Convert to Oil Bath?

[Parker2]

I searched here and googled and can't find where anyone has converted their Duece axles to oil bath.
Has anyone done this?

Thanks.

 

[DieselBob]

I haven't heard of anyone doing this conversion. The two obstacles is that the design of the inner seal really is not meant to retain oil, even in the 80~90 wt range and the fill plug is to low to allow you to fill the housing to the point that the oil would fill the hubs. The filler problem could be worked around but you would still have the inner seal to overcome.

 

[wreckerman893]

Unless you operate in a dusty area all the time what would be the advantage????

 

[Westech]

well you can tell when the bearings need a little lube and not just go up in flames.... semas that happened to a member here not that long ago. If there was a way I would for sure check in to it. Well.... the 5 ton is for sale so not so much anymore.... but still. ok.. I rambling and I going to go to the bathroom and go to bed. Night dudes.

 

[jwaller]

there is no way of doing this without having new seals made. and nobody on this board can afford it so I guess do the bearings the right way, the way rockwell designed them 100 years ago and keep whats working.

 

[Parker2]

So you cant get oil seals?

 

[clinto]

There is more to it than just having the right seals..............

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/557093-post4.html

 

[Jake0147]

There was a great drawing put up by gringeltaube on this very subject if you are into searching for it. It clarified in simple terms as to why it is preclusive (not impossible, but preclusive) to install a seal that is adequate to contain gear oil in a hub and axle assembly that was not designed for such.
Personally, (and this IS subjective on my part) I believe that if these axles were built today and designed with an oil bath hub in mind, I think the wheel bearings would have longer rollers for a larger bearing surface, and they'd be like lots of modern ones with a service drain/fill port separate from the main axle resivoir, just as modern ones do when the oil level is too low to guarantee that they are refreshed from the main reservoir.

 

[porkysplace]

you could probably do a axel swap from a FWD Tractioneer they run in oil and also have air operated posi-traction