Rear axle/wheel seals on '02 4.0 Supercab Ranger

[Uncle Gump]

I should probably know this... but I'm not a 100% on the answer.

 

[deezkits]

Yeaah, maybe someone else will chime in. I can’t imagine it would make much of a difference. It’s still being supported in the original area by the bearing.

 

[Josh B]

I really can't see the width being a problem, the diameter is tho

 

[deezkits]

I really can't see the width being a problem, the diameter is tho

Diameter seems to be spot on. I’ll pick them up tomorrow and get the Crumble Bee back on the road again.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Crumble Bee?

There has to be a story there...

 

[deezkits]

They say a picture’s worth a thousand words...

May I present the Crumble Bee. It was originally going to be Dos Limon. But once I bought the camper top, the truck’s fate was sealed by my wonderfully creative and supportive work buddies.

Basically the entire rear end under the bed of the truck looks like that. It’s cancer at its finest. I’d like to work with some weld and square tubing to replace all that. The rear subframes are Swiss cheese.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Now it makes sense...

I'm tired of the salt belt and what it does... I just can't see myself living anywhere else though.

 

[deezkits]

The road treatments are definitely the worst of it. I couldn’t live without seasons and decent pizza.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I could do without seasons....or maybe just have two: spring and fall.

 

[Bgunner]

I could do without seasons....or maybe just have two: spring and fall.

Southern Georgia will give you 3 seasons, winter is fall there.

@OP
As for the depth of the seal the .100, this is most likely designed like this to force the rubber seal to ride in a different spot on the axle so that it will seal properly, much like a front or rear main seal replacement is often not at manufactures specs so it rides on afresh piece of the crank shaft without wear. If the seal fits both axle diameter and axle tube diameter I would have no questions running one with a different depth.

 

[deezkits]

Works for me! Should be back on the road tonight. Just gotta install the new bearings and seals.

 

[adsm08]

The 28-spline 8.8 and the 7.5 share pretty much all their parts that aren't 100% inside the pumpkin.

The axles are the same, the wheel bearings are the same, the tubes are the same. The carrier and gears and pretty much the only difference.

A lot of aftermarket parts are made slightly off spec for IP reasons. Axle seals are made slightly off spec to get the seal on a new wear surface. Also, the seal for the 7.5/8.8 was revised several years ago to remove the lip. I just use a 2x4 to drive them flush with the tube end.

 

[deezkits]

Still odd then that most of these big box auto suppliers wanted to give me larger bearings/seals. Now, I know. I’m also a moron and drove the shallower seals to the bearing face .. I did grease up the negative space, but I hope that doesn’t bite me.

Also, my driver side axle tube had some pitting near the top of the axle seal area, but the entire rear end was somehow surviving on probably a pint of oily sludge.

Buttoning everything up now, though

 

[Josh B]

Still odd then that most of these big box auto suppliers wanted to give me larger bearings/seals. Now, I know. I’m also a moron and drove the shallower seals to the bearing face .. I did grease up the negative space, but I hope that doesn’t bite me.

Also, my driver side axle tube had some pitting near the top of the axle seal area, but the entire rear end was somehow surviving on probably a pint of oily sludge.

Buttoning everything up now, though

That area was probably untouched by the old seal, and the new one won't go as deep

 

[4x4junkie]

This has been an error on big chain store computers that has persisted for decades.(another one deals with front brake & axle parts on '90-'94 4x4 trucks that ask you if your gear ratio is 3.45:1, to which if you say yes, you get '83-'89 parts that don't fit). It's amazing how no one seems to give a shit wherever it was this bad data came from.

So yeah, ordering the 7.5" seals if your truck has a 28-spline 8.8" will help get around this headache.