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Topic: ORED front hubs (Read 600 times) previous topic - next topic

ORED front hubs

The oshkosh manual i have, indicated that the front hubs are just grease lubricated. No reason to think otherwise. After A comment from a member here, i rushed out to find my hubs to be in fact an oil bath type. Oil and seals ok. What lubricant, just hypoid gear oil? Smells like hypoid. Plastic covers are crazed and need replaced. Are the green rubber plugs somehow different than the red ones?
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #1 –
Yup, gear oil.  Viscosity depends a little on manufacturer's recommendation and a lot on ambient temperatures you run in.
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Old phart phred –
Are the green rubber plugs somehow different than the red ones?
I'm just guessing here...the red plugs are probably a "brand" feature of the STEMCO hub covers.  STEMCO seems to be a popular brand in this market.  Other color plugs might be used by other cover and/or plug manufacturers, but are probably functionally equivalent.  On our coach, one front hub cover plug is red, and the other one is black. (?)

Found the photo (below) online showing different type/color plugs:
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #3 –
Not sure if this is a Hi Jack but a interesting find. My '81 had dry rear hubs. It had an axle seal to keep the oil from getting to the axle bearings and they had to be serviced with wheel bearing grease. I bought a kit and converted it to a regular wet bearing system. I have no idea why Hendrickson Motor Coaches set it up the way it was.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #4 –
Quote from: craneman –
My '81 had dry rear hubs. It had an axle seal to keep the oil from getting to the axle bearings and they had to be serviced with wheel bearing grease. I bought a kit and converted it to a regular wet bearing system. I have no idea why Hendrickson Motor Coaches set it up the way it was.
Since our U280 is my first ever "large" vehicle, I found the front hubs interesting.  Being used to seeing "dry" greased wheel bearings on cars and pickup trucks all my life, I wondered about "Why" the difference.  Is it because of the weight of large vehicles?  Do "wet" lubricated bearings have a higher load bearing capacity?  I would not think it has to do with number of miles driven, because many cars run successfully for decades, and hundreds of thousands of miles, without ever having the bearings serviced. 
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #5 –
If I were to guess it would be that the oil bath bearings remove heat from the hub better than grease.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #6 –
Duh red for port, green for starboard maybe?
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #7 –
Phed. Get back to work!! :))  :))
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #8 –
There are some Stemco videos out there on the sight glasses,think they do reccommend changing oil once a year,it does get
dirty.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #9 –
Have not located a part number on the casting but a 5918 on the plastic. Mine have drain plugs, but look pretty corroded. Really dirty so i may have to pull tire and wheel and wire brush well prior to removal of cap assembly. I don't have a jack yet. Dremel might work, along with a custom modified Allen wrench. Since I'm a weekend warrior, i hate starting projects without the parts in hand.

Is a 20 ton jack really necessary, or just so much easier to pump, search showed it to be quite popular choice?

Do most big rig parts stores stock these or are there a hundred different variations?

I'm a gasket guy, enuf said.

Thanks in advance
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #10 –
You do not need to remove the wheels to replace the stemco hub cover. Just take it off and catch the oil, take the old one to NAPA and match up, come back and install new with new gaskets and refill to the line marked. If the oil is real dirty then maybe remove the wheel and hub or if there is water in the oil which would make the oil milky colored.
previous 1984 35 ft ORED 250 HP 3208 Cat       
previous 1998 40 ft U295 CAI 325 hp Cummins
previous 2003 40 Ft u320 build #6140 450 Cummins M11.                                                         
1999 Mazda Miata
Ron, Nancy, Tipper the cat, Max The dog
1997 U 270 36 ft build number 5174 8.3 Cummins

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #11 –
No milky oil/water, just evething around it is gritty dirty. Used to be a dozen or more Napa stores in a town of 400k. Nearest naps now is 40-50 miles away unfortunately.
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #12 –
I started buying the windows and seals online once I had the numbers.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #13 –
If it is just dirty on the outside cleanb it up. No need to replace hubcap. Look on the cast aluminum in between the bolt holes. There usually is a number cast into the forging.
I use a 12 ton bottle jack to lift my coach.
A little trick  if you only need to replace hubcap or gasket is drive whatever wheel onto some leveling pads and let it sit so the oil has time to go into the hub. You can also just ibnb acknit up.You will have less to catch!
If you look on your front axle in the center front there it s a tag. Post a picture if it and I will look up your inner seal and hubcap etc part numbers. They are/should be also in your 3 ring binders. In t big e front axle book.It shows the merritor/Rockwell numbers which are easily crossed to national brands.etc
91 GV U300 Unihome 40' Build 3811
6V92TA Detroit

Re: ORED front hubs

Reply #14 –
It's just easier to pump.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.