Rear axle oil seal

[tashko]

While axles and bearings are on peaoples minds...

Any tips on how to get the axle oil seal off without taking the axle/knuckle apart?

I just swapped rear axles on my car and had to change the axle cups on the knuckle since the old was 3-bolt and the new is 4-bolt. Naturally the oil seals that were there tore so I need to replace them. Unfortunately, they are seized on. The manual says to tap them out after I remove the axle, which I don't want to do.

I'll post a pic later.'

Thanks for any tips. I might just try the hammer and flat head techinique.

edit: here's what I did.

http://vfaq.com/mods/4bolt.html

[Cavemanrjc]

inbord seal on the diff?
inbord seal on the spindel/hub?
outbord seal?

how do you supose your to put a seal around something with a shaft in your way?

need to see a pic but there is nothing wrong with the punch meathod just try not to score the housing.Try to collaps the seal in then remove.
even mark the housing and the seal is metel sided put red locktight on the metel or at least some silicone. all seals of that type should have some sealer on the outside.

if its just a dust shield like toyota uses.
file under g and get good barrings with built in seals

good luck

[tashko]

Hey Rob,

The oil seal goes on the inside of the hub. So from inside out it's oil seal, inner bearing, something else, outer bearing, dust shield, etc.

The oil seal sits in a recess on the hub and the axle cup slips in so the outside diameter of the axle cup spline seals against the oil seal inside diameter. I'll take an actual picture but I like the idea of bashing it 'till it gives! :-D

edit: here's what I did.

http://vfaq.com/mods/4bolt.html

haha! Lazy me found interweb pictures:

hub where seal goes:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/soulcontroller/P1010007.jpg

Seal is the middle part:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/soulcontroller/P1010005.jpg

[Cavemanrjc]

What year is the car / rear diff?

[Cavemanrjc]

by the pic shopkey has id say you should only have to remove the stub axle and unbolt the inner peice from the axle
the trypod joint should compress enough to alow the axle to clear and remove the inner flange

[Cavemanrjc]

looking at the pics for a 94 tsi 4 bolt flange axle

inboard out goes flange,seal,barring,speed sensor rotor,otter barring , 2 dust covers then stub axle

so ya if you pull the stub axle out of the barring unbolt the companion flange from the axle and remove flange
take to the bench light torch...

sorry. only if necessary. It looks recessed pretty deep so a trick that sometimes works is to use a self tapping screw or 2 driven through the seal and pry on the heads till it comes out

if not punch/screwdriver and hammer :hammer:

or torches :-D thay are my favorite :lol:

[Cavemanrjc]

Well did you win?

[tashko]

Thanks for the tips Rob. I haven't tried yet. Finished off some other bits 'n pieces and then weather was no good yesterday.

I probably won't get around to it until Friday or Saturday!

[tashko]

Woohoo, finally drove the car today.

I had to use a flat head and a hammer to bash those oil seals into submission! I didn't realise they were that tight of a press fit, nuts.

I was pretty pissed off though, finished putting the rear diff in and bolting everything up. The last bolt that attaches the diff case to the diff carrier turned out to be stripped on the diff side! No f'n way I'm taking it all apart again so I swapped out the rear diff cover with the one I just pulled out. I'll post pictures of it. It's actually a good thing I was forced to change it because it turned out to be all cracked from some yahoo over-tightening all the bolts, event the fill bolt! I lost another day there 'cause I had to wait for the sealant to cure. What a pain in the ass!!

At least it seems like the diff works and I'm almost ready for the trip down to Finger Lakes for the Tour event.

I also took out about a degree of front camber to better use those 265's and raised the ride height 5mm to avoid any potential rubbing when on the sticky concrete next weekend. :-D