9" Floater Bearings, Grease or Gear Oil?

[rangerover]

I'm installing a new Ford 9" floater rear end on the stock car. The hub kit came with snout seals to keep the gear oil in the center from reaching the bearings. My old set up did not have them and I guess the bearings were lubricated by the oiling on installation and from the car moving around during racing. Never had a problem, so I'm confident they were getting lubed. I did pack them with grease once, but when I checked on them after a couple races, the grease was all broken down and oily from the gear oil. What do most guys do for hub bearing lube? Also, is an inner tube seal on the RH side a good idea?

[stockcar5]

I'm installing a new Ford 9" floater rear end on the stock car. The hub kit came with snout seals to keep the gear oil in the center from reaching the bearings. My old set up did not have them and I guess the bearings were lubricated by the oiling on installation and from the car moving around during racing. Never had a problem, so I'm confident they were getting lubed. I did pack them with grease once, but when I checked on them after a couple races, the grease was all broken down and oily from the gear oil. What do most guys do for hub bearing lube? Also, is an inner tube seal on the RH side a good idea?

gear lube here same as you. never an issue.

[dirtplay18]

I've always ran inner seals in both axle tubes and packed the bearings with grease a couple times a yr like the front, had pretty good luck with it.

[SRT17]

I also bought a floater. Quick Performance tech guy that I talked to said not to use the inner seals. I had planed on using them. He said that gear oil would get past the seal and be trapped between the seal and bearing. Not letting it get back to the chunk where you need it.... Any thoughts...Thanks

[dirtplay18]

I use the sealz-it brand inner seals. Double seal with a hole only about as big as your thumb. will not let grease past. Good luck!

[Driver50x]

I think an inner seal on the right size is a great idea. You need to pull out the axle shaft a couple inches every couple weeks to let the trapped gear lube drain out. It's a good idea to pull out an axle shaft when you are scaling the car anyway.

[SRT17]

How far in the tubes do you put them in ? or does it matter? Thanks...

[26-62 racing]

Look at Medieval Race cars web site. They make a weld in steel washer to control oil flow in and out of the axle tube, been down the inner seal route for years, never worked like they should.

[LM14]

What many people don't realize is that in addition to tube size when you pick an inner seal, there is the hole in the seal so pay attention to shaft size. 28 spline will be different than a 31 spline. One size does not fit all. Has to fit the tube and has to fit the axle tight.

We always ran inner seals on both sides. Never a problem. Keep the rearend grease on the gears, not the axle tubes.

We always packed rear hub bearings like front wheel bearings and also used a snout seal. We NEVER had a rear gear failure or bearing failure. That's over a 25+ year period.

Pay attention to seal sizes.

SPark

[mel4x4]

Agree, keep the gear lube in center section where the ring and pinion need it. Use good quality inner seals and pack the wheel hubs, (or you can use good snout/wheel seals and use gear lube there too). Never could figure out what good could possibly come from letting all the gear lube fill the axle tube, while the ring and pinion ran with a fluid level very low.