Dana 44 Flanged Axle - 30 Spline - Inner Seal Question

1970 CJ5 with a rear dana 44 flanged 30 spline axle.

Disasembled/Pulled axles and found it had inner seals. Ordered new bearings and inner & outer seals but Randy's Ring & Pinion said this axle set-up did NOT require the inner seal as the bearing is lubricated by the gear oil. There's no grease fitting on this axle housing so I'm inclined to NOT replace the inner seal and let the gear oil do it's job.

I've discussed this in a prior thread but this info from Randy's has me thinking double time. To replace the seal & pack the bearing or not???? :?

 

The factory installed the inner seals. There were reasons for that. The outer seal primarily keeps debris out and the grease in. The job of the inner seal is to keep the gear oil out of the axle bearings. These Jeeps were meant for off road use. If you get water or other debris in your gear oil it will work it's way out to the axle bearings if you do not have the inner seals. That means the axles would need to come out to repack them each time it happens. I'd put the inner seals in as the factory did.

 

Thanks guys. The seal will have a home. Assuming regular bearing grease is used and pack it before it's pressed on.

 

Not to mention the brakes.

 

yes and the cavity gets some grease as well