1947 mercury rear axle hub help

[mll1446]

Need help I'm putting new bearings and rear grease seal on a 1947 mercury coupe I see the snap ring goes above the bearing when putting together then the grease seal . Is there a snap ring above the grease seal? Seems to be a groove at top of rear hub? Or how many snap rings required in rear hub? Thanks for help in advance

[rotorwrench]

Most parts brake downs only show that there is one snap ring that goes in last to hold the seal and bearing into the hub bore. The bearing can float a bit but it shouldn't damage the seal since there are no real thrust forces going on there.

Maybe someone else can add there own experience.

[drewbaby]

To pass along my experience. I used a National seal # 450096. It has provisions to control the lite thrust the rear wheel bearing may have, whereas the cheaper seals,that some vendors sell, do not have this provision, which will cause the dreaded gray grease.
Yes, one snap ring goes on the outside of the seal.
Hope this helps.

[supereal]

As noted above, the snap ring goes in after the bearing and the seal, in that order. Some hubs have two snap ring grooves. The seal must be driven down so the snap ring can be secured in the groove. You should check the hub before you begin to be sure which groove is used, if your hub has two. Don't forget that the lip of the seal faces the bearing, and the outer seal goes into a recess on the end of the hub, then is covered with the flat washer before the nuts is applied and tightened. Be sure to retighten the axle nut after driving the car for a while.

[19Fordy]

Use 1 snap ring. Regrind the angle on the snap ring to make it easier to remove in future.
1. Insert greased bearing.
2. Install seal. Make sure it's installed correctly facing in the correct direction..
3. Install snap ring
Use small flat blade screwdriver to remove snap ring.
Be sure to read this thread.
http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...le+grease+seal

[mll1446]

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is there a problem if you put the snap ring above the bearing and then the seal in with no snap ring above grease seal?Or a snap ring above the bearing and one snapring above the grease seal in hub that has two grooves? would to snap rings in the hub be bad if it has two grooves

[19Fordy]

Dear mll1446:
There is only one correct way to install the bearing, grease seal and snap ring - in that order. Any other method will yield problems down the road. The snap ring safely secures the bearing and seal from working loose. What you perceive as a grove for a second snap ring snap ring for the bearing is really the edge of the machined surface on which the bearing fits. There is no separate snap ring for just the bearing. The bearing needs room to move laterally and also rotate so as not to brinell and destroy the rollers by having it sit in one spot and rotate. As was said earlier, the correct way is to install the bearing first, then the seal, then the snap ring.
Any other way is just plain wrong. OEM rear wheel bearings are hard to find and expensive so, please, install it correctly.
One more thought. Just think how difficult it would be to remove a separate snap ring that held only the bearing in place. That snap ring may go in easily but would be "a bear" to remove. Henry Ford was not the kind of fellow who would use 2 snap rings when 1 would do the job. Cheaper and faster to use only 1. Hope all these posts are helpful and convincing.
I installed new rear wheel grease seals in 1963 when I bought my car. I knew the owner and the folks at the gas station that serviced his car since new. When I took it apart in 1963 there was only one snap ring - just as in the photos. Only difference was that the seals were leather, not neoprene like today.