Thread: Convert RR+Disco Wheel Bearings to Oil Lubed?

Originally Posted by Michele

Just a note;
as my hub seals are now leaking a bit,I'm about to get a couple and replace.
Well,here at the shop the part number RTC3511 is long time obsolete,and the part number used now is FTC4785.

This may help or not,I thought to share the info.

To confuse things even further - the (double lipped) seal I just replaced on my 110 county had BR3232 marked on it, but no RTC/FTC number. The new one had BR3232C on it, and also an RTC number but I don't know it offhand. They initially gave me a BR3233C seal which was slightly smaller in diameter.

These are the photos I took of my work. Hope they help you take the plunge Byron.

This is the hub with the wheel taken off. As you can see I have the rubber dust cap on my drive plate.


This is how it looks once you have taken the drive plate off. You can see the hub nut you need to remove to get to the next photo. I missed a photo which showed the circlip and shims on the end of the CV that you need to remove. Also another photo of taking the brake caliper off. To get to the circlip you have to remove the dust cap but you have mentioned that your earlier model does not have a dust cap so maybe our models are different in this procedure. The brake caliper fluid line can be left connect. It is a bit of a juggle but just make sure you remove the clip that holds the line to the housing and then feed the line through the hole as required.



This is the view of the stub axle once you have pulled the hub with the disc off. You just pull the hub and disc forward once the big hub nuts have been undone. When yhou do pull the hub and disc off make sure you either put a finger on the outer wheel bearing or catch it as it falls out.



This shows the seal in the back of the hub that you need to replace with the one talked about earlier in this thread. To get this out just push the bearing out of the way and get your fingers underneath it and pull. I wiped out all of the grease I could from all of the parts about now.



You can see the needle bearing in this picture in the back of the stub axle. Just beyond that is one of the seals you need to remove. It is a bugger of a thing to get out as I didn't want to pull the needle bearing out. On the first one I did I removed all of the rubber from the seal with a screwdriver and pliers. The second one I did I managed to tap the seal forward from the other side (using a seal through the stub end of the stub axle). This enabled me to twist it enough with the pliers to remove it whole.



When you have removed the stub axle you will see your CV hanging our. Grab hold of it and pull. The axle will come out with it. What a bugger it is to get the long side axle back in!



Once you have removed the bolts that hold the swivel housing to the axle housing you will see the other seal you need to remove in the back of the swivel housing. Remove this one by once again puting your fingers behind the seal and pulling. The seal is just inside the lip you can see in the photo where it is shiny. The seal has already been removed in this photo.



Now you can do it all in reverse to put it all back together. I used RTV silicone to seal it all up. Plus the appropriate loctite and thread sealer.
I didn't have my torque wrench with me so I just did everything up really tight. Except the wheel bearing nut which was hand tight using a greasy hand on the hub socket. Although the hub nut lock nut was done up tight of course.
This isn't a complete 'how to' but if you read the RAVE manual alongside my spiel and photos it should all be pretty obvious. I didn't even need the instructions on the second side which was done the afternoon after the first side. It is very easy.
I also didn't bother to drain the diff or the swivels before I did the job. The diff housing is tipped backwards by the big lump of hard wood I used for an axle stand so the diff oil flowed to the other side. I also just had a container ready to catch the swivel oil when I removed the lower bolts for the stub axle. Don't forget to use thread seal when you put these bolts back in.

This is a pic of my work area and tools. The carpark outside my room at work. Very classy

UTEMAD:......grrrreat thanks man......really good and clear......now I just have to get up some courage and practice on the Disco, then do my P38a.....maybe I should practice on my mate's 83 RR Classic first!.....lol.....only kiddin......[or am I?,.....mmmmm maybe that's a good idea......lol!]

On another note,the double lipped seal (whatever its part #) should be pressed 4,5mm (3/16" accordingly to MD instructions) below the hub edge,taking care of lubricating the hub bore...

Originally Posted by byron

UTEMAD:......grrrreat thanks man......really good and clear......now I just have to get up some courage and practice on the Disco, then do my P38a.....maybe I should practice on my mate's 83 RR Classic first!.....lol.....only kiddin......[or am I?,.....mmmmm maybe that's a good idea......lol!]

Don't worry about the P38a, it uses a completely different system.

Originally Posted by BigJon

Don't worry about the P38a, it uses a completely different system.

Oh....OK ......I always assumed it was the same ......what have they got/use?....[briefly]

It is the same (near enough) as a Discovery II. The axle housing has a seal at the end to keep the diff oil in, then there is a rubber booted CV joint hanging out in space betwen the axle and the hub assembly. The hub pivots off an upper and lower balljoint and the wheel bearings are non serviceable sealed units.

Originally Posted by BigJon

It is the same (near enough) as a Discovery II. The axle housing has a seal at the end to keep the diff oil in, then there is a rubber booted CV joint hanging out in space betwen the axle and the hub assembly. The hub pivots off an upper and lower balljoint and the wheel bearings are non serviceable sealed units.

Oh that's right .....they DO look different.....just wasn't thinking or thought it was coz of the Air Suspension~

Thanks!