Hub gasket leak?

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drisley

drisley

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Joined
Aug 11, 2013
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301
W22 chassis with the wet hubs. Drove down to Charleston yesterday and noticed the passenger side front tire had fluid leaking. Some spun around the tire, drooling from the nut covers. Even when sitting still, there seems to be a slow drool down the tire. Take hub cap off and there was fluid pooled up. Just a little bit, but some.

Hub fluid level looks fine, tho.

Question: Is there any chance this could be something more serious than hub gasket? Could brakes leak out on the tire like that?

I'm heading back to Florida next week. Sure would be simpler to deal with it back home.
 
Possible, I guess. Fluid level a few mm above bottom of the red cap. Plus it wasn't throwing fluid this whole trip until this 100mile leg south to Charleston. Could heat make it act up?
 
drisley said:
W22 chassis with the wet hubs. Drove down to Charleston yesterday and noticed the passenger side front tire had fluid leaking. Some spun around the tire, drooling from the nut covers. Even when sitting still, there seems to be a slow drool down the tire. Take hub cap off and there was fluid pooled up. Just a little bit, but some.

Hub fluid level looks fine, tho.

Question: Is there any chance this could be something more serious than hub gasket? Could brakes leak out on the tire like that?

I'm heading back to Florida next week. Sure would be simpler to deal with it back home.
Click to expand...

It could be LESS serious than a gasket leak.  I had the exact same problem with the same indications but found it to be only the drain plug on the side of the hub was just a tad loose and allowed the oil to slowly drip out.  Tightening that drain plug solved the problem. Otherwise it may be a gasket change and I don't believe that is a major thing either.  IIRC there is a line about halfway on the side of the end plug that indicates desired level.  Please keep us informed.

Bill
 
I had the same issue with mine. The hubcaps had hub lubricant on them and after cleaning it soon appeared again. 

The first thing to check is to see if your lubricant is over the fill line (which it seems you have already done). For mine it is entirely possible it was the gasket, but I was talked into changing the wheel bearings.  I will never know if it needed wheel bearings or just the gasket.  If I had it to do over again I would have just changed the gasket and looked to see if the problem went away.  If it continued to leak lubricant then I would have gone the wheel bearing route. For sure, mine no longer leaks, but my wallet is much emptier for the exercise.  Also when I was done changing bearings I then also had ABS sensor issues. By the time that  I finally had this fixed I ended up changing out 2 sensors.  RVs can sure be a money pit.
 
Yes, the seals do sometimes fail and apparently they are tricky to install.  We had one leak.  It was replaced.  Then that one was replaced because it began leaking in less than 100 miles.
 
If hub oiler has the rubber plug for filling, there may be a tiny vent hole in the center of plug. If vent is plugged, it may force oil out around plug. Can check vent hole with a needle. Try not to enlarge. Also, these plugs can harden over time and leak. Plug should be pliable. Could be bolts/ screws ( some have both) need tightening to take up gasket shrinkage.
 
drisley said:
W22 chassis with the wet hubs. Drove down to Charleston yesterday and noticed the passenger side front tire had fluid leaking. Some spun around the tire, drooling from the nut covers. Even when sitting still, there seems to be a slow drool down the tire. Take hub cap off and there was fluid pooled up. Just a little bit, but some.

Hub fluid level looks fine, tho.

Question: Is there any chance this could be something more serious than hub gasket? Could brakes leak out on the tire like that?

I'm heading back to Florida next week. Sure would be simpler to deal with it back home.
Click to expand...

drisley
A leaking "wheel seal" is more common than a "leaking "hub gasket".

BTW the oil level in an oil bath hub should be maintained at the "FULL" line on the hub cover in this photo:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR3h1nJwZG7ho8rIVrizClGWo01OO_q6Rcr39cz0cb5J5TjCIgp
 
I'm attaching a couple of photos. One shows the fill line... the other shows the fluid leaking down the tire as it just sits there.

There is only a minimum full line, as you can see. And the fluid level is over it.

The rig has been sitting here for about 24 hours now and it is still leaking slowly from behind the rim cap, drooling down the tire. Fluid level doesn't appear to be changing, tho.

Just to make sure, I also got on the ground and checked behind the wheel. Everything looks dry. Nothing wet on the brake caliper or rotor. IT does indeed seem to be coming from the outside side of the wheel, drooling down from behind the rimcap, then down the tire to the ground.

EDIT: Good that I took a photo, actually. Will compare tomorrow and see if perhaps the fluid level IS dropping noticeably.
 

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Did a bit of research on the fluid level and it seems perhaps mine is overfilled since it is above the edge of the red cap. This could have caused the issue, huh?

I may go ahead and lift up the front of the rig on the hydraulics, spin the wheel so the drain plug is pointed down, then let off a bit of fluid so it is below that cap. Perhaps it'll solve the issue. Thoughts?
 
drisley said:
Did a bit of research on the fluid level and it seems perhaps mine is overfilled since it is above the edge of the red cap. This could have caused the issue, huh?

I may go ahead and lift up the front of the rig on the hydraulics, spin the wheel so the drain plug is pointed down, then let off a bit of fluid so it is below that cap. Perhaps it'll solve the issue. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Worth a try.  Best to use the drain plug for access but that cap on the end will snap off and on also if you have problem with the drain plug.  By the way, someone mentioned a pin hole in the end of the cap.  I am not near my coach but I do not recall any such pin hole.  Seems that would be an invitation to leak for sure.

Bill
 
Every Stemco I have seen had a small expansion hold in it.  We used to buy a bag of them (two different sizes) and replace them when they got hard.  Also the clear plastic sight portion of the cap would get hairline cracks from age.  I don't see any in the pics though.
 
drisley said:
Did a bit of research on the fluid level and it seems perhaps mine is overfilled since it is above the edge of the red cap. This could have caused the issue, huh?

I may go ahead and lift up the front of the rig on the hydraulics, spin the wheel so the drain plug is pointed down, then let off a bit of fluid so it is below that cap. Perhaps it'll solve the issue. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Yes having it overfilled would do this.
 
What's weird to me, tho, is that it is slow drooling while just sitting still and it's never done that before. If it was simply overfill, wouldn't it have done this earlier? And why drool while sitting still? I can't even tell where exactly the drool is coming from.
 
I would remove the wheel and inspect the cap gasket .  It's possible that the leak is coming from there.
 
If I can drive it back to Florida like this would rather deal with it there. Doubt it'll be an issue.
 
Drove back to Florida. Oddly, after another stop heading south (Jekyll Island), the leaking simply stopped. No problems on the way, then nothing while in the campground. No change in fluid level that I can eyeball. Weird, since it was leaking consistently while sitting in Charleston.
 
Perhaps it leaked until it was at the max fill level and had no place to run out from that level.
 
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