Which bearing/hub seal is it?

[CJ7inNH]

1983 CJ7

Driving me nuts!

Pulled my hub to find the inner bearing and seal completely mangled (months ago). The inside of the hub looked suspect, so I purched a new hub/rotor assembly.

Stupid that I didn't order the hub oil seal at the same time.

The first seal I received (I think Napa) is flat on one side and has the rubber o-ring thing on the other side.

The next two I got in (Morris 4x4) has the rubber ring one both sides.

Both drop right into the old hub with no problem, no hammering needed, but snug.

I tried to fit one of the seals into the new hub and it seems near impossible to get that sucker in straight - tried little taps, block of wood, big ratchet. The paint was coming off of one as I tried.

• Can you tell from the pic what bearing a I should be using - center and left one have the rubber on both sides, one on the right is the flat side shown, rubber on the other side.
• How tight should they fit? Is it possible that my old hub "stretched"?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[Dan86CJ7]

i just did mine, the dealer i work at got it aftermarket due to time...it may have been napa....the green 1/boxed 1 looks right...its deff. a snugg fit...use some thing flat so it stay flush..not to deep.

may be able to get a seal driver from AZ or something on a loan atool...or insanely cheap ata harbor frieght

 

[CJ7inNH]

Dang! That was a quick reply. Thanks Dan86.

I actually did pick up a seal driver set at HF, that wouldn't set the thing either. Just kept on shifting side to side. It was the green one I tried and it was so tight the paint was coming off the side of it.

How tight should this thing be?
It's the flat side facing out of the hub right?

I just don't understand why it fits right into the old hub, but not the new one.

Thanks.

 

[Dan86CJ7]

its tight but should start going in? could the hub be wrong?

 

[CJ7inNH]

Has to be the right hub.
I searched on the part number and found a whole bunch of places that have it listed for the front disk for a CJ7 . Looks exactly like the old one as well.

Again, on the old hub it drops right in, tight, but does NOT require any force to get it set.

As much as I hate to do it, I think it may be time to pull the other side and see what's going on in there.

Thanks.

 

[Dan86CJ7]

its deff not gonna just drop in...looking at the other will deff help out. good luck

 

[CJ7inNH]

Losing my mind over this!
Took the day off from work just so I could focus on getting it rolling.

So I got the seal in by using a seal driver and some good hard whacks (and I left the seal in the freezer for a few days to shrink it down a bit). It's seated just below being flush.

Now I can't get the hub/rottor to push up onto the spindle. The seal will not go over that last lip where it should sit. And it's not in far enough to get the nut on the spindle to try and tighten it in that way.

I think I pulled a freakin muscle in my side trying to force it on.

I have a second seal (the same one) that does fit over that area perfect when not in the hub - real tight and perfect.


Any thoughts, help, advice?
Thanks!