Home made seal driver for passenger-side front axle tube seal

[Sternwheeler]

I was getting fed up trying to start the axle tube seal. Every tool that claimed to be a seal driver would crush the ridiculously large cone that extends from the seal. Every tool designed specifically for this seal was stupid money. There was no room to swing a hammer to start it with taps around the flange. So, out of a piece of 4x4, I made this “tool” to hold the seal in position, protect the cone, and get it started. You put the seal in the end of the post, then slip the end of the post over the axle tube, then whack the hell out of it with a sledge. The mass of the post absorbs a good bit of your striking energy. But, being wood, the seal end is gentler on your seal and axle.

 

[gw33gp]

I love ingenuity like that. I personally make a lot of tools myself but usually out of aluminum.
Having access to a full machine shop is handy.

 

[Josh B]

Smooth move dude

 

[Sternwheeler]

I love ingenuity like that. I personally make a lot of tools myself but usually out of aluminum.
Having access to a full machine shop is handy.

Definitely a plus.

 

[Sternwheeler]

Smooth move dude

I figure someone besides me has had to fight with this, and maybe I could save that someone’s neighbor from having to hear as many cuss words as I let fly.

 

[Angie]

i did the same sorta thing with a rear seal installer tool .... took a round hard plastic piece i had found, into the machinist where i work with what specs i wanted, asked him if he could turn down the outer and inner.... now have a perfect installer for 4L rear seals. cheers... glad to know i am not the only 1 who gets it. ... faith in ingenuity

 

[Josh B]

I figure someone besides me has had to fight with this, and maybe I could save that someone’s neighbor from having to hear as many cuss words as I let fly.

I've let fly a few too many cusswords myself in times gone by.
It is good if you can improvise in times like that, and even better when you can share it.
I thought you had turned it until that last photo showed the router

 

[Sternwheeler]

I've let fly a few too many cusswords myself in times gone by.
It is good if you can improvise in times like that, and even better when you can share it.
I thought you had turned it until that last photo showed the router

Heck, I don't even have a table saw anymore.

 

[2Krngr]

That an ingenious idea, I love it!

The driver side usually goes in easy, but yes the passenger side is always a pain in the ass.

I've seen people put a threaded rod all the way through the axle housing with cups/washers/nuts on both ends, with both new seals and just tighten the rod and it pulls both seals in at the same time (you could do one at a time this way as well). Allowing you to start them slowly and be able to continually adjust them to begin perfectly straight. I've never done it, but it is a fantastic method, which also reduces the risk of seal damage by like 99% compared to striking of any type.

After fighting them various ways in the past, I eventually found to use pieces from the snap on BJP1 set which just happens to have the perfect size cup for this seal, using an air hammer on the LOWEST pressure setting, it will walk them in very gently in a couple seconds.

 

[Sternwheeler]

If the seal just didn't have that infuriating conical lip...

 

[bobbywalter]

yup. i like it.

 

[4x4junkie]

This would be a good one for the "Homemade Tools" thread.

Homemade tools

after forming up the fuel tank parts for the gt,i posted a pic of this; which i used to form up the parts.there were some questions about it's construction which i will try to address here. at the same time it would be interesting to see some of the homemade tools others have come up with to...

www.therangerstation.com