stub axle question

[Nigelw]

I have taken off the old 10 spline stubs as swapped to 24, now, like a div I didn't put any threadlock on the stub axle bolts so they will be coming off again and done properly, but when I took the 10 spline hubs off the bearings were oil lubricated, now the 24 spline gear is off a 1998 Disco1 and it is all greased up in there and although there was a relatively small quantity of liquid type gunk dribbling out of the hubs when I pulled the stubs off it was more like oneshot only thicker.

But the question is, with the silly rubber dust covers is it possible to remove the oil seal and allow the swivel oil lubricate the wheel bearings and the half shaft without it going everywhere?

Just I like the oil lubrication of the half shafts within the drive flange as it looks to be a wear problem in the making with my luck these days.

So what does everyone else think?

[vulcan bomber]

I always put a smear of grease on the splines and then fill the dust cover as well and wipe off what gets squidged out.

[landroversforever]

My rear axle is free to oil the wheel bearings (which I've only adjusted once in 3 years). Rubber cap is fine to keep the oil in. Mine has the early (thick) flanges so they stick out a bit, I have cut them on one occasion so I make sure I keep one or two in the car.

[Nigelw]

I ended up having to resort to Bearmach H/D drive members with the screw on nut type caps with a few wraps of teflon tape as the rubber dust covers let the oil leak out

http://s1186.photobucket.com/user/dieseldog69/media/Rusty170413010_zpsd607db3b.jpg.html'>

Didn't needto go H/D but did need to keep the oil in the swivels

[Snagger]

These 300Tdi+ flanges always wear their splines quickly. The internal seal in the stub axle prevents oil reaching the splines and the wheel bearings. I think the idea was to reduce the oil contamination of the brakes following hub seal failure, but I think its a design flaw. Some mechanics advocate destroying the seal's lip so that oil can get onto the hub from the axle, and I'm inclined to agree. The only issue then is that the little plastic hub cone isn't as secure as on the older hubs and can leak oil, so put it on clean with a smear of RTV sealant.

[Nigelw]

I simply cut the sealing lip away from the seal when I fitted the stub axles, but I do remember seeing a video on you tube of a failed drive member where it had rusted and worn very badly although I tend to lean toward the thinking that there may have been a lack of maintenance in that vehicles history not just the lack of lubrication to the drive member, but I wanted to run oil lubed everything and try to minimize potential for wear and tear issues later on, I went down the route of the H/D flanges as they were the closest I could find to a fit and forget solution as the drive flanges are covered by the deep dish alloys and I would rather only having the hub seal to worry about if I spot oil on the inside of the wheel.

I did actually find the CV was seized on the shaft too, something of a common problem with trucks running one-shot and not EP90?

[Snagger]

Funny you mention that. I've never heard of an issue, but when I had to replace one of the CVs on my 300 RRC, which also uses 1-shot, the inboard shaft and CV were inseparable.