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Wheel Rear Seals: Step By Step Guide

The element that seals the connection of a CV axle (driveshaft) to the transmission or rear differential is known as a vehicle axle seal. An axle seal's job is to prevent transmission fluid or differential oil from leaking out. Willing to know more about Wheel Rear Seals? If yes, then all you have to do is keep on reading further.

What Is A Car Wheel Rear Seals?

Rear-wheel bearings are often filled with lubricants that protect the parts from corrosion, wear, and tear. The bearings need to be spotless, thus contamination within it may cause the housing elements to experience premature failure. The rear seals protect the bearing by preventing dust and powder from entering the assembly. The wheel seal is supposed to fit tight in the wheel assembly and protects the wheel bearings from dirt, water, and other debris that can cause damage.

What Are The Types Of Car Wheel Rear Seals?

Rear seals can be of different sizes depending on the size of the hole where the seal is to be fitted. Lip-type seals are mostly used on the rear hub. Seals can have different inner and outer diameters.

What Are The Important Features Of Car Wheel Rear Seals?

Here are the important features of car wheel rear seals:

  • The rear seal prevents grease from leaking
  • Seals act as a dust cap
  • Seals do not allow water to enter the bearing

How Do My Car Wheel Rear Seals Work?

Have a look at the working of car wheel rear seals:

The seal is fitted on the hub. The wheel seal fits tight in the wheel assembly and protects the wheel bearings from dirt, water, and other debris that can cause damage. Inside the wheel bearing is a tremendous amount of grease that keeps the bearings running smooth, and free. The seal does not allow the grease to leak.

What Are The Symptoms Of Bad Wheel Rear Seals?

Listed below are a few of the common symptoms of a bad or failing wheel seal:

1. The bearings are leaking grease

The wheel seal fits snugly in the wheel assembly and protect the wheel bearings from dirt, water, and other foreign objects that could damage them. A large amount of grease is contained within the wheel bearing, which maintains the bearings working smoothly, coolly, and freely. If there is a loose wheel seal, then grease can many times escape from the wheel bearing. The grease will be thrown around the wheel hub by centripetal force as the wheels move, and it may leak onto the ground. If you see grease or what looks to be hard dirt near your car's tires, it could be a symptom of a damaged or broken wheel seal and should be checked as soon as possible by a professional mechanic.

2. Damage to the wheel seal that can be seen

Most car owners cannot spot this symptom, but professionals who perform tire, suspension, or brake work are well-versed in it. Potholes and road debris can all cause damage to the wheel seal. When this happens, it may collide with the wheel seal housing, causing the seal to crack or dent. This can also be seen when the oil is changed by a technician. If a mechanic or technician performing repair beneath your vehicle informs you that the wheel seal is damaged, then the seal should be replaced and the wheel bearings must be inspected. If found early enough, the damaged wheel seal can often be replaced, and the bearings can be cleaned and serviced with new grease.

3. The tires and wheels are making noises

As previously stated, when a wheel seal fails, breaks, or comes off, the wheel bearings are soon harmed. The metal of the wheel bearing will grind against the metal of the wheel hub when it loses lubrication. As the car speeds, this will sound like a roar or grinding noise that will grow in loudness and pitch.

Which Tools Do I Need To Repair My Car Wheel Rear Seals?

Do you want to repair your Wheel Rear Seals on your own? In that case, you should have the correct tools which are required for repairing your Wheel Rear Seals. Have a look at the most important tools which you might require repairing your Wheel Rear Seals:

Which Top Brands Wheel Rear Seals Parts Should I Choose?

If customers trust a brand, then it would make them loyal, and if they are loyal, then they will surely buy more. We know well that customers want comfort, cheerfulness, and satisfaction in their lives and that’s the reason we offer top-quality auto parts brands to our customers. We provide a positive experience to our consumers from the brands which we are offering so that they can form an opinion that a particular auto parts brand is trustworthy and would give them peace of mind while they are purchasing it for their car. Here we have listed out some top brands for Wheel Rear Seals.

  • SKF Wheel Rear Seals
  • National Oil Seals Wheel Rear Seals
  • Dorman (OE Solutions) Wheel Rear Seals

Which Parts Are Related To My Car Wheel Rear Seals?

There might be a big-picture overview of Wheel Rear Seals in your mind, and now it’s time to look at its related components.

What Is The Repairing Cost Of My Car Wheel Rear Seals?

If you are looking for “Wheel Rear Seals Replacement Cost”, “Wheel Rear Seals Replacement Labor Cost”, “Average Cost Of Wheel Rear Seals” or “How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Car Wheel Rear Seals”, then keep on reading further! If you witness blown Wheel Rear Seals signs from your vehicle, then it means that a repair bill is coming. More than other failures on a car, there is nothing like a faulty Wheel Rear Seal. Now if your car’s Wheel Rear Seals goes bad, then it would cause a lot of issues in the functioning of your car. Keep in mind that the Wheel Rear Seals replacement cost would depend upon the type of automobile, brand, as well as various other factors. For replacing the rear seal, labor usually costs about $150 to $180, depending on the type of vehicle. You should anticipate paying between $200 and $400 for both parts and labor to replace both rear bearings. To remove the rear seal, other related parts have to be removed first which may take about 1 to 2 hours depending on the type of vehicle.

What Are The Steps Of Changing My Car Wheel Rear Seals?

Keen to know about the procedure of changing the Wheel Rear Seals? Well, we have simplified the entire procedure for you. Have a look at the stepwise process:

Step 1

Park the vehicle on a flat surface. Use wheel chocks to secure wheels. Loosen the bolts securing the wheel and lift the car with a jack. 

Step 2

Once the car is raised, position a jack stand under the car for stability. Remove the bolts that secure the wheel and remove the wheel. 

Step 3

Remove the brake drum assembly by removing the dust cover, cotter pin, and spindle nut from the shaft. You will find two taper roller bearings fitted in the brake drum; both will be of different sizes. 

Step 4

It will have an oil seal fitted at the end of the drum. Remove the oil seal and the bearing. Take a new rear oil seal to apply grease to it and reverse the process as removed.

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FAQ

Wheel seal prevents the gear oil from leaking into the housing. The wheel bearing retainer rides on this seal, which is at the end of the axle tube. The axle seal is a dust-proof seal that prevents dust from entering the backing plate.

Most vehicles will go 20,000 to 40,000 miles after a rear differential fluid replacement before they need to be replaced again. It seals the differential housing, allowing the gear oil to adequately lubricate the differential ring and pinion gears inside the housing.

For cars manufactured before 1998, wheel seals and bearings should be serviced every 30,000 miles. Removing the wheel seal and bearing from each hub, cleaning them, filling them with grease, and replacing any damaged seals are frequent parts of this procedure.

Seals on the rear axle survive a long time. Rear-axle seals, to be more specific, typically last between 50 and 100 thousand kilometers.

Lubricant leakage from the wheel bearings is one of the most common indicators of a damaged wheel seal.

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John Framigllia
Technical Writer
Our technical writer is known for simplifying automotive parts and services. Intuitive with various vehicles and manufacturers, he knows how to simplify complicated problems.