Good evening

I am in the process of a front suspension refresh - shocks, upper and lower ball joints, drop links, ARB bushes etc. I decided to change the front wheel bearings - last changed 5-6 years ago and cheap enough to do. The kit came with a new rubber grease seal that sits on the hub spindle behind the inner wheel bearing. Against my better judgement even though the old one looked okay I pulled it out with a pick before removing the brake back plate etc. to get better access to the ball joints. When I came to refit everything I spent ages trying to get the new seal onto the hub spindle only to see after ages of messing about that the inner thin metal part of the old seal was still on the spindle - yes, I felt stupid! Once I levered this off the new seal fitted easily. The seal itself has a smooth bevelled side and the opposite side looks like it inserts into the back of the hub. After a few fits it seemed more logical to install the seal into the hub after fitting the inner bearing and then push the whole thing onto the spindle. It was a bit of a struggle to fit so I ended up winding it on with the hub nut. However it feels a little stuff - I can turn the hub by hand but not spin it freely. Is this normal? I haven't overtightened the hub nut by the way - after tightening it up quite tight to put some load on the bearings I then backed it off and then just nipped it up. Split pin supplied was too wide to fit through the hole so currently its all still up in the air and exposed hence I am asking before I refit the calliper and wheel etc.

When I do the other side I will leave the seal in place provided its visibly okay.

 

There is a difference between the X300 front bearings and the X308 ( newer hub cutouts ) and even in the X308 a TSB ( ? ) on a improved bearing assembly as dirt would get into the original X308s

Just a heads up on part # changes and the vendor offering may not be straight giving you a X308

Motorcarman would be your guy as I have not changed mine , 96 X300 , just from reading others

 

Hi Parker 7 - yes always worth checking. The part is JLM1707 which is X300 1995-1997. I generally use British Parts in the UK - they are very good and you have to put your VIN number with the order which they then check for compatibility before they ship anything - they've saved me ordering the wrong bits before!

 

I see totally different #s as a quick check

Xj 1995 - 1997 (from 720125 To 812255) (x300) Classic / Hub/vertical Link/stub Axle-front | Jaguar Land Rover Classic Parts

 

Hi yes thats the one - item 6. The JLM1707 kits comes with parts 6, 7, 10 and 14 (and an insufficient little bag of grease!). You can see on the diagram (just) that the bevelled edge faces inboard and the ribbed edge fits into the back of the hub part 9 with the inner bearing 7 fitting behind it which is the way around that I fitted it. Just feels a little tight. Maybe thats the way it is when everything is new?

 

I see the item 6 now as an assembly package

Your fitment interference sounds familiar but only from reading in the past so not hands on experience to be square on detail

 

The seal does drag more than a regular 'lip-seal'.
Be sure to grease the 'annular-gaps'.

FROM JTIS.....................

Only replace complete bearings, never cup or race in isolation.

Hub oil seal.

Prise the original seal from the spigot and discard.
Remove all traces of grease and dirt from the stub axle and back plate.
Lightly lubricate the stub spigot (to ease assembly of the seal)
and assemble the seal to the spigot using special tool JD 179 (Fig. 4).
Pack the annular gaps of the oil seal lips with grease.
Ensure that the hub inner seal diameter is free of debris or damage and is lightly lubricated prior to assembly.
Bearing. Wash the hub assembly thoroughly and 'drift' the affected bearing cup(s) from the hub.
Hub. At this point the hub may be renewed if required.

 

Thanks for that.

In terms of the JTIS advice I replaced both inner and outer races not just the roller bearings.I did that 6 years back so drifting out the races (cups) wasn't the big confusion it was the first time I did it. I also did a grinder cut on the old races to use these to use them as a way of drifting the new ones back in and still be able to just pull them out. So that would seem to deal with the "Only replace complete bearings, never cup or race in isolation"

In terms of the hub oil seal prising old one out - done. Clean back plate and stub axle, lubricate stub spigot - done. I don't have special tool JD 179 nor does Google want to help me!! The difference seems to be that it says to "assemble the seal to the spigot" whereas I put the seal into the back of the hub and pushed it on. Everything was greased up - not sure what "annular gaps" refers to? Grease it up I guess?

 

The outer edge of the inner seal has "annular gaps" like thin ribs with gaps that can be filled with grease.
That rides on the rotor opposite of a normal seal. (fixed on the spindle and 'rubs' on the rotor instead of fixed to the rotor and 'rubs' on the spindle)

 

Thanks - learned a new word!

I went back to the car today to finish my work - basically to do the entire job again but on the other side of the car.

When I removed the hub from the other side it looks very much like the grease seal was the opposite way around to how I fitted it on the first side: the smooth bevelled edge seems to face outwards (as you look at it) i.e. facing you - with the annular thin ribs squashed back against the end of the spindle. Since it didn't look bad I left it in place. I did all the work on that side - shock, upper and lower ball joints, drop link, anti-roll bar bush, steering tie rods as well as the wheel new bearings. So then I went back to the first side I did and removed the hub again where I put the grease seal in with the bevelled edge facing inwards and the annular thin ribs facing outwards - already look chewed up so despite the diagram it looks like I put that in the wrong way around.

During the job on both sides the bolt that holds the top part of the anti-roll bar drop link to the anti-roll bar was impossible to remove, seized rubber bush - 16mm bolt with 18mm nut just rust-welded with 18mm nut rounding off so I cut both of these off and stuck in a 10mm bolt provisionally whilst I wait for the correct bolts/nuts/washers from the UK next week so I have to go back to it again anyway - I also ordered 2 more grease seals so I can try and re-do the one I seem to have messed up