Curious, I'm rebuilding the front end on a 2002 SP 500 seals, bearings... The strut seal, should it be flush or driven in to the inner lip? If I can recall prior to knocking out the old seal it appeared to be flush but I might be wrong, didn't have my specs on. I have a old damaged factory strut and looked at the seal and it is driven in until it bottomed out which recessed about 5mm from being flush

 

Please note I speaking of the back side of the strut where the cv shaft enters, should this seal bottom out or be flush with the inner area of the strut

 

I always cleaned the inside of the strut and marked around the outer lip of the old seal as a reference before I popped it out and installed a new one. Just my way of doing things. This where you don't want to seat the new seal in super tight as it will distort it and cause leaking. Seat it like the one you measured,about 5mm from being flush with the inner casting stop.Then wipe a little grease around the lip. The main thing is that you're trying to have is the lip evenly seated around the cv joint sleeve when you slip the drive shaft back in. This is where a lot of people make mistakes on this one seal. Doesn't matter if it isn't seated fully,but matters most that it covers the cv seal sleeve to keep the hub fluid in.

 

Thanks You!!!

 

Sorry forgot to show this pic on the big seal and how it's not flush also.

 

Thanks, looks like the one I have, the old strut's seal is bottomed to the inner casing lip. I drove it in with a 55 gal drum plastic cap, it was flush and fit perfect in the strut housing "of all things" but it worked so now we have a new tool. LOL. Thanks again OPT

 

55 gallon drum cap.. Good old Southern boy ingenuity at it's finest.. Next time you pass by a Northern Tool or Harbor Freight pick up a cheap 25 buck bearing race and seal installer set. Then you wont have to hunt down something that fits.

 

I've got the smaller kit for the races but I'll pick up this 10 pc kit at HF, just got a 20% off coupon in the mail, may ride over tomorrow and pick up one

 

I admit we do get creative in making some tools... lol

 

I learned a new trick for strut seals this weekend. My old broken CV joint is almost the same size as the strut seal. Pop the old seal out. Put the new seal in place. Place the old seal on the new seal, face to face. Put the old CV on the old seal and give it a few light taps with a hammer.