front axle hub bolts safety wire question

[jdolecki]

In my design experiment has a front axle with a bolt on grease seal. (reason for this design is I have read that the salt gets into the sealed bearings and require frequent inspections cleaning )   

I designed it for cs flat head screws

Now I'm thinking do they need to drilled hex head so they can get safety wired or will the flat heads with lock tight pass tech inspection?

[manta22]

If you used slotted countersunk screws you could center punch the seal adjacent to each end of the slot, forcing material into the slot. This, together with Loctite should retain the screws securely. I have no idea if it would pass tech though.

[salt27]

I would think that since it has nothing to do with wheel retention you would be ok but that's just my opinion.

  Don

[floydjer]

Or studs with ny-loc nuts...But safety wire is way cooler.

[handyguy]

If I saw this in inspection , it would seem fine if tight ..  When I look at wheels /hubs I'm looking at   wheel studs / nuts ,  metal valve stems  and caps   and I'll see if there is play in    frt. bearing / king pins ,  steering linkage ,  heim joints with washers ,  play in steering box ,  and self locking nuts have bolt threads showing through and anything else for safe install ..   STEVE

[Rex Schimmer]

Skip the seal, to much drag. Make your retainer with only .005 to .010 inch clearance to the spindle and put light grease between it and the spindle. You should service these every year anyway to repack the bearings (with very thin grease and I have seen them lubed with just heavy gear oil) Rolling resistance is important especially if you are running a car with limited hps. As for your retaining bolts, lube the threads and bottom side of the bolt head and torque them to "seating torque" then don't worry about them. They are not subject to high vibration and even if the salt is rough they will not loosen by running 5 miles. If you must some red LT would be some extra caution. Just my opinion.

Rex

[revolutionary]

on my Winters rear end they just use a floating axle and then a retaining cover with an oring. The allen head capscrews holding the cover on are not wired and I have not seen anyone else's out there wired either. Up to you.