull it into place, there is no nut to pull the axle into the knuckle, and just tightening the wheelbearing bolts up will just push the axle into the diff and not seat the seal all the way and also put more strain on the sliding part of the seal.
Don't do it like the mechanic told you. Please
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,667
Likes: 1
From: Glen Rose,Texas
Hey all,
Have another firefighter at my station tonight, and we replaced the ball joints.
He may have to build or borrow a seal driver to get the knuckle seals on. We called a stealership hoping for quick favor, and the mech there said on the phone that the preferred method was to just assemble the whole hub/axle with the seal in place, and it would seat itself as the 4 studs were tightened.
Any truth to this?
Thanks all,
Dig
Have another firefighter at my station tonight, and we replaced the ball joints.
He may have to build or borrow a seal driver to get the knuckle seals on. We called a stealership hoping for quick favor, and the mech there said on the phone that the preferred method was to just assemble the whole hub/axle with the seal in place, and it would seat itself as the 4 studs were tightened.
Any truth to this?
Thanks all,
Dig
Ford Super Duty Ball Joint Replacement Procedure | Superdutypsd.com
New User
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
I just finished my ball joints yesterday so I am no expert but I dont see any was possible to inslall the seal on the axel like that. I have read were some have seated in the kuckle using the four bolts and pulling it in slowly and evenly. It is so simple to just go to home depot and get a 1-1/4 x 8 gal. nipple a 1-1/4 gal. cap and a 1-1/4 x 4 flange and grind the flange down to 3-7/8.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 775
Likes: 0
From: Williamston, MI
make the driver. And make sure to get the seal seated in the right location. The factory seal tool has a recess to ensure proper placement. If you don't put the seal in the proper location it can make getting the C clip on the axle stub impossible to seat in the groove.
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