CTL marked British type road wheel seals?

[rob love]

I have only seen the cork seals on the Cdn carriers. Hardly a positive seal, especially with a hub that gets grease pumped into it. The excess grease picks up sand and dust, which formulates into the perfect abrasive.

I was able to replace the cork seals with normal wheel seals when I did my carrier a decade back, but for the kind of pampered service my carrier is ever going to do, the cork would have been fine.

I was recently working with some T-16 wheels, which had a different bearing setup and some better sealing. I ended up pulling all that T-16 stuff out of the wheels and replacing it with standard UC bearings and cork seals, as that was what they were going on. I didn't want to confuse the next generation of owner.

[ajmac]

Could anyone post a photo of the earlier / Canadian type sealing arrangement for reference? Or a scan from the illustrated parts book would be nice.

[Michael R.]

The grease seal C31UCW 104180 is found as a part within CTL 814 SA, Seal Assembly - Bogie Wheel Grease

You will not find this part or assembly listed in the May, 1944 edition of the Ford Canada Illustrated Parts Catalogue for Carrier, Universal MKI* and MKII*. It is listed in the July, 1945 Ford Canada Illustrated Spare Parts List for Carrier, Windsor MARK I*

As the first model Windsor Carrier was supplied with standard CTL 94A wheels, the assemblies could have been for that model W.C. The second model W.C. also had the same grease seal assemblies, but the C49WC 108120C wheel and tire should stand out due to the increased width difference. The Windsor Carrier contract was a single order produced for UK Supply Ministry.

[Lynn Eades]

Alistair, you might note the axles with nuts both ends, which are not shown in Chilwell 63/73 Loyd Carrier workshop manual (First edition April 1944)

The picture of the rear bogie comes from the first U.C.MkI* parts book (June 1941)
TL 95 (Canadian part) has remained the same.
TL 19 is the cork (or felt) seal, and TL 22 is the seal track.

I'm inclined to disagree with Rob. I think the cork seal worked well. However I know exactly what he means about the wear.
I believe this happens as a result of old dried out, shrunk cork seals.
I have pulled used wheels apart and often found perfect bearings.
I have also found some rather worn seal tracks. I think these were a bit average from new, some being made from seamed tube with the weld a bit lacking.
Early axles = a forging to make the head. later 2 nut axles = just a quick machining operation , cut from bar stock.= easier and cheaper to make.
Not Loyd specific, just a better idea introduced later.

[Lynn Eades]

The picture I intended to post

[David Herbert]

Guys, in those days it was normal for the seals in the wheels of tracked vehicles to be primariy intended to keep the mud and water out, not the grease in. Any mud that got past the seal was intended to be flushed out when the bearing was greased which was a daily task in bad conditions. The manuals on British cruiser tanks stress that the relatively modern style lip seals that they use must be fitted with their open sides out to allow the grease to push out any mud. This practice only stopped in British armoured vehicles when modern hardened face seals were introduced, I think firstly on the FV430 series.

David