Automotive & Transportation
From wheel hub to engine bay — the right seal compound keeps fluids in, contaminants out, and vehicles on the road.
Automotive and transportation sealing spans the widest range of operating environments found in any single industry — from wheel hubs running in road spray and mud for 300,000+ km, to engine crankshaft seals cycling between −40°C cold starts and 150°C sustained oil temperatures, to transmission seals operating in ATF fluid chemistries that destroy standard NBR compounds over time. Getting the seal material right means matching elastomer, lip geometry, and dimensional tolerances to a specific fluid, speed, temperature range, and service interval. A seal that crosses the performance envelope of its compound becomes a leak in the field, a warranty claim, and a truck out of service.
Our Products
ELASFOR Product Line — Automotive & Transportation Applications
| ELASFOR Product | Automotive / Transportation Application |
|---|---|
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Crankshaft front and rear seals, camshaft seals, differential pinion seals, and wheel hub cassette seals — FKM for high-temperature engine and transmission service; NBR/ACM for lower-temperature driveaxle applications; cassette designs for wheel ends exposed to mud, water, and road debris |
70×70
O-rings — FKM, NBR, EPDM, Silicone
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Fuel injector O-rings (FKM), coolant system O-rings (EPDM/silicone), transmission valve body O-rings (FKM/NBR), power steering connections, brake system port seals, and HVAC compressor O-rings — each application requires matching the compound to its specific fluid and temperature range |
70×70
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Power steering cylinder rod and piston seals, hydraulic brake booster seals, hydraulic suspension strut seals, tipper and hookloader cylinder seals on commercial vehicles — polyurethane (PU) rod seals and wipers for pressures up to 400 bar; NBR for standard hydraulic fluid service |
70×70
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Axle shaft contamination exclusion, wheel bearing grease retention, and secondary sealing on gearbox output shafts — V-rings seat on the shaft and seal against a counterface without a housing bore, making them ideal for retrofitting worn shaft seal areas on truck drivetrains |
70×70
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Heavy equipment wheel ends, tracked vehicle final drives, and off-highway truck axle hub assemblies operating in severe mud, water, and abrasive contamination — dual-face metal seal units (Duo-Cone type) that exclude contaminants through face contact rather than radial lip geometry |
70×70
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High-performance crankshaft and transmission output shaft seals where hydrodynamic PTFE lip seals extend service life vs. standard elastomeric seals; PTFE-encapsulated O-rings for fuel system connections; spring-energized PTFE seals for EV battery thermal management fluid systems |
70×70
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Valve cover gaskets, oil pan gaskets, thermostat housing gaskets, and transmission inspection cover gaskets — cut-to-print from FKM sheet, NBR/CR sheet, or compressed non-asbestos fibre (CNAF) depending on fluid and temperature; replacement gaskets for vehicles where OEM parts are obsolete or lead times are unacceptable |
70×70
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Replacement diaphragms for brake boosters and EGR valve actuators, custom-profiled door and window seals for transit buses and rail vehicles, vibration isolator grommets for engine mounts and cab suspension, molded boots for driveshaft CV joints |
Cross-referencing an OEM seal by part number or dimension? Bring us the shaft diameter, bore diameter, width, and current material if known — we can identify the right replacement and confirm compound compatibility with your specific fluid and operating temperature.
Applications
Common Sealing Applications
Wheel Hubs, Axle Seals & Cassette Seals
Driven and non-driven wheel ends on passenger vehicles, light trucks, heavy commercial vehicles, and off-highway equipment. The seal must retain bearing grease against centrifugal force while excluding road spray, mud, water, and abrasive particles across the full service interval — 150,000 to 500,000 km depending on application. Cassette seals integrate multiple sealing elements (primary lip, secondary lip, excluder, and labyrinth) into a single pre-assembled unit that installs in one press operation and cannot be incorrectly assembled in the field.
NBR is standard for most wheel hub service up to 120°C continuous. FKM for high-temperature wheel ends on heavy trucks with disc brakes that generate sustained hub temperatures above 130°C. Cassette seals are the correct choice for any replacement where the original bore or shaft contact surface shows wear damage — the self-contained unit runs on a new sealing surface built into the cassette, not on the worn shaft or bore.
DIN 3760 · ISO 6194 · DIN 3761 (automotive shaft seals)
Engine Crankshaft & Camshaft Seals
Front and rear crankshaft seals, camshaft seals, balance shaft seals, and valve stem seals operating in engine oil at sustained temperatures from 120°C to 160°C depending on location and engine design. Modern turbocharged engines push crankshaft rear seal temperatures above 150°C during sustained highway operation — the temperature range where standard NBR seals lose lip flexibility and begin to leak. Valve stem seals see the additional complication of engine vacuum pulling against the seal on the intake stroke.
FKM (Viton) is the upgrade specification for turbocharged and high-performance engines where sustained oil temperatures exceed 140°C. PTFE lip seals (with hydrodynamic ribs or helix) actively pump oil back into the sump on rotation — significantly extending service life over standard elastomeric lips on clean shaft surfaces. Verify shaft surface finish (Ra 0.2–0.8 µm) and hardness (HRC 45–65 minimum) match the seal manufacturer's requirements — surface condition is as critical as compound selection.
DIN 3760 · ISO 6194 · ASTM D2000 (elastomer classification)
Transmission & Gearbox Seals
Manual gearbox input and output shaft seals, automatic transmission torque converter seals and valve body O-rings, transfer case seals, and PTO (power take-off) output seals on commercial vehicles. Transmission seals operate at lower temperatures than engine seals but face longer oil change intervals and more aggressive fluid formulations — modern ATF contains dispersants, friction modifiers, and oxidation inhibitors that attack standard NBR compounds over time.
FKM is the correct specification for automatic transmissions using any synthetic or semi-synthetic ATF (Dexron VI, Mercon LV, ZF Lifeguard 8, etc.). NBR is acceptable only where confirmed compatibility with the specific ATF type has been validated — do not assume NBR compatibility with modern long-life ATF formulations without data. V-rings are useful as secondary excluder seals on manual gearbox output flanges where the original housing bore is worn past the useful range for a standard lip seal.
DIN 3760 · ISO 6194 · SAE J306 (gear oil viscosity) · ASTM D2000
Hydraulic Systems — Power Steering, Brakes & Body Cylinders
Power steering cylinders, hydraulic brake boosters, tipper and hookloader body cylinders, crane outrigger cylinders, and tail-lift cylinders on commercial vehicles. Hydraulic systems on trucks and trailers typically run mineral HLP hydraulic oil at pressures from 100 to 350 bar, with side loading on the rod seal from cylinder misalignment that would not be present in precision machine tool hydraulics. Wiper seals (scrapers) are critical in this application — they are the first line of defence against rod surface contamination from road grime, wash chemicals, and ice.
Polyurethane (PU) rod seals outperform NBR in mobile vehicle hydraulics because they are significantly stiffer against extrusion under pressure spikes and absorb the rod side loading typical of vehicle cylinder geometry. NBR piston seals are acceptable for static or slow-cycle piston sealing; PU for dynamic piston applications where friction and wear resistance matter. Specify seal hardness (Shore A 90–95 PU) to match system pressure — higher pressure requires harder compound to prevent lip extrusion into the rod/bore clearance gap.
ISO 7986 · ISO 7425 · SAE J1176 (hydraulic cylinders for mobile equipment) · ISO 6020/6022
Cooling System & HVAC Seals
Coolant system O-rings (thermostat housings, water pump connections, coolant pipe unions, radiator tank seals), HVAC compressor shaft seals, heater core connections, and intercooler end-tank gaskets. Automotive coolant is a 50/50 glycol/water mixture maintained at pH 7–9 and operating temperatures from −40°C (freeze protection) to 130°C (pressurised system). EPDM is the standard compound for all aqueous coolant contact — it is not interchangeable with oil-service NBR.
EPDM is mandatory for glycol coolant service — excellent resistance to water, glycol, and alkaline coolant additives from −50°C to +150°C. Silicone for high-heat zones (coolant connections near exhaust or turbocharger) where EPDM thermal limit is marginal. FKM for HVAC refrigerant O-rings — R134a and R1234yf require FKM with low refrigerant permeation; standard NBR O-rings will absorb and swell in refrigerant service causing shaft seal failure on the compressor. Never substitute EPDM for oil service or NBR for coolant service.
SAE J200 (elastomeric materials classification) · SAE J2640 (automotive O-ring compounds) · ASTM D2000 · ISO 1629
Compliance
Governing Standards
| Standard | Scope | What It Covers for Seals |
|---|---|---|
| DIN 3760 | Radial shaft seals — design and dimensions | Standard lip seal dimensional series (shaft diameter, bore, width); the reference for specifying or cross-referencing automotive oil seals and cassette seal envelopes |
| ISO 6194 | Rotary shaft lip seals — dimensions and tolerances | International equivalent of DIN 3760; defines the seal dimensional series and shaft/bore tolerances for correct installation and lip contact load |
| SAE J111 | Radial lip seals — terminology and definitions | Glossary of terms for radial lip seals; a terminology reference, not a dimensional or performance specification — for oil seal dimensions refer to DIN 3760 / DIN 3761 or ISO 6194 |
| SAE J200 / ASTM D2000 | Elastomeric materials classification for automotive use | System for classifying rubber compounds by heat and fluid resistance; the universal language for specifying and cross-referencing automotive seal compounds — type designation (e.g., FKM = HK, EPDM = CA) maps directly to fluid compatibility |
| ISO 10766 | Hydraulic fluid power — wear ring housing dimensions | Dimensional standard for wear ring (bearing ring) housing dimensions in hydraulic cylinders; not a performance test — for seal friction, leakage, and endurance testing see ISO 7986 |
| ISO 7425 | Hydraulic cylinders — housing dimensions for piston seals | Groove dimensions and tolerances for piston seals in hydraulic cylinders; ensures interchangeability between seal suppliers and cylinder OEMs |
| SAE J1610 | Hose assemblies — pressure, vibration, and temperature (PVT) test | Test method evaluating hose connection sealing capability under combined pressure, vibration, and temperature cycling; a hose assembly qualification test, not an O-ring material specification — for automotive O-ring compound requirements see SAE J2640 |
| ISO 3601 | O-ring dimensions and tolerances | Standard dimensional series (ID, cross-section) and tolerances for O-rings; the reference for specifying and cross-referencing automotive fluid system O-rings by size |
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