# Trailer grease seals - can't find precisely the right fit



## jkeuning (Oct 28, 2011)

You guys were so helpful on my other trailer-axle thread; here is another one.

I want to replace the grease seals. I measure the the seal inner diameter as 1.229 and the inside of my hub at 1.970. This is REALLY close to a very popular seal with 1.249 Inch I.D. and 1.983 Inch O.D. (National Oil Seal Part 203025) and I cannot find anything closer.

I suppose the seal surface on the axle might be worn down. Is this possible? Should I be concerned and hunt down a seal with a better fit? The seal manufacturers literature say that .001" is important. Does that apply a boat trailer bearing? Or are those tolerances for high-pressure industrial applications?

Also, I am measuring with digital calipers which have some slop of course.

I've only pulled one hub. I will pull the other and get measurements in the morning. In the meantime I am curious what you all have to day about the tolerance. Thanks!


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Your old seal should have a manufacturer / part number stamped in it along the edge.

That will get you what to look for or a same as number from what ever dealers stock that you are shopping at. 


ED


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

jkeuning said:


> You guys were so helpful on my other trailer-axle thread; here is another one.
> 
> I want to replace the grease seals. I measure the the seal inner diameter as 1.229 and the inside of my hub at 1.970. This is REALLY close to a very popular seal with 1.249 Inch I.D. and 1.983 Inch O.D. (National Oil Seal Part 203025) and I cannot find anything closer.
> 
> ...


Quote:The seal manufacturers literature say that .001" is important.
********************************************************
Do they specify seal O.D. to hub fit or seal I.D. to shaft fit when speaking of .001" being important? 

You're going to have a difficult time putting a 1.983 seal in a 1.970 hub. If you were to be successful that's going to change the I.D. considerably like to the tune of nearly .013".

I also suspect we're now getting foreign products without close tolerances and even possibly metric.
I'd keep shopping until I found the correct parts if that's possible.


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

In my experience, there aren't that many different bearings and seals used in boat trailers, we kept a small cabinet of them at the tire shop I worked at and very rarely had to go to Napa to get one. 

Plus, a part number should be stamped on there, as it is with the bearing. A Timkin number is fairly standard throughout the industry and a good parts guy (not Oreillys/Autozone) will be able to help you with it.


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## jkeuning (Oct 28, 2011)

Thanks for the answers. I really left out an important piece of information which is that the current seal says Victor 47376. Searching for this information returns some pages that are questionable at best which is why I went the route of measuring.

The seal surface on my trailer is fairly worn down which is why I think I am coming up a bit short on the ID.

I picked up new seals today which installed properly so now I'll just watch for grease!

Speaking of, I am going to post another question about grease packing.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

http://www.timken.com/en-us/products/Documents/NSCOilSeals410027to9Y9895.pdf


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## jkeuning (Oct 28, 2011)

gregzoll said:


> http://www.timken.com/en-us/products/Documents/NSCOilSeals410027to9Y9895.pdf


ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH

Napa sold me the wrong thing. I took my seal with me and the measurements. Guy says, "I don't need the measurements" and walks away with my seal. Comes back with two seals, rings me up. Out the door with two Napa 12404 seals and my wallet $20 lighter.

The Napa seals are :
Seal I.D. : 1.25"
Seal O.D. : 1.983"

Looking up the part number in the Timken catalog I see that I need the part that I mentioned in my original question, the National Oil Seal Part 203025 which is:
Shaft Size (In): 1.218 or 1.219 Inch depending on the catalog
Outside Diameter (In): 1.983 Inch
EDIT - in my OP I ref the ID as 1.249 - this was a typo; the correct size is 1.219.


I need 1.219 they sold me 1.25 which explains why the seals seem a little loose to me.

Tomorrow I'll be going to NAPA to have an interesting conversation wherein I ask for my $20 back.

And it looks like I am going to get extra-intimate with my hubs.http://www.diychatroom.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

I show one Advance Auto in my area carries it. http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/national-oil-seal-203025/3267091-P O'Reilly I can walk into the one down the street from me and get it. http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d....oap?ck=Search_N2267_-1_-1&pt=N2267&ppt=C1980

Before I leave or allow to be rung up at the auto store. I always check what they hand me, to what I have pulled up in my web browser on my iPhone.


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## jkeuning (Oct 28, 2011)

I saw that one on the Oreilly site and it is where I got my original numbers. I went to Napa because they are a block from my house. I will go to Oreilly tomorrow which is 4 blocks from my house and get the correct parts.

I hear you on the "checking the parts" things. However, I was not sure what I needed so I am not sure checking would have helped me. Plus, the whole reason I went to Napa, and overpaid, was because I wanted their expertise.

I'll let you know how it turns out.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

I hear you on going to the closes place. I go to the local Ace Hardware for a lot of stuff I need. Only time I go to Menard's or Lowe's, is when it is something I cannot get from the Ace.

My ex-wife is a manager at one of the Advance Auto Parts. If I had to get something that they do not carry here in town, or would take to long for the online order to process. I could have the item in my hands the next day.

O'rielly's is always busy on Sunday's, for the one down the road from me. I am sure that there is probably some other items you need that you did not get from Napa.

Parts service has gone down the hill, since online ordering is the now way.

I found out the hard way when I ordered replacement lamps for the Fog lights on our 2010 Dodge Caravan. Found some LED units that stated that they would work. Got them and took the van down to the lube place we use. Not the correct ones, so had to send them back and order the correct non-LED ones.

Only way to get to the Fog lamps on the Caravan, is from inside a lube pit or put it up on a lift.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

I've had this same problem with a utility trailer that I bought used. I was doing a bearing packing scenario and also replacing the inner seal. When I took the old seals out the I.D. of the seals were torn really bad. I'm a machinist so I had the tools to make accurate measurements. I took the I.D. of the hub where the seal fits, the O.D. of the axle where the seal fits, and the depth in the hub where the seal fits and went to a local auto parts store were real parts guys work. They could not find a seal with the measurements I had. The old seal did have a part number and they did find that seal but the measurement of the new seal was wrong. I finally went to a "Motion Industry's" store where the cutest young lady was working the counter. I gave her the measurements I had and she put them into a computer program they had. Bingo--the computer gave her a seal number with the dimensions matching what I had. When she brought the new seals back up she asked me "are these going on a boat or utility trailer"? Well yes they are, why do you ask? She told me that the computer had identified these seals as for boat trailers and/or utility trailers. The seals fit perfectly so the project was finished.


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