A hubcap for a heavy-duty duty vehicle that includes mounting structure that is formed with and cooperates with a side wall of the hubcap to provide a stiff, rigid structure that enables non-cantilevered connection to a wheel hub. The mounting structure can be a plurality of elongated bosses circumferentially spaced about the side wall that are formed with corresponding elongated bolt openings to enable the non-cantilevered attachment to the wheel hub. The elongated bosses cooperate with the hubcap side wall to provide a stiffened or rigid structure between the elongated bolt openings for increased and more uniform clamping force on a sealing gasket between the hubcap and the wheel hub. The hubcap profile provides clearance for removal of an outboard mounted disc brake rotor in heavy-duty vehicle wheel end assemblies that include such rotor configurations. The hubcap may support simple mounting of a hub odometer.

A rolling-element bearing unit for a wheel bearing assembly of a vehicle includes a first rolling-element bearing having an outer bearing ring and an inner bearing ring and rolling elements disposed between the outer bearing ring and the inner bearing ring and a first seal element having a seal-element base body having a first support member mounted to an axial outer surface of the inner bearing ring and a first seal lip pressed against a radial end surface of the outer bearing ring to hold the outer bearing ring in position relative to the inner bearing ring. Also a wheel bearing assembly including two such rolling element bearing units.

A wheel assembly includes a spindle; a wheel hub rotatable relative to the spindle; and a seal mounted between the spindle and the wheel hub, the spindle, the wheel hub, and the seal defining a sealed cavity, the seal having a first axial end and a second axial end, the first axial end coupled to the spindle, the second axial end coupled to the wheel hub.

A vent plug for a hub cap is provided. The vent plug includes a cover and base forming a chamber. A vent plug body extends from the base and forms a cavity. A shield is coupled to the vent plug body. The shield comprises an annularly extending disc that traverses the cavity. The shield includes a connecting surface to connect the shield to the vent plug body. The shield provides a lubrication/liquid barrier to inhibit lubrication (or other liquid) from entering the cavity formed by the vent plug body and the chamber. The connection between the shield and the vent plug body allows a gas (typically air) to vent past the shield into the cavity and, when pressure is sufficiently high, to the chamber and eventually atmosphere.

A wheel bearing assembly includes at least one hub having an axial outboard end, a first bearing installed in the hub and having an outer ring and an inner ring, and at least one seal element that seals against a radially inner surface of the first bearing inner ring in a liquid-tight manner. The first bearing is the outboard-most bearing of the wheel bearing assembly.

An in-wheel drive device includes: a wheel bearing including a hub; and a speed reducer at least partially disposed in an internal space of the wheel bearing. The speed reducer includes: planet gears; a ring gear configured to engage the planet gears; and a carrier coupled to the planet gears and configured to transmit, to an outside of the in-wheel drive device, power generated by a revolution of the plurality of planet gears. A first sealing part is disposed in a region in which the carrier and the wheel bearing face each other.

A vent plug for a hub cap is provided. The vent plug includes a cover and base forming a chamber. A vent plug body extends from the base and forms a cavity. A shield is coupled to the vent plug body. The shield comprises an annularly extending disc that traverses the cavity. The shield includes a connecting surface to connect the shield to the vent plug body. The shield provides a lubrication/liquid barrier to inhibit lubrication (or other liquid) from entering the cavity formed by the vent plug body and the chamber. The connection between the shield and the vent plug body allows a gas (typically air) to vent past the shield into the cavity and, when pressure is sufficiently high, to the chamber and eventually atmosphere.

A device for stabilizing pressure inside a gear's housing or a wheel's hub includes a bladder, and a conduit coupled to the bladder and coupleable to a volume containing a lubricant. The bladder includes a chamber having a volume, and is configured such that the chamber's volume increases as a fluid enters the chamber, and decreases as fluid leaves the chamber. The conduit includes a first end positionable adjacent the lubricant containing volume, a second end coupled with the bladder, and a passage between the first and second ends, and is configured to hold fluid disposed in the passage and direct the fluid between the first and second ends. When the conduit is coupled to the lubricant containing volume, the volume of the bladder's chamber, the passage of the conduit and the lubricant containing volume are isolated from the ambient environment.

A vent plug for a hub cap is provided. The vent plug includes a cover and base forming a chamber. A vent plug body extends from the base and forms a cavity. A shield is coupled to the vent plug body. The shield comprises an annularly extending disc that traverses the cavity. The shield includes a connecting surface to connect the shield to the vent plug body. The shield provides a lubrication/liquid barrier to inhibit lubrication (or other liquid) from entering the cavity formed by the vent plug body and the chamber. The connection between the shield and the vent plug body allows a gas (typically air) to vent past the shield into the cavity and, when pressure is sufficiently high, to the chamber and eventually atmosphere.

In one aspect, a wheel hub oil seal including an annular seal having a central opening to receive a vehicle spindle. The annular seal has an oil side for being contacted by oil in the wheel hub and an air side of the annular seal opposite the oil side. The annular seal has a radially outer mounting portion configured to sealingly engage an interior surface of the wheel hub. The annular seal includes a sealing member having a contact portion configured to form a dynamic seal with a running surface. The contact portion of the sealing member has an underlip pressure profile configured to pump oil toward the oil side of the annular seal upon rotation of the radially outer mounting portion of the annular seal with the wheel hub around the vehicle spindle.