As shown in Table 5, "failure" is divided into a number of classification shown in the "Classification of visual defect (general term)" column, and the details of these classifications are listed in the "Term(s) for the various types of failure (technical term[s])" column.

Bearing failure reasons

I heat the grit guard in the Princesses oven and bung heaps of loctite bearing retainer on the hub and tap the hot grit guard on gently

So Even with all the right tools the Stemco seals  do not stand the test of time these days! The simple design is great how ever ! With todays Q design brakes A guy can't just whip a drum off and change out shoes with out changing the seal! Even with the grit guard concept when you disturb the dust and crap when changing shoes you inevitably get grime in the seal and end up doing the job twice ! This is my main reasoning of not promoting the use of them! I have seen alot of almost new shoes ruined by just doing the shoes and not the seal specially on trailers  ! Just my opinion ! I realize that we are working with a steer axle in this instance and it is not apples to apples! This still applies to drive axles ! again my opinion ! If you got an axle you pull the drum and find you have a stemco seal you may just as well pull the hub and do the seal as well! AS if you don't you will be doing that same job two - six months down the road with a bigger mess to clean up!  If that wheel has a CR Or just about any one of the afore mentioned seals you can safely for the most part be fairly confident you will make the next brake job ! Just an observation!

Before examining/considering the cause of the bearing breakdown, it is important first to have a proper grasp of just when the bearing breakdown occurred. As shown in Table 3, you can, to a certain extent, narrow down the cause of the bearing breakdown by determining when it occurred.

Grit Guards don't work on as many things as they used to because of the exciter ring (tone wheel) for the anti-locks.  The correct tool is a must though if using one. To add to Joey's mentioning the correct adaptor as per the seal's packaging, the adaptor is just big enough to fit over the spindle where the inner bearing goes. Then the contact surface that pushes the wear ring on is flat ( the wear ring has no choice but to go on straight ) .  If you use the proper tooling (as Joey said) you won't end up with a wear ring like in the picture. Some guys would remove wear rings by driving a chisel into the wear surface. If it was hit hard enough it could nick the wear surface of the axle housing (spindle)  or ???  if a previous failure grooved it up, that's where a coating of silicone or number 2 Permatex comes in for inside the wear ring.   That picture looks like it was driven on with a punch or hammer.   Now a days there's all sorts of wheel seals that don't require a installation tool of any kind.    Then there's the adjusting the wheel bearings after determining if they're serviceable .........  whole other story.   (like someone who would do that to a wear ring would put the wheeel bearing nuts on with a hammer and chisel too)

OK. How tight should the collar be? It slid off pretty easily with very little effort. Just a little wiggle and it slid right off, which would lead me to think it slid right on and no tool was required. Should there be a lot of friction between the collar and spindle? Perhaps is the wrong seal and collar for this application?

Due to this repeated load, high pressure is generated on the raceway surfaces of the inner and outer rings that are in contact with the rolling surfaces of the rolling elements.

Bearing failure effects

I like the Stemco 2 pc. seal.. You need the proper seal and wear ring drivers!!!!!!!!!!  Stemco does make a Voyager series that is plastic and rubber, and I have had good service from them..  Now,,,,  If the area on the spindle were the seal goes is comprimised,  or mabey someone, just split that seal ring with a chisel, and they went right through to the spindle and made a cut,,,,   well,, your choices are slim. the Stemco 2 pc. is the way to go, with a KISS of RTV inside the wear ring before install..  If you want to see a picture of the tool, I have the tool and the heads, I can post a picture...  Now, back to what FJH said,  He is right, those seals are really good..  Spindle condition will be MY question..  Pictures are always welcomed...

For abnormalities that occur during bearing operation, such as noise/vibration, abnormal temperature rise, and so on, we need to sort out the cause and countermeasures, and take the appropriate countermeasures. Table 4 shows some of the abnormalities that can occur during bearing operation, their causes, and countermeasures that can be taken against them.

Foreign matter Defective sealing device, entry of foreign matter due to wear, etc., or 3) Abnormalities during bearing operation, their causes, and countermeasures that can be taken against them

I know many of you know exactly how to install a wheel seal, I'm just posting for those that may not have a vast knowledge of the different ways..

Grit Guards don't work on as many things as they used to because of the exciter ring (tone wheel) for the anti-locks.  The correct tool is a must though if using one. To add to Joey's mentioning the c

another way to build a set of install tools ; look in the scrap barrel for any bad bearings, cut the outer cage =throw out the rollers and keep inner bear piece;  . extreme caution with hitting  the harden bearing parts. installing a wear ring doesn't take a 20lb sledge; little RTV and even round the spindle tapping. stemco did make a spin within it self seal which required no install tools even tapping . I always lube the two spinning pieces before install whether C/r or stemco.

Please note that while the JTEKT rolling bearing catalog uses the terms "bearing" and "rolling bearing" interchangeably, this column does not use the term "rolling bearing" as a general rule.

Grit Guards don't work on as many things as they used to because of the exciter ring (tone wheel) for the anti-locks.  The correct tool is a must though if using one. To add to Joey's mentioning the c

MACKS,  as far as using heat,,,  I expect it is done buy guys with good skills...  unlike whoever installed the wear ring in the picture..

Also I worked with a guy that worked in a cold climate 30 below for six months of the year ! He claimed that the CR / national  type seals did not work well in these conditions! In this instance there is a place for a Stemco ! He swore by stemco till he moved to this region of the country and started seeing what I've be talking about!

Bearing failure Chart

Bearing failure symptoms

In order to find the cause of a failure, it is necessary not only to investigate the bearing itself but to perform a comprehensive investigation that includes the lubricant and the mounting parts (shaft, housing, and surrounding components).

So this is my Stemco Tool set...  Yes there is light rust on them,, never mind, I clean them before using them..  But the blue can looking tool is what is used, with the correct head, to install the w

Ok thanks for all the responses. I don’t have time to sit down and really digest all the info right now. I will get some pictures of the spindle and upload. I’m guessing this seal wasn’t installed properly with the correct tools. More to follow.

Rolling fatigue in the material leads to bearing failure. If the bearing has been operated under ideal conditions, the point at which this flaking occurs is the end of the bearing's service life.

What is the most common cause of bearing failure

I feel more seals are damaged by people not keeping the hub square to the axle when sliding the hub back on than any wear and tare

I feel more seals are damaged by people not keeping the hub square to the axle when sliding the hub back on than any wear and tare

with the Blue can looking tool that i have.. you put a small bead of RTV on the back side of the wear ring, and by-hand,, push it on to the spindle, then the tool , with the correct head,,  ( tool num

Well My opinion! I might get flamed for this however !  Don't use a Stemco seal for starters ! Go get a CR Or National Even the Meritor seals are decent! My experiance is that for the most part if the seal is leaking and there is nothing wrong with a bearing or preload on a bearing ITs usually a stemco seal on that wheel Not always but For the most part! I used to be a Stemco believer for Years  But not now! the simplicity is great how ever longevity not so much! also you should be equipped with ALL the proper drive in tools for the wear rings and the seal itself! punches and drifts don't work well!

If you have selected your bearings properly and they are operated under ideal conditions, they will last until their specified service life comes to an end. But sometimes bearing failure can occur earlier than expected.

Abnormal temperature rise (monitored by means of a continuous record of the temperature; this method can only in used in relatively stable operating condition)

I believe you're right Paul.  Reason I went to CR was cause of the anti lock brakes.  Then after accumulating all the tools for them, I gave away all my Stemco tools.   Your last line is often overlooked. Nothing has a chance of working if it's ruined from the word go.

Types of bearingfailuresand their causes

46305 cr seal would be my first choice for this application as long as the seal ring on the spindle is not compromised in a way as was described by others in this post. 46300 is easier to install but also easier to pull loose from the seal bore when wrestling the spoke hub back on, whatever method you're using.  That stemco seal 2110 is part of set 372-7097 but the wear rings are very difficult to properly install without the proper drive tool. You shouldn't be able to remove or install the wear ring with your bare hands. I use a thin coating of ultra grey sealant on the outside edge of most seals when installing

with the Blue can looking tool that i have.. you put a small bead of RTV on the back side of the wear ring, and by-hand,, push it on to the spindle, then the tool , with the correct head,,  ( tool num

Bearing failure analysis PDF

with the Blue can looking tool that i have.. you put a small bead of RTV on the back side of the wear ring, and by-hand,, push it on to the spindle, then the tool , with the correct head,,  ( tool numbers are printed on the Stemco seal box), and use a mallet against the tool, to drive the wear ring on to the spindle..  remove the tool, wipe off ALL excess RTV, rub the ring with gear oil, for the install..  set the seal in the hub,(with the correct installer)  then, install the hub..  Its the same as any other hub install..  You cannot use the wear ring with any seal due to seal I.D.  it is a matched set..

So this is my Stemco Tool set...  Yes there is light rust on them,, never mind, I clean them before using them..  But the blue can looking tool is what is used, with the correct head, to install the w

OK. How tight should the collar be? It slid off pretty easily with very little effort. Just a little wiggle and it slid right off, which would lead me to think it slid right on and no tool was required. Should there be a lot of friction between the collar and spindle? Perhaps is the wrong seal and collar for this application?

So this is my Stemco Tool set...  Yes there is light rust on them,, never mind, I clean them before using them..  But the blue can looking tool is what is used, with the correct head, to install the wear ring you posted..  They are not to be installed with a hammer..

Any noise/vibration made by the bearing (monitored by means of a stethoscope, vibration measuring instrument, or equivalent; accurate detection requires both training and a lot of practice)

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Consequently, material flakes from the surfaces of the bearing rings or rolling elements by fatigue arising from repeated contact stress. This is called "flaking" or "spalling" (see Figures 2 and 3).

Being able to identify and predict abnormalities that occur during operation (such as abnormal temperature rise, noise, or vibration) without taking the machine apart also greatly contributes to the productivity and economic efficiency of the machine.

Or people not cleaning the hub out properly before driving the new seal home and seal not been able to sit square afterwards

When a bearing that suppors a load rotates, the load is repeatedly applied to the raceway surfaces of the inner and outer rings each time rolling elements (balls or rollers) pass (see Figure 1).

"Be who you are and say what you feel...Because those that matter...don't mind...And those that mind....don't matter." -

If bearings are operated under ideal conditions, they will last until their service life comes to an end due to rolling fatigue of the materials. But sometimes bearings can break down, or "fail," earlier than expected, and, in such a situation, it is necessary not only to investigate the bearing itself but to perform a comprehensive investigation that includes the lubricant and the mounting parts (shaft, housing, and surrounding components).

the area that the wear ring was on, needs to be buffed clean and inspected for chisel marks, pitting, and small dents on the horizontal face..  if it is clean and not damaged, you can use a seal that can be installed without special tool's.  A Stemco voyager can be installed with care using a piece of flat stock and a mallet.  CR and National make an OK seal that should be installed with the correct driver. a seal driver may be home made using a PVC pipe large enough to fit O.D. of the seal.. I dont know what size you need..   just a thought that i have..

Types of bearingfailures

In this series, we will call bearing visual defects "bearing failure," and we will explain the typical bearing failure, its causes, and countermeasures that can be taken.

Table 6 shows the types of bearing failure and where they occur. The names of the various bearing components are indicated in Figures 4 a) through 4 d).

OK. How tight should the collar be? It slid off pretty easily with very little effort. Just a little wiggle and it slid right off, which would lead me to think it slid right on and no tool was required. Should there be a lot of friction between the collar and spindle? Perhaps is the wrong seal and collar for this application?

Or people not cleaning the hub out properly before driving the new seal home and seal not been able to sit square afterwards

It's also difficult to see where the seal was riding in the wear ring pictured but it appears the wear ring wasn't installed far enough onto the spindle.

was always a stemco believer ; had at one time quite an assortment of the install tools :: in the dinosaur days when each seal had it's own drive tool ; before the blue tube and changeable heads. the grit guard seals were a big improvement for keeping crap out. technology came out with the spin within itself seals (C/R). bet not too many remember the stemco seals when the wrap was actually leather ?? based on picture; i go with a improper install with a hammer. in hardship cases , I have used the inner bearing for ring install, carefully tapping inner race with flat punch, huge metal washer found in the HD Mack rear wheels also worked for a tapping spacer. close tolerance on spindle / thick enough to tap on.

I have a leaking wheel seal on my drop axle. Axle is a 20,000lb non steerable Silent Drive, which I think is technically a Dexter axle now. Anyway, I tore it apart to change it and I found strange damage to the metal collar that slides onto the spindle first. The Seal is a Stemco 2110 Grit Guard. And the hub is a Webb 22.5 dayton spider hub. The failed wheel seal was only 1.5 years old and had less than 10,000 miles on it. What would cause the collar to get damaged like that? The seal itself pressed into the race looks completely fine (not visibly damaged) but obviously is seeping somewhere. Any thoughts?