Thread: Oil lubed front wheel bearings

Originally Posted by Dougal

I figure the seal around the shaft into the axle housing is the breather. Seems to work otherwise I'd see oil out the swivel or hub seals.

That's where mine goes.

Originally Posted by wagoo

Dave, have you noticed as I have on occasion, that whilst the rear drive flanges on grease lubed Defenders dry out and frett away the splines, the front ones in many instances seem to stay wet and generally in better condition?
I put it down to either a slight conflict in the pivot geometry between the swivel housing and cv joint causing the inner stub axle seal to distort during steering, thus allowing a bit of oil from the swivel housing to migrate into the hub. Or possibly it's a build up of pressure in the unvented swivels forcing oil past the seals.
Wagoo.

on the fronts its usually because theres no seal between the bearings and the drive flange so some of the oil in the grease works onto the spline from the bearings

Originally Posted by TonyC

Hi Dave and Dougal,

How was the oil lube achieved in the early Perenties and the 85 RR.
Did they just not have the seal between the swivel and the hub?

Tony

yep.

Originally Posted by Dougal

I figure the seal around the shaft into the axle housing is the breather. Seems to work otherwise I'd see oil out the swivel or hub seals.

So given that the seal is under oil on the swivel side and in air on the diff side, wouldn't the oil slowly get pumped out of the swivel into the diff?

Rick, are you saying that's what yours does?

Apart from my right hand wheel/disk covered in oil via the wheel bearings and hub seal, nether my Defender or County lost oil from the swivels.

Tony

Originally Posted by TonyC

So given that the seal is under oil on the swivel side and in air on the diff side, wouldn't the oil slowly get pumped out of the swivel into the diff?

Rick, are you saying that's what yours does?

Apart from my right hand wheel/disk covered in oil via the wheel bearings and hub seal, nether my Defender or County lost oil from the swivels.

Tony

Yes, over time the oil level in the swivels slowly drops, this oil moves into the diff housing. The closer the levels get the slower the change.

Originally Posted by TonyC

Yes,
The seal is part no. RTC3511

Wagoo or others, have you ever put breathers on the swivel housing?
I was looking at mine again today with this in mind, but the oil level is high and the CV so close the inside of the housing that I wonder if the oil is flung onto the inside of the housing and there is no real air space when driving.

Tony

I have seen swivel breathers fitted, but I haven't personally fitted them to my swivel housings because my diffs, swivel housings, portal hubs and wheel hubs all share the same oil supply. .I have read that in really hot climates such as the Sahara for example, the oil or grease in LandRover swivel housings will actually boil and drip out past the ball seals, so swivel breathers or shared oil supply may be a worthwhile modification to consider .
Wagoo.

Originally Posted by TonyC

So given that the seal is under oil on the swivel side and in air on the diff side, wouldn't the oil slowly get pumped out of the swivel into the diff?

Rick, are you saying that's what yours does?

Apart from my right hand wheel/disk covered in oil via the wheel bearings and hub seal, nether my Defender or County lost oil from the swivels.

Tony

Yep, mine have always slowly filled the diff.

When i first bought it in '01 it had me stumped for a couple of hours why the front diff level was so high and looked like it had moly in it, then it slowly dawned.......

I very rarely have to add any oil to the swivels on my County, unless there is an obvious leak, usually the ball seal due to loss of preload on the swivel.

John

Forgot to mention that I probably overfill mine as I have to dip the levels. (late model swivels, no drain or level plugs )