| Author | Message | ||
     Gabriel Guay (Gearhead) New Member Username: Gearhead Post Number: 35 Registered: 04-2002 |
I'm in the middle of rebuilding the hubs and replacing rotors. The first three hubs came apart just fine, replaced wheel bearings and rotors and when I got to the pass front hub, I pulled off the dust cap and all this gear lube pours out. Seems the stub axle seal leaks and filled the wheel bearings and hub full of gear lube. The funny thing is, it never leaked out of the hub or dust cap. Just wondering, how common is this. I'l be calling the dealer Thursday morning to see if I can pick-up a seal, bearing and stub gasket. Anyone have a good trick to pulling the stub bearing? Also, This 99 D1 has no drain or level sight plug for changing the CV lube. It looks like 90 Gear lube. Plan to drain from swivel pin or backing plate on Drivers side and replace with 85/140. The pass side I will have the stub axle off so should be easy to drain. Anyone have any luck draining from back plate or will the seal leak if I do that way. Thanks for any comments. Gabe | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1125 Registered: 02-2002 |
Gabe: First off, don't go to the dealer for the bearing, it is a BR 37 available from NAPA for far less than the dealer will charge and you won't need the vaseline! Also, why are you replacing the bearing? These things are incredibly robust and in very few cases do the bearings really need replacement. I have more than 160K on my bearings and have no fears of failure. As for the oil leaking from the end of the axle, don't sweat it. Some folks remove the seal between the stub axle/swivel so that the same oil will bathe the bearings as well. I intend to do this as soon as the weather warms/dries up (June?). There is no real disadvantage that I know of. The center section of the axle is still separate. FWIW-I have disassembled many Rover front ends and it seems as though about a third of them have this same condition of swivel oil in the bearings. As for your draining question-if you have it apart to this extent, why not drill/tap the boss for a pipe plug so you can drain more easily in the future? Peace, Paul | ||
| Gabriel Guay (Gearhead) New Member Username: Gearhead Post Number: 36 Registered: 04-2002 |
Thanks Paul, I already put the hub back togather this morning. The service mgr at LRV VA beach is really cool and basically told me most hubs he takes apart are like this and the stub seals will likely leak even if renewed. He reassured me that I was looking at 50K miles of slow leaking and eventhen, it wasn't more than maybe 1/2 pint of oil. He recomended putting back togather and refill with 85W140. The 140 will not likly leak though. The only prob now is how to drain the other swivle so I can fill with 85W140. I'm think these things end up about 1/2 full. I don't have a sight plug only a fill plug. I will try to pump out all I can with the lube pump and refill with cap listed in manual. What happens if it's over full? Anyone ever fill to the bottom of the fill plug? Will it expand and blow out the seals? Well new brakes, rotors, pads, bearings, seals, hoses, new fuids, belt, OME HD springs and OME shocks and snorkle. I think I'll be good for at least another five years. Thanks, Gabe | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1128 Registered: 02-2002 |
Gabe: You really don't want to overfill the swivels as it will leak and make a mess. there should be two plugs, a level and fill plug. | ||
| Alan Stuart (Alan_s) New Member Username: Alan_s Post Number: 10 Registered: 03-2003 |
"there should be two plugs, a level and fill plug." 3 plugs...also a drain plug. Also, I think that over filling them helps to blow out the seals you mentioned. When the oil or grease gets hots it expands and needs somewhere to go. I've got 6 years on my 97, and only just recently had one stub axle oil seal go out. It was leaking out the front of the hub. I'm anal, so I replaced it. I like to keep grease where it should be and oil where IT should be. Of course now that I said this, the other side may go.... BTW you need a slide hammer to remove and replace it. Alan Stuart | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1130 Registered: 02-2002 |
Alan: Depending upon the year, there may only be two plugs. When Rover went to the grease, they discontinued providing the drain plug. The bushing/seals can be removed with far less brutal tools than a slide hammer. Paul | ||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Senior Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 1878 Registered: 02-2002 |
Gabe, Paul's got it.... your '99 doesn't have a drain plug because it uses Rover's "one-shot permanent grease application" now... Some people will actually install a drain-plug themselves and use oil instead, but, it's easier just to go with the swivel grease.... they come in pre-measured tubes, just clip the corner and squeeze it in... http://www.roverconnection.com/Disco%20Parts/grease.htm FWIW... -L | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1133 Registered: 02-2002 |
On no, here comes another oil vs. grease thread! Let's make it even more entertaining, how about dino vs. synthetic grease! As easy as cast iron is to machine, I see no real reason not to drill/tap the boss for a 1/8" NPT plug. given the circumstances, one could drill the hole a long way away from the exact spot and still have a serviceable setup with renewed utility. Talk about wide tolerances! I get great peace of mind from knowing that I can (and do) change my swivel oil often. Seeing just a single blowed up CV joint will sway the most dedicated one-shot grease proponent. I really do think the grease was a cheap way to get soccer moms to quit complaining about the leaks from the swivels. As for the new vs. old style CVs, I'll take one that is bathed in 90 wt over a sealed greased device any day. Peace, Paul | ||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Senior Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 1879 Registered: 02-2002 |
Hey, I don't care, it's his rig - grease, oil, lol...  -L | ||
| Gabriel Guay (Gearhead) New Member Username: Gearhead Post Number: 37 Registered: 04-2002 |
For what it's worth, My 99 D1 has only "one" plug. The fill plug. No drain plug and no sight level plug. Next time I have them appart, I will add a drain plug. These did not have grease. It had 90Wt Oil. this stuff runs way to fast to be grease unless the LRV grease is as thin as 90 Wt oil. I added 85-140 and drove around all afternoon and pulled the drive member off. I didn't see any oil. I suspect the leak is very slow seepage and with steppping up to the thicker 85-140 may not leak any more. I'll keep an eye on it. I don't know why this truck has oil in it. The swivels have never been taken appart since new unless they put 90 wt oil in at the 60K mile warrenty service two years ago. So far so good. And yes I prefer to keep the fluids where they belong but shouldn't hurt the wheel bearings however, won't the CV start to run low on oil if it all ends up in the hub. Gabe | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1138 Registered: 02-2002 |
The volume of the swivel housing is much larger than that of the hub. Don't sweat it. As for keeeping fluids where they belong, there is a growing number of folks who intentionally run gear oil in the hubs. | ||
| Gabriel Guay (Gearhead) New Member Username: Gearhead Post Number: 38 Registered: 04-2002 |
Just an update. I'v put 250 miles on the truck and all is right with my world. No oil in the hub yet and no leaks around the swivels. Only leak I have now is a wet spot at the trans oil line coupling where the oil temp sender is. Tightened up coupling a 1/16 turn and should be fine. Funny thing was I was in VA Beach this afternoon and stopped at LV to pick up two stub axle seals just to have on hand and the dealer said they had those but was out of stub gaskets and hub lock washers. I said that's OK, I'll just order some from Rovers North. The dealer said that's where they have been getting most of his parts for 2000 and older because of a shortadge of parts. I said that's funny. I seem to have no problem getting parts through Rovers North or Atlantic british. He replied, right, Atlantic British is good second sorce too. So I then said, why should I pay dealer premium price for parts you purchased at same lower price I can get, he had no reply. Again, this dealership has been very good and is cool about trucks that actualy get dirty and is even cool about most mods. The only reason I would buy small parts there is because I need something now and don't want to wait on UPS. Thought it was intresting the that we both get parts at the same place. Gabe | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1151 Registered: 02-2002 |
Gabe: If you look at the hub from the side, you'll see that the oil level will equilibrate if you fill both the hub and the swivel so there is no fear of running one or the other out of oil. The guys who do the big CV swaps, most of them run common oil in the hubs/swivell as the larger diameter of some of the components of the big CVs don't allow for use of the seal. In this case, one of the bearings is replaced with a bronze bush, and no seall between swivel and hub. Of course, there is some drastic modifications to the inside of the swivell to swing the big CV. Don't sweat the oil in the hubs!!! It is not necessarily a bad thing. Peace, Paul | ||
| Gabriel Guay (Gearhead) New Member Username: Gearhead Post Number: 40 Registered: 04-2002 |
Thanks Paul and everyone who responded. No problem with the oil. Shouldn't hurt the bearings. I'm just anal about stuff like that and need to have things the way it was intended or the way I intended thats all. Gabe |
