Banjo Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 (edited) Hi Guys, Just finishing off a Borg Warner KE55 diff assembly to go under my KE30, so that it has the larger 9" brake drums. Ordered a new set of good "Japanese" brand "sealed" rear wheel bearings, but not sure which way they go on ? The bearings are 62mm OD x 21mm wide, with 29.8mm bore. The bearing itself has an inbuilt "O" ring seal in the outer circumference, as depicted below. My logic tells me the "O" ring side of the bearing would face the hub/outer, so that when you pressed the bearing into the diff casing, the "O" ring would have minimum distance to travel or slide, and therefore have less potential to be damaged. However, the centre part of the bearing is flush with the outer on one side, and sticks out 3mm on the other side. The side where inner & outer are flush is the side the "O" ring is on. (see pictures above) All the KE rear wheel bearings I have used previously, have been reversible, as the inner boss stuck out the same amount on both sides. Maybe it's designed that way to create a 3mm gap between the locking collar & the bearing proper ? Any ideas ? The bearing kit also came with a conventional oil seal. I've changed a few rear wheel bearings on KEs over the years, although the last one was quite a few years ago. I can't remember ever having to replace an oil seal in the diff assembly. I had a look with a torch and there is no where for it to be fitted. There is no where on the axle for the oil seal to make contact, as after the machined section for bearing & locking collar, the shaft is "rough" I did look the catalogue up, & found this bearing set suited other vehicles & makes beside the Corolla. I assume the oil seal is for some other vehicle application, and therefore no applicable when used on the Corolla. Any one come across this before ? I appreciate any ideas or thoughts ! Cheers Banjo Edited October 19, 2014 by Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banjo Posted October 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 (edited) Hi Dave, I've never seen a lip seal in any of the KE30 & KE55 Corolla's I've had. Even the "good book" does not depict a seal. I've noticed on searching this forum, that some have made reference to a seal, but what they were really referring to was the gasket between brake backing plate & retaining plate in exploded view above. Cheers Banjo Edited October 19, 2014 by Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ke70dave Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 Appologies i deleted my post as i had not read your post properly..... It does seem odd. have you pulled out your existing bearings to see what they look like? I thought my old ke70 had that lip/oil seel...going back a few yrs now though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banjo Posted October 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 (edited) Hi Dave, I got the local garage with press, to remove the "olde" bearings, so I haven't got them to look at. I definitely remember that they did not have the outer "O" ring seal. I haven't pressed the new bearings onto the axle shalfs as yet, as I'm not sure which way they go. However, I have pressed the bearing into the diff casing, and it all fits perfectly with the bearing just sticking out proud of the diff casing flange, by the amount for the brake backing plate to sit on. One way the hub will be 3mm further out from the diff than the other. Cheers Banjo Edited October 20, 2014 by Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ke70dave Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Without the O-ring, what holds the oil in? Are they just relying on the interference fit between the bearing and the housing? If the O-ring is an "upgrade" to help the oil stay in, then i woudlnt have thought it would have mattered which way it went in. As long as there is a reasonable surface for it to seal against? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banjo Posted October 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 (edited) Hi Dave, Think I have solved the riddle ! I think the rubber "O" ring was a later development from bearing manufacturers. These are a sealed bearing, so normally no diff oil will get through to the outside & into the rear brake area. The interference & step at the back of the casing, (to butt the bearing up against), would normally prevent oil seepage. I think the "O" ring is probably a backup. If however some oil got past the bearing, the retaining plate was designed to collect it. It has a little recessed section at the bottom which funnels any seepage out through the backing plate and onto the road, away from the brake linings. See the little cutout in the backing plate on the bearing centre round hole, and matching cutouts on the flange. I remembered I had an old Ke55 rear axle in the shed, I have used in the past as a slide hammer, to remove stubborn axles. Luckily, it still had the original bearing on it. The bearing did not have the "O" ring. It did have a 3mm extension of the centre section of the bearing on one side only. That extension was facing towards the hub. My assumption that the "O" ring would be the last part of the bearing to be pressed into the diff casing was wrong. With the 3mm boss towards the hub, the "O" ring would go in first. I'll get the new bearing pressed on in the next day or so, and "fingers crossed" it will all work out OK. Thanks for your thoughts & suggestions. P.S. I found an old rear bearing from a KE30 with JAP banjo diff. It's bearing is the same diameter (62mm) but a little narrower (16mm instead of 21mm) It has 3mm extensions on the centre bearing boss, on both sides, so it is reversible. Cheers Banjo Edited October 20, 2014 by Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ke70dave Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 hah! What a puzzle. Now you can tell your wife/partner that yes you do have to keep your 'old corolla' junk in the shed for times such as this. Interesting though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clapped out Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Heya banjo, My past experience is the "O" ring faces outwards. Entirely up to you, but I put a smear of sealant over the "O" ring and outer bearing surface just to give it that extra piece of mind and as a backup, For that "Just incase I pinch the O ring while putting it back in" scenario, cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banjo Posted October 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Humm ! That's the way I would have done it, with the "O" ring facing out, but if I do it that way, the 3mm extension on the bearing inner boss will be facing in, not out, as I've determined it should be. Cheers Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altezzaclub Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 I have the oil seals in the Celica T-series. Sadly I haven't got access to a bearing to get the size off it. No O-ring or extension of the inner race though. Maybe the seal in mine is replaced by the O-ring on the bearing. If they are sealed bearings there shouldn't be a call for a seal as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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