MTFCA Forum

I am not rebuilding my rear axle just yet, but I'm doing my springs, but I figured I'd look at the mess behind the wheels while there off and I found various felts and washers and it looks like there not correct. Both pictures are left to right in order left being closest to the bearing and right being the outer most, I thought it was just supposed to be felt then cup but I got felt washer felt cup and one had one felt outside one had both inside. Edit: I noticed just now that my images are for whatever reason mirrored so it's right to left.

Correct order is: 1 steel washer, 1 felt (sometimes too thick), then cup.

People sometimes also add a felt between the outside of the cup and the wheel hub. Not saying that's correct, just that some people do it.

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 27, 2025 11:48 am

People sometimes also add a felt between the outside of the cup and the wheel hub. Not saying that's correct, just that some people do it.

Should I add the extra felt outside?

Of its only one felt on the inside which is? The one with the bigger or smaller inner diameter?

Smaller - it fits tight over the axle. Ford did supply a felt seal for inside of the housings - most of us use the modern neoprene seals inboard of the sleeve.

The outside felt - There is a small recess in the hub which takes a thinner felt Langs part # 2809. It helps to keep dirt and road debris out of the brake area.

The earlier axle housing have a slightly smaller collar for the cap, part # 2510, nominal dia. 2 13/32". Used '09-''17.

After 1918 the later tad larger dia. cap is part #2510 1/2. This is the avail. cap from vendors.

So fitting a replacement cap one may have to use a shim on early axle housing collar

The use of the modern alum cap with the dual o-ring seals are made in styles to fit either and really are nice, but $.

Order of install of original FORD parts as others posted, steel washer against the Hyatt bearing, felt washer inside the cap.

The wheel hub also has a larger felt washer too.

Plus many place an extra inside axle seal, by removing the bearing and bearing sleeve, and sliding a special neoprene seal over the axle to seat at the ridge behind the sleeve.



Modern extra safely grease seal to be placed behind the removed Hyatt bearing sleeve.

IIRC, installation of the inner neoprene seal requires shortening the inside end of the axle sleeve by the thickness of the seal (?)

The seals have been "modified" with a reduced face area for the sleeve clearance - not shown on the seal Dan was using !

KWTownsend wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 27, 2025 6:11 pm

IIRC, installation of the inner neoprene seal requires shortening the inside end of the axle sleeve by the thickness of the seal (?)

I just rebuilt my '14 axle, and ran into that reality...
Between the early axle, and the neoprene seals, I had to shave a good 3/16th off the outer sleeves to flush everything up...

Before: After:

Kurt - did you use the most recent seals with the relief ?

Used the metal backed neoprene seals from Lang's

Removing something from the inner end of the sleeve is standard practise when fitting those inner seals. You need to take off the same amount as the thickness of the oil seal backing.

Allan from down under.

All you early car people need to read what Dan T wrote.
The early cars cups were a smaller size.
One year at Hershey I had some NOS ones on my infamous
Dollar table. Pointed them to people that I knew had early cars, they thought I was trying to BS them out of a dollar.
Like they say lead a horse to water but can’t make him take a bath.

Thankfully my original outer seal cups were in good condition, I just oiled up new felts and reused the cups...

But Dan, ya don't happen to still have those NOS cups nobody wanted, do ya? I'll take them!!!

Can't recall whose inner seals I recently ordered from, but they have a relief in the edge for the sleeve to set in - no cutting required !

Snyder's current seals show the relief ! If I remember correctly, Chaffin's began modifying those seals years ago.

There should be an outer felt seal. Dan Treace's picture of a hub shows where it is placed. Too many people leave this out.

Steve, yes, the ones from Lang's have the relief as well.
Right/wrong/indifferent, I did dress up the outer relief (inner facing) edge with a thin layer of RTV to help seal the outer edge against the tube/face. But, thin/skim, certainly nothing that could have caused that much clearance issue.

Antique T Motor Sports offers a neoprene rear axle grease seal kits 1910-1927 and Ruckstell. These kits have been offer for 20 years. These seal kits have been developed to replace the traditional felt and rubber con. Ebay listing https://www.ebay.com/itm/388895448905

I believe ATMS offers both early(small) & later(larger) outer seal caps.

John, our ATMS only dispense money, no T parts!

Allan from down under.

I recently installed a set of the ATMS seals in a rear of a car I'm building. I like them very much, but I think Bill is looking to sell ATMS?
Craig.