E&MU: Seals for Approval

There Is a Choice Between Old and New Technology in Keeping Wheel Bearing Lubed

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

t sounds simple on paper: a bearing, some oil and a seal. But keeping wheel bearings correctly lubed has caused fleets considerable consternation for years.

Combine high operating temperatures with constant rotational forces and exposure to contaminants and moisture and you create an extreme test for lubricants and seals. Greatly improved technology has come onto the market in the past decade.

Lubricants and seals can handle higher heat, their materials are more compatible with the chemistry of the lubricants they hold at bay and the seals themselves are less susceptible to crooked installation, a source of failure.

But while many fleets readily take advantage of these advances, some still prefer to use older, lower-cost designs.

For the full story, see the June/July issue of Equipment & Maintenance Update, a supplement to the June 9 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.

10323