water-tight front axle tube seals

dbvanw · 03-19-2003, 04:53 PM

drivetrain direct makes some front axle seals that are waterproof. they look like they would work well, does anyone have them and are they worth the $130?

www.fte.co.uk/prod/seals/seal.htm

Avanteone · 03-19-2003, 05:07 PM

I have looked at buying these, they work very good. There's a guy here GregRed98XJ I think is his screen name that had them on his TJ with very good luck. I will be definitely investing in these when I get the money. John

Mohadeab · 03-19-2003, 05:26 PM

A buddy of mine had some, they kept backing off and hitting/rubbing the yoke. Got rid of them as fast as he got them, of course I think a local 4 wheel drive shop put them in and said they got it right, just bad product.

Jason, aka: Jeepin.com · 03-19-2003, 05:28 PM

We've got a review on Jeepin.com, someone else did the write-up, but they seemed pretty happy with them. They're on my wish list for both our rigs...

JavaMoose · 03-19-2003, 05:32 PM

Soooo...how much are they?

Edit: Soooo...I'm a retard

dbvanw · 03-19-2003, 05:34 PM

you might want to re-read the original post.

gearwhine · 03-19-2003, 08:32 PM

I read a post somewhere where there were like 2 good comment for every ten bads ones. I wish I still knew where it was so you couldn't jsut take m on heresay. There is absolutely no reason for them. You have seals next to the carrier to protect the vitals of the axle. I've also heard of them backing out a lot and rubbing. I've also heard of them breaking under hard wheeling from the slight bending of the housing/shafts. I would jsut not get them because they are not needed. So, for $130 bucks, they are not worth it in my opinion. Just rinse the tubes out with a garden hose. _nicko_

GregRed96XJ · 03-19-2003, 08:40 PM

Had em on my TJ they worked great. No problems with them hitting the yoke as posted above. You gotta keep em pumped full of grease. I kept them when the TJ went away and will put them on the XJ when I do the front axle since I'm going to relace the axle seals at the dame time. I should have put them in when I first did the gears and ARB instead of waiting till the axles had grooves worn in them from gritt and mud on the axle seals. The TJ wasn't my daily.... Those tube seals probably had 7k on them and were still In great shape. So as far as piling up lots of highway miles I don't know there longevity.

Greg

GregRed96XJ · 03-19-2003, 08:54 PM

Quote:

-=- originally posted by gearwhine -=-
I read a post somewhere where there were like 2 good comment for every ten bads ones. I wish I still knew where it was so you couldn't jsut take m on heresay. There is absolutely no reason for them. You have seals next to the carrier to protect the vitals of the axle. I've also heard of them backing out a lot and rubbing. I've also heard of them breaking under hard wheeling from the slight bending of the housing/shafts. I would jsut not get them because they are not needed. So, for $130 bucks, they are not worth it in my opinion. Just rinse the tubes out with a garden hose. _nicko_

Every time you dunk your rig in a slophole silt accumulates in the tubes and will pile up to the axle at the inner seal. This will wear the seal out and let water and dirt into you diff and wear grooves in the shaft. Trust me:winky: Your not gonna get that crap out by trying to spray are garden hose in around the shafts. When I pulled those tube seals out of my TJ the tubes were dry and clean. I had done plenty of wet weather weeling. As I stated above I should have put them in as soon as I did my front axle. This is MY experience.

Greg

Judd VA · 03-19-2003, 09:03 PM

Seems to me there might should be some play in the axle shafts where they exit the housing tubes, and this seems like it won't allow this flex at all? This is the part that does worry me some about this product. Also, why is it so necessary to keep them so much pumped with grease? Is it this grease that forms a barrier to debris that does allow some axle shaft movement? Thanks, Judd

GregRed96XJ · 03-19-2003, 09:17 PM

These seals are like a bellows. The actual aluminum housing is much larger that the shaft. The sealing part is 2 rubber membranes..one on the inside of the seal and one on the outside, with a large cavity in the middle. There is a zerk fitting to pump it full of grease. So yes the axle could move a half inch in any direction without contacting the aluminum housing or harming the membranes as they are very pliable. So you have 2 rubber membranes and a grease barrier in the middle. Give em a shot before your wheeling trip, and when you get back after you clean up the rig.

Greg

03-19-2003, 04:53 PM	#1
dbvanw Registered Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Drake, CO Posts: 210 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	water-tight front axle tube seals drivetrain direct makes some front axle seals that are waterproof. they look like they would work well, does anyone have them and are they worth the $130? www.fte.co.uk/prod/seals/seal.htm

03-19-2003, 05:07 PM	#2
Avanteone Sponsoring Vendor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Auburn, WA Posts: 1,176 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I have looked at buying these, they work very good. There's a guy here GregRed98XJ I think is his screen name that had them on his TJ with very good luck. I will be definitely investing in these when I get the money. John __________________ '91 Wrangler, V8, 37's, some other cool $hit. Auburn Car Repair & Offroad 253-939-5019 www.auburncarrepair.com

03-19-2003, 05:28 PM	#4
Jason, aka: Jeepin.com Registered Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Lewisville, TX Posts: 9,248 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	We've got a review on Jeepin.com, someone else did the write-up, but they seemed pretty happy with them. They're on my wish list for both our rigs... __________________ Jason - Jeepin.com '95 XJ, RE 5.5", 35's, D30 w/hubs & ARB, D44 w/Detroit, 4.56's, etc, etc. '00 TJ, wife's, RE 4.5" long-arm, 35's, OX, full cage, winch, etc, etc. 2006 Dodge Ram MegaCab 3500 SLT, CTD, 48RE, plates read: "TOW RIG" my blog

03-19-2003, 05:32 PM	#5
JavaMoose Registered Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: WNY Posts: 1,414 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Soooo...how much are they? Edit: Soooo...I'm a retard __________________ - Western New York - 1992 Cherokee Sport HO - New 2.25" Exhaust -

03-19-2003, 09:03 PM	#10
Judd VA Registered Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: New Hope , Va. Posts: 292 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I wonder about them- Seems to me there might should be some play in the axle shafts where they exit the housing tubes, and this seems like it won't allow this flex at all? This is the part that does worry me some about this product. Also, why is it so necessary to keep them so much pumped with grease? Is it this grease that forms a barrier to debris that does allow some axle shaft movement? Thanks, Judd

03-19-2003, 05:26 PM	#3
Mohadeab Registered Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Aloha, Orebegone Posts: 318 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	A buddy of mine had some, they kept backing off and hitting/rubbing the yoke. Got rid of them as fast as he got them, of course I think a local 4 wheel drive shop put them in and said they got it right, just bad product.

03-19-2003, 05:34 PM	#6
dbvanw Registered Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Drake, CO Posts: 210 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	you might want to re-read the original post.

03-19-2003, 08:32 PM	#7
gearwhine Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Belle Mead, NJ, USA Posts: 363 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I read a post somewhere where there were like 2 good comment for every ten bads ones. I wish I still knew where it was so you couldn't jsut take m on heresay. There is absolutely no reason for them. You have seals next to the carrier to protect the vitals of the axle. I've also heard of them backing out a lot and rubbing. I've also heard of them breaking under hard wheeling from the slight bending of the housing/shafts. I would jsut not get them because they are not needed. So, for $130 bucks, they are not worth it in my opinion. Just rinse the tubes out with a garden hose. _nicko_

03-19-2003, 08:40 PM	#8
GregRed96XJ Registered Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Washington Posts: 214 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Had em on my TJ they worked great. No problems with them hitting the yoke as posted above. You gotta keep em pumped full of grease. I kept them when the TJ went away and will put them on the XJ when I do the front axle since I'm going to relace the axle seals at the dame time. I should have put them in when I first did the gears and ARB instead of waiting till the axles had grooves worn in them from gritt and mud on the axle seals. The TJ wasn't my daily.... Those tube seals probably had 7k on them and were still In great shape. So as far as piling up lots of highway miles I don't know there longevity. Greg

03-19-2003, 09:17 PM	#11
GregRed96XJ Registered Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Washington Posts: 214 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	These seals are like a bellows. The actual aluminum housing is much larger that the shaft. The sealing part is 2 rubber membranes..one on the inside of the seal and one on the outside, with a large cavity in the middle. There is a zerk fitting to pump it full of grease. So yes the axle could move a half inch in any direction without contacting the aluminum housing or harming the membranes as they are very pliable. So you have 2 rubber membranes and a grease barrier in the middle. Give em a shot before your wheeling trip, and when you get back after you clean up the rig. Greg

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