I just replaced the inner and outer seal and bearing/race on an AMC 20 rear axel. I removed the hub from the axel to get this done.
How is this done with a one piece axel? Seems to me changing seals and bearings with a one piece would be the same as changing them without separating hub from axel on a two piece. Is this correct? If so is that difficult, setting the race while dealing with the break assembly, outer seal, dust cover and hub?
Bearing on the one piece (at least on mine, which originally came from Genine Gear Co., I believe (don't know who they may be these days) seats on shaft OUTSIDE the inner seal. Lubrication for that bearing is via a grease nipple in the dust cap cover / axle retainer. Generally speaking, differential leakage via the axle tubes occurs because the inner seal is gone. To change this seal requires removal of the axle (which does require unbolting the retainer), but does NOT require brg. removal and repressing. In fact, it's easy to change the seals on the axles I have (as I recall, they were axle kits H1 and H2 ... i.e. different lengths in the AMC-20?? diff.).
On the one-piece axles, the brake backingplate holds the axles in place. The seal goes on the inside of the bearings, so when the axles are removed, you can take the seals off and put new ones on. The bearings are pressed onto the axles with the brake backing plates set in place first.
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