1951 L85 Rear Spoke Wheel rebuild question

[FireSKip17]

Hello everyone. I'm helping a friend get a newly acquired 1951 L85 Fire Engine back on the road. Just replaced the rear wheel cylinders to finish off all knew brake parts, and wanted to rebuild the rear spoke hubs while they are off. 

 

Couple questions because I've personally only ever done regular hubs never spoke Daytons. Is this red ring on the inside a dust cover? We popped everything out using a drift thru the hub and notice the seal and this ring are separate. Any diagram or insight on how this "should be". What's the best way to press it back in then once the new bearings and inner seal are set? I assume there was once a special tool. 

 

Also, I know some people remove the middle seal and allow the axle gear oil to lube the inner bearing, but if one were to want to stay traditional and grease pack it does the race need removed in order to set that middle seal? 

 

Thank you

[Geoff Weeks]

Not exactly sure what I am looking at. However I think what you are referring to is a "grit guard" to keep the bigger dirt out of the seal.

 That seal is toast, and need to be replaced, regardless if it is going to seal oil or grease.  So it will come down to what you can get to replace it, not what was there in the beginning.

 There is a lot to be said for grease bearings, esp on something not in everyday service.

  As far as spoke vs, disk wheel hubs, the bearing and seal is the same.

 I'd go to SKF's seal finder app and see what you can find that matches the bore and shaft size. If you any numbers off the old seal, that might help also.

[FireSKip17]

We have a new inner bearing and both seals. Plan on grease packing the bearing. My question is how to place the center seal properly. The photo is from the inner side of the hub

[Geoff Weeks]

I'd say if the seal came with one, yes. Stemco seals had a "wedding band" ring that gets pressed on the spindle that looked something like that. Unitized seals are one piece. You wouldn't re-use a a grit guard with a seal that didn't come with one. That is why I said, it depends on what seal you get. If the seal comes with a metal guard like that one has, you should install it. If on the other hand you get a unitized seal, you should not re-use the old grit guard. 

 The tool to install that ring looks like a fence post driver, a piece of pipe with two handles and an adapter that fits on the tube and the ring, you hammer it home by grabbing the handles and swing along the spindle.

 In all cases the wear surface is replace every time the seal is changed. Unitized seals are all one piece, Stemco type are two piece, one get pressed into the hub the other pressed onto spindle.

[terry]

Do you have the middle seal out, seems to me there was a lip in there to press middle seal against.  Been along time since I had one of them apart!  Terry

Edited December 9, 2023 by terry

[FireSKip17]

I got more photos from my friend. This orange ring that was on the back of the hub was pressed on. It has no signs of contacting the axle or spindle at all. The seal was then inside this then pressed into the hub.