Adjustable seal installation tool

An installation tool to install an annular seal in a hub or housing at an axle or shaft of a motor vehicle, said installation tool comprising:

• a drive dish adapted to receive the seal to be installed;
• adjustable seal retaining means including top and bottom actuator plates and seal locator means, said bottom actuator plate being fixedly connected to said drive dish and having a first plurality of slots formed therethrough and said top actuator plate being rotatable relative to said bottom actuator plate and having a second plurality of slots formed therethrough so as to overlap and cross respective slots formed through said bottom plate, said seal locator means interconnected with said bottom and top actuator plate at pairs of said overlapping slots therethrough and movable radially over said drive dish to engage or release said seal to be installed, the radial direction in which said seal locator means moves being dependent upon the direction in which said top actuator plate rotates relative to said bottom actuator plate;
• and
• handle means connected to said drive dish by which to transport said installation tool to the hub or housing and to receive an impact force by which to cause the seal to be installed from said drive dish to said hub or housing.

An installation tool to install an annular seal in a hub or housing at an axle or shaft of a motor vehicle, said installation tool comprising:

• a drive dish adapted to receive the seal to be installed;
• a rotatable seal retaining assembly including seal locator means movable radially over said drive dish between a radially inward position at which the seal is received by said drive dish in spaced relationship with said seal locator means and a radial outward position at which said seal is engaged by said seal locator means and retained at said drive dish, the radial direction in which said seal locator means moves being dependent upon the rotation of said seal retaining assembly;
• a rotatable bearing alignment means extending axially from said seal retaining assembly to engage the bearing assembly in the hub or housing of the motor vehicle ahead of the seal to be installed and thereby cause said installation tool to be aligned with said hub or housing for the installation of said seal;
• drive means interconnected between said rotatable bearing alignment means and said rotatable seal retaining assembly, said bearing alignment means and said drive means being rotatable in unison, such that a rotation of said alignment means is transferred to said seal retaining assembly via said drive means to rotate said retaining assembly and cause a corresponding radial movement of said seal locator means over said drive dish;
• and
• handle means connected to said drive dish by which to transport said installation tool to the hub or housing and to receive an impact force by which to cause the seal to be installed from said drive dish to said hub or housing.