Wheel seal leaking outer rim surface

Scott & Heather · September 22, 2016, 12:29:39 AM

I'm fully convinced that the shop I was monkeying around with while converting my coach this summer just is completely inept at performing wheel seal rr. I am in Atlanta and I've been watching my passenger front rim get oiled for the last month. The level in the hub hasn't changed at all which is the weird part. I've always had them leak on the inside of the rim but never the outside. It does not leak on the inside. Inside of the tire is clean.

I need to get this into a shop to fix it so I don't toast my brand new bearings. I can't believe after having my coach 4 times over the summer they still couldn't get it right. Is this an outer seal that's bad? What makes the oil manifest on the rim surface?

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bevans6 · September 22, 2016, 04:29:48 AM

It all looks new, as it should. if the rubber plug is good, the plastic is not cracked, the hub cap has a good gasket, then maybe the wrong oil is in there. I use Lucas hub oil, which is very viscous and tends to stay inside the hub very well.

chessie4905 · September 22, 2016, 04:46:05 AM

Change the thing over to grease and forget about these issues. Oil seal hubs are like car sunroofs. Sooner or later, they are going to leak. They are great when they are sealed, but quite a mess is created, and especially contaminated brake linings and reduced stopping power. That looks like the cap to hub seal is the problem if it is dry on the inside of the brake drum. Ifyou pull the wheel, you should be able to see the point of leak. If it is dry there, then it is the cap plug to hole issue. It takes very little oil to make that mess.

Oonrahnjay · September 22, 2016, 06:01:22 AM

Look at the bright side, your wheel is never going to rust ...

luvrbus · September 22, 2016, 07:27:10 AM

It is a little late since you have all new bearings but you can convert the tag and steering over to sealed bearing like all the newer buses and trucks are running now.MCI and Prevost are both using sealed bearing no grease, no oil ,no leaking and no mess

blue_goose · September 22, 2016, 07:28:32 AM

Get some Lucas wheel seal stop leak, it is great stuff. More than likely with that small leak it will stop it and save you from more problems. I use it even if there is not a leak.
Jack

Utahclaimjumper · September 22, 2016, 07:34:11 AM

Very possible that hub was overfilled to begin with,, clean the wheel and area and keep an eye on it,if overfilled it will leak from the plug. It does'nt take much to make a mess.>>>Dan

Scott & Heather · September 22, 2016, 08:39:11 AM

Now you tell me Cliff. Lol
I've already clean the wheel off once and it still doing it. I will continue to keep an ion it and see if it is just trying to level out

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gumpy · September 22, 2016, 08:53:00 AM

There is no outer seal. Only an inner. The cap has a gasket under it.

Quite often a leak can occur between the plastic center ring and the metal cap. If it's there, replace the cap and gasket. Actually, the photos appear to show oil between the plastic and metal.

Also, if the vent hole in the green plug is plugged, or isn't there, the hub will pressurize as it heats up and push the oil out. Several years ago, there were a bunch of plugs out that didn't have the vent hole in them.

Oil level should be just to the bottom lip of the fill hole.

eagle19952 · September 22, 2016, 09:00:59 AM

Quote from: chessie4905 on September 22, 2016, 04:46:05 AM
Change the thing over to grease and forget about these issues. Oil seal hubs are like car sunroofs. Sooner or later, they are going to leak. They are great when they are sealed, but quite a mess is created, and especially contaminated brake linings and reduced stopping power. That looks like the cap to hub seal is the problem if it is dry on the inside of the brake drum. If you pull the wheel, you should be able to see the point of leak. If it is dry there, then it is the cap plug to hole issue. It takes very little oil to make that mess.

baloney....

in 40 years in the trade i have never "converted" one to grease.
and i have never wanted to.
it is fixable as designed.

wayne · September 22, 2016, 09:34:37 AM

If it leaks with oil it will leak with grease. The grease only remains solid when parked and cold, when it heats up it liquified and will leak just as oil would

gumpy · September 22, 2016, 12:38:47 PM

Quote from: eagle19952 on September 22, 2016, 09:00:59 AM
baloney....

in 40 years in the trade i have never "converted" one to grease.
and i have never wanted to.
it is fixable as designed.

Exactly! If it leaks, determine where and why and fix it.

luvrbus · September 22, 2016, 12:57:24 PM

What type oil are you using mine takes 30w engine oil

eagle19952 · September 22, 2016, 01:47:13 PM

Quote from: wayne on September 22, 2016, 09:34:37 AM
If it leaks with oil it will leak with grease. The grease only remains solid when parked and cold, when it heats up it liquified and will leak just as oil would

to this i also say baloney...

there are armature bearings that retain grease
there are railroad cars wheel bearings that are used in kilns to make bricks
there are race cars whose rotors turn and stay mostly red/orange hot
there are airplanes that see sub zero and red hot on the same day...sometimes the same hour..
these greases do not liquefy.

wayne · September 22, 2016, 02:43:01 PM

Say what you want, I don't know what grease you run in yours but I converted 4 of my dump trucks to grease. 11 axles on each truck hauling 180,000lbs daily. You can pump grease in that axle and send it out, when it comes back it is liquid ( believe it or not). You can't tell me they don't leak because I've been there too.
What grease are you running that doesn't do this? The grease I run is a Mobil red synthetic that I was told was my only option at the time I did mine. There are new products out now but the only one I know of that people are having good luck with is the Amsoil Synthetic wheel grease, that will stay a solid and not leak. However, if parts have been replaced and there is still a leak then there is a issue and plugging the leak with a product that won't leak doesn't resolve that. I've seen improperly installed races cause issues that contribute to leaks.
It's your bus so do what you want but keep in mind if you special order a set of heavy duty trailers from several manufacturers at $195,000 and specify that you want grease in the axles and not oil they will send your money back refuse to sell them to you. If you don't believe me just call Rhoads Manufacturing in West Virginia and ask.
Maybe these sealed bearings will be the answer but I'm gonna wait and see how it all shakes before I change anything. An oil leak is just a little reminder that something is happening in there.