Proper Installation of Grease Seal in Trailer Hub

Updated 04/01/2015 | Published 03/30/2015

Question:

I am replacing a set of t-23970 grease seals on my trailer hubs. The old seals are double walled with a spring and appear to be made of soft rubber. The bearing kits I bought come with 34823 grease seals and they appear to be made out of a metal and also appear thinner. When I was seating the seal I noticed that it was not touching the inner bearing when it was flush with the hub so I seated it until it touched the bearing and now it is an 1/8inch below the hub surface. Is this okay or should I only seat it flush and leave the gap between the seal and the bearing?

asked by: Dustin

Expert Reply:

It shouldn't matter whether the grease seal is fitted flush or slightly below the point of being flush to your hub's inner surface. What matters is that it does its job - retaining your bearing grease inside your hubs.

It's always a good idea to keep an eye on your hubs anyway, so you can periodically check for any leaking grease. As long as you have no issues with that you do not need to be concerned about the different positions of the two seals.

expert reply by: Chris O