You were probably just banging on the housing where the needle bearing seats. If you were banging on the bearing itself with a metal rod it would have gotten destroyed. And btw, it needs no packing, it's gets lubed from the rear end grease which passes through it and also lubes the CAD housing. If you packed it with wheel bearing grease, there is a possibility no fluid is getting through to lube the CAD and that's why your seal is no longer leaking.

 

the little needle bearing (or the large bushing) on the inside edge of the cad is only lightly tapped into place.

when i was knocking out my large bushing, i was banging away on what i thought was the bushing, but it was actually a support that was welded in the axle tube. when i tapped on the thin little bushing lip, it fell right out.

when i tapped in the new needle bearing, i pushed it about 1/4 of the way in with my fingers, and tapped it a couple of times with a socket and hammer, and it was seated.

you were likely banging away on the wrong place, same as me.

 

Gentlemen,

I have read every response on this wonderful thread, and still have a question or two. I have replaced the right front axle seal, and it took me 3 seals to develop a tool that seated the seal evenly. I took some allthread, and found washsers that were just the size on the seal, and the outer axle housing that is where the dust cap rests. I pulled the seal in by slowly cranking the 5/8 nuts from outside the washer sitting on the axle face. It worked really well, but I presume the previous failures perhaps are the culprit for the currently leaking seal?

What are my next steps is my ultimate question. I have read here some fussing about Timken being crap (as is Red Hook!), but no finite recommendation for a better seal. I read about some spring failure, lubrication of the shaft, getting the axle shaft 100% clean, and other items. The outer shaft went into the seal neatly, but I am starting to doubt myself all around. What about the bushing where the seal sits (needle bearing/bushing?).

Sorry if this is redundant for this thread, but I am all out of ideas, and it felt like I had the seal pulled in and seated nicely.

Thanks much gents.

 

You'll get NO help from me since you think Red Hook is crap. You are crazy. LOL Good luck, hope you get her figured out.


btw, there are 2 bushings.

 

if your seal is leaking, you probably damaged it (distorted it) during installation.
your seal seating tool must pull on the metal casing, and not on the rubber or spring.

if its leaking, you only have 2 options - let it leak or try again.

someone used a seal driver tool on the threaded rod.
zman bought the good $100+ tool and swears by it.

National and SKF (napa brand) seals are very good.

 

I also used 5/8" threaded rod with a washer that is just a hair smaller than the outer diameter of the seal but I used a different method. I put the head of a 5lb. sledge hammer over the outer end of the threaded rod and put a nut and a big washer on it for a surface to hit. I was under the truck holding the seal and washer in place and had my dad work the home brew slide hammer. I checked the seal between each hit and it worked like a charm.

Did you put a little gear oil on the outer edge of the seal before installing it?

 

Yeah, we did put some oil on the seal, and checked it's progress many times. I have to believe that perhaps the crappy Timken seal coupled with trying to save money on the proper tool brought it in caddywompus. I will probably suck it up, buy the tool, and then get a seal from Napa. One of the seals that I purchased from Autozone had clearly been partially seated, and then returned!! Unreal.

Does enyone know if the tool referenced is designed to seat into the seal just so that it prohibits cockeyed seating?

Thanks again Dodge brethren.

 

I made an installer using a 1/2"x2" ID piece of exhaust tubing with a 2" washer welded into the end and a nut welded on that. It's short enough that it fits with the intermediate axle in place. It's a snug fit inside the seal and pulls against the metal internal lip in the seal. Works good, have no problems with distorting seals or getting them cocked. Other end is all-thread and a slide off of my slide hammer and a nut.

ALLOY sells seals that supposedly keep water and mud out, but they're expensive as hell at $65.00. Be hard to justify the price unless you're spending a lot of time in deep water. And I don't know if they work or not.

 

I used SFK seals for this job and had success in using them. I no longer use Timken seals. I used Timken seals to fix leaking rear inner hub seals on my Dana 60. Both of them ended up leaking badly. Replaced them with SFK seals and no more leaks!