grooved spindles, normal? neutral? ruined?

[Zero1]

In doing a axle rebuild after my driverside oil seal failed followed by every other seal (i practically drained my differential from behind the drive plate(?) ) I discovered my spindles each grooved, but not similarly, one deeper than the other, where the grease seal rides on it. Maybe this is perfectly normal, machined groove or simply that the seal fills that area it, well, seals against, effectively masking the grooves making it moot??
Pictures posted.

 

[js93cruiser]

Ouch... Looks like its time for replacement what did the wheel bearings look like?

 

[Zero1]

they're soaking in solvent but they looked fairly fine at initial glance

 

[livinoffroad]

This happened to me, when a "mechanic" flipped a seal lip, while re-installing a wheel...the seal spring scored a groove in the wiper surface. I couldn't find a properly sized "Jiffy" sleeve, to sleeve the wiper area, so I replaced the spindle from cdan.

IIRC it was around $220 shipped

Your drivers side has rust, prolly from not having the bearings re-packed in a while. Bearing prolly needs replacing. But the wiper area is not too badly worn. Might clean up with emery cloth.

Passenger side is toast. Unless you can sleeve it, it needs replacing.

A good shop might be able to source the sleeve?

P.S., the drivers side looks like the bearing spun, there where it's shiny at the bottom of the pic.

 

[Zero1]

Uncropped versions of images above

 

[badmuthatrucka]

Personally, I would prefer to replace both... But definitely the PS needs it.

 

[Zero1]

Since I have two days to get the truck running and w/o wheels to get to a stealership even, I'm inclined to weld and grind the wiper seal lands back on the lathe

One outer bearing land is fine. The other clearly spun.

 

[Pin_Head]

A grease seal does not have a demanding job to do. I would just flip the seal over so that the lip is riding on a new part of the spindle. Resist OCD.

 

[Zero1]

A grease seal does not have a demanding job to do. I would just flip the seal over so that the lip is riding on a new part of the spindle. Resist OCD.

No, it doesn't. However it's fairly simple job is dependent on a flush interface, which is dependent to a degree on a mating surface of constant radius, at least along the Z-axis. Which to a degree is what you're envisioning would be possible by flipping it. I'm guessing that's why the PS is multi-grooved (although 4 distinct grooves is a bit peculiar...), and thus there's not a new, clean land area for the seal to ride

 

[Offroads4x4]

I have seen spindles with grooves repaired three ways instead of replacement with grooves like yours above.

1) Welded and ground/machined down to size. Welding and machine work on the spindle in a shop environment. Costly but solid results.

2) Clean the surface with Brake cleaner and Emory cloth on the damaged area. Then use JB weld or Liquid Steel to fill the damaged area. Sand it down smooth with Emory cloth. Quick trail/shop repair for many situations. Your grooves look deep for this but it would get you home in a pinch.

3) JB weld the area as above than sleeve it. Use a thin coat of Lock tight under the sleeve and a new bearing over the sleeve and the spindle will give you years more of service life.

All work but each has its own advantage as well as draw backs over new The main is time and money. The end result is up to you as to the repair quality.

 

[Zero1]

I have seen spindles with grooves repaired three ways instead of replacement with grooves like yours above.

1) Welded and ground/machined down to size. Welding and machine work on the spindle in a shop environment. Costly but solid results.

2) Clean the surface with Brake cleaner and Emory cloth on the damaged area. Then use JB weld or Liquid Steel to fill the damaged area. Sand it down smooth with Emory cloth. Quick trail/shop repair for many situations. Your grooves look deep for this but it would get you home in a pinch.

3) JB weld the area as above than sleeve it. Use a thin coat of Lock tight under the sleeve and a new bearing over the sleeve and the spindle will give you years more of service life.

All work but each has its own advantage as well as draw backs over new The main is time and money. The end result is up to you as to the repair quality.

I'd prefer to do #1 but I won't unless I find precision diameter specs to machine it to, otherwise I'm just asking for a problem worse than I have to begin with. I suppose I could just go off the bearing race ID. However, if going by 'feel', I can get a lot closer by using epoxy(jb weld). Also I can always go back at a later point, grind out the jb and weld and machine on my CNC lathe. Right now time is not on my side, unfortunately. I only like to have one vehicle under surgery at any given time

I'm curious about the sleeves. 1) where do you get them? 2) wouldn't the diameter difference change bearing seating?

 

[Pin_Head]

Just run it for another 100,000 miles and then worry about it. The grease isn't going anywhere even with bad seal surfaces. Resist OCD.

 

[Zero1]

Just run it for another 100,000 miles and then worry about it. The grease isn't going anywhere even with bad seal surfaces. Resist OCD.

Not true.

And the issue at hand is more the bearing lands on the spindle than the [easily repaired] seal land/surface