My money was on the shaft not being perfectly round. Scotchbrite does not a lathe make. And that is the only way to be sure the surface is true. No VISIBLE groove does not mean wear isn't present. Just like a cylinder block that has no visible ring ridge (meaning one you can catch a fingernail on). If you hone that bore the rockover point will show. Even with no discernable ring ridge and crossover hatch on the cylinder walls still being visible from factory honing. I will never, EVER try to save a buck by buying off Amazon.
There are plenty of official GM parts houses found on Google. How much is your TIME worth? I make 100 an hour when I work on vehicles. I'm currently knee deep into a 2011 Cadillac Escalade Platinum Hybrid's front suspension.
Detroit axle sent me a lower control arm with no bellows seal on the ball joint. Was supposed to be done today. Heat rolling up into the high 90's with 110 heat index till the 4th.
My window of work time is gone. Also I found out AFTER buying the kit that Detroit axle seems to have a rather large return rate on hubs/bearings for both GMT400's and our GMT800's on up. So I asked them if they had any warranty return stats. Nope. Does their factory do mean time between failure analysis? Crickets.
I am replacing EVERYTHING bolted to the frame, it all came off. Fought a stuck upper control arm bolt for 4 days before it finally came loose (customer didn't want to use a torch to cut the bolt, due to the THIN nature of the metal it goes thru). So I wrote a rather scathing email to Detroit Axle about their quality control since everything in the box had been opened (this was the full front end kit, 4 control arms, two hubs, two axles, two steering knuckles, the works. No grease zerks in the box or bags. Ordered Bendix Fleet Metlok pads and new rotors from Rock Auto (all 4 corners, drilled/slotted rotors. New rubber brake lines and new bulkhead lines as well (corroded). Sway bar end links, literally EVERY PART.
To me, my labor being 100 an hour, I pay MYSELF when I do my own work. You should be thinking that way too. This will be your THIRD time into this mess?
Figure you make at least 20 bucks an hour and probably triple that. How much is YOUR time worth to do it over? Remember the old saying, "there's never time to do it right but you always make time to do it over"?
Just to be safe, I ordered new MOOG hubs/bearings since there is now a delay. I'll use those detroit axle hubs/bearings on a roll around gantry crane I'm going to build.
ALWAYS think about your OWN labor costs. You spent twice what the parts cost easily in your own labor. (meaning you could have been off working your job making that much instead of under your vehicle). Or spending time with your kids if you have them.
Go buy the parts from the GM parts counter. ROCK has been caught putting junk ball joints in MOOG boxes too, so ALWAYS check to find MOOG on the item somewhere (they ALL have the brand either laser etched or embossed somewhere, usually on the zerk fitting plate). The new seal mentioned in the comments works VERY well. Also, if you can, try to NOT place that seal lip in the same place it was riding on before. That seal can ride sticking further in, or out for that matter by a tiny bit. A new seal riding in an old seal's groove will leak. Worst comes to worst, measure that sealing surface with a dial indicator as you slowly pull it out of the housing. (the shaft). I bet you get a bounce where the old seal was riding. Might not be much. But that will tell you true.
As for me, I'll be biting the bullet and working in 110 heat index temps to finish this up by the 4th when the customer wants it. I forgot a valuable lesson about cheap parts bought sight unseen. Though I have had decent luck with Detroit axle and they do have a 10 year warranty, the warranty is meaningless if, like you with these cheap seals, I have to go in and replace that hub/bearing in a year, because I HAVE TO EAT THE LABOR, just like you're doing. My customer specifically asked me to get the detroit axle full kit. I argued MOOG or GM factory parts. Oddly, the one part we could NOT find was the brake dust shield/backing plates. His are nearly rotted away and NOBODY makes them. Tons for the 3 bolt GMT 400's and Tons for the 2015 up trucks, but NONE for 08-14. WHO KNEW?
