Garter Spring
Also known as: lip seal spring · oil seal spring · coil spring garter
A garter spring is a small coiled-wire spring formed into a closed loop that loads the primary lip of an oil seal (TC/TB type) against the rotating shaft, maintaining sealing contact as the lip wears.
Technical Detail
Garter springs are helical coil springs with the two ends joined to form a continuous ring (garter). They sit in a groove on the back of the oil seal lip, applying a controlled radial inward force (typically 0.1–0.5 N/mm lip circumference) to press the seal lip against the rotating shaft. Material: stainless steel 302/304 for standard duty; carbon steel with corrosion coating for economy. The spring maintains lip contact as the rubber lip wears over service life, compensating for lip wear of 0.1–0.3 mm typical. At high shaft speeds (>6 m/s) the centrifugal force can lift the spring off the lip — at these speeds springless lip seals or PTFE hydrodynamic lips are specified. Garter springs are not user-serviceable — the oil seal is replaced as a complete unit. When installing TC/TB oil seals, ensure the garter spring is correctly seated in its groove (visible as an even continuous ring) before pressing the seal into the housing bore.
Reference Standards
- ISO 6194-1
- DIN 3760
Related Terms
- Oil Seal TC / TB (Lip Seal) — TC and TB oil seals are double-lip and single-lip rotary shaft seals with a spring-loaded PTFE or ru…
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