Front axle reasembly with RTV?

[rampli]

I am replacing the oil seals on my front axle. I am following the well detailed guides here and the TM. When I pulled the spindles off I found that they had been sealed to the knuckle with white RTV. When I got the seal retainers out they also had been inserted with RTV.

Unless I'm missing something.... The TM doesn't call for sealant of any type.

Any idea why? I can understand attempting to seal contaminants out of the knuckle but I don't think the RTV on the seal retainer serves any purpose at all. I've examined the mating surfaces and don't see any irregularities that the RTV would have filled.

 

[m-35tom]

there is no place for rtv, if you feel you need some sort of sealant on the inner seal retainer, use something like a very thin film of permatex 3H

 

[ucfjeeper]

yea, I used rtv (black b/c I had it) the last time I bolted the spindle to the knuckle... now I'm kicking myself in the butt... Although, i took the studs out of the knuckle and replaced them w/ bolts, it's easier this time, but for next time... no rtv.

 

[jasonjc]

The TM says to put 1/8"X1/8" bead of sealer on inside surface of the deflector ring just inside of the studs. But the sealer it calls out is Per tm 9-2320-361-24-2 item 32 witch is Sealing Compound:tape form,typeIII Mil-s11030 60-foot roll. After 50 year and how many chages and reprints they still can get it right.