Hey all,

I just finished installing a Superior one piece axle kit on my CJ-7 (running wide-track AMC20 in the rear). After a couple of days driving I noticed that the passenger axle seal was leaking. I called Superior and they say it's probably the inner seal.

So last night I pulled everthing apart and pulled the seal. It looked fine to visual inspection, and the shaft had no visible or tactile burs on it. The housing, raceways, and ends were a little nasty so I polished them up and cleaned it all very well.

So my quandry is this I want to put it back together now, but I want to make sure I get it right (pulling this thing is something of a PITA).

1) Should I put a little RTV around the inner seal to make sure it seals properly to the housing?
2) Superior says that the outer seal will not make any difference for this type of stuff, since it is designed to keep stuff OUT. In order to changet this, I would need to have the existing bearings cut off and new ones pressed back on. The bearings SEEM fine. Should I even be worrying about this part of it, and should I spend the money to get the new parts (Leve, I'm hoping your frugal nature will save me from this)?

Any assistance or insights appreciated....

'83 CJ-7 nothing original but the tub and axle tubes

My old 44 is the same way. I usually put RTV in the housing so that the seal outter portion ends up in it when fully pressed in. Also put some heavy grease on the lip of the seal and the shaft itself before insertion. You are correct about the outter seal, it just keeps stuff out. The inner seal is the business. Don't bother about the outter seal unless you start throwing bearing grease out which is very thick and pretty much stays put.

Pigpen
76 CJ5 360/T18A/Bronco gear D20/D30 big brake disc, locker/D44 big drum working on disc/ factory slip/4inch lift/33's/6000lb winch/All Fiberglass/electric fan/full cage/ appetite for MUD

NOW THAT's what I'm talking about! Quick response Pigpen.

A couple of follow-up questions though:
1) "the lip of the seal and the shaft" does that refer to the flanges on the end of the tubes (where you bolt it on), or something else?
2) I've also heard of putting RTV on the ends of the axle tubes, I think where you're talking about the grease. What are your thoughts on that?

'83 CJ-7 nothing original but the tub and axle tubes

put the grease on the inner surface of the seal.. the rubber part.. and where it rides on the shaft... i also rtv up the end of the axle tub.. when putting it back together.. not to keep stuff in.. but to keep as much out.. i rtv everything.. [img]/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]..
that seal should be really, really tight in that tube.. i would make sure you are putting a new one in.. i never reuse those once i pull them out..
like you said.. to big of a pita to skip on a 15 dollar seal..

http://www.jeepgod.net

84 CJ-7 401/T-18/D20/D44/D60w/4.10&Detriots/YJ frame & tub/35x16x15 Boggers
<font color=orange>survival is instinct, but living takes guts</font color=orange>

Ibid to what Jeepgod wrote. There's a time to be cheap, and a time not to be cheap. This is a time not to, do it once an forget it. At that's what I did on my Moser's one pice axles.... no run's do drips, no errors! Hey, that reminds me, I forgot about those axles... I gotta modify my SWB profile!

Ditto

Pigpen
76 CJ5 360/T18A/Bronco gear D20/D30 big brake disc, locker/D44 big drum working on disc/ factory slip/4inch lift/33's/6000lb winch/All Fiberglass/electric fan/full cage/ appetite for MUD

Funny PS to this:

Pulled everything apart, replaced seal, greased, RTV'd plates, etc. as instructed above. Put the whole darned thing back together, minus the wheel/lugs.

Then.... looked over at the bearing race I had set over on the nerf bar. Right where I had set it so it wouldn't get lost or dirty, right where I could see it.

JeepChick beat a hasty retreat from the garage and the storm of expletives that followed my stupidity.

On the plus side, I can do drum brakes really fast now.

'83 CJ-7 nothing original but the tub and axle tubes

Just think of the words you would have utilized if you were rolling down the street and heard that loving bearing song.

Pigpen
76 CJ5 360/T18A/Bronco gear D20/D30 big brake disc, locker/D44 big drum working on disc/ factory slip/4inch lift/33's/6000lb winch/All Fiberglass/electric fan/full cage/ appetite for MUD