I am a total nerd when it comes to truck repairs, but recently lost my job so I need to start doing these things for myself. I have a 2006 F250 F X4, turbo diesel that just developed a leak in the rear axle seal. Is this something I can fix by myself and it so, how? Are there on-line resources that will guide me step by step? Ugh.

Thanks
RogerV

 

If you're not mechanically inclined I wouldn’t recommend you doing it yourself. If you are determined to do it, It would be a good idea to buy a service manual.

It's a bit difficult to talk someone with no experience through the process.

 

Moved to correct forum.

 

Thanks Jimmy!

Welcome to FTE Roger!

First thing's first, where exactly is it leaking?

 

On the inside of the rear wheel. It has made a mess on the inside of the wheel. Still have oil in hte transfer case(?) however.

 

I'm guessing you mean rear differential? There's seals on each side, so I would say one is leaking. In my opinion, this probably isn't a DIY project. There's some specialized tools needed, and personally, I think messing w/ rear ends is better left to the pros unless you know what you're doing. Good news is if you're short on cash, this isn't something that will render the truck non driveable tomorrow. Just make sure there's still fluid in the housing - you apparently checked it?

 

Thanks, I will follow your advice. I need to haul 2 horses about 300 miles on friday so will check it prior to departure.

 

check your brakes as well. sometimes a brake line can leak and it will look like the axle seal.

 

wow, thanks

 

If it's been leaking for any length of time it's most likely not a brake issue because you would have noticed it in the brakes not work properly.

I'm not real familiar with F250 trucks but to replace most axle seals you must remove the axle. If the seal has been leaking for a while there's a fair chance that the brake pads have oil on them and will need to be replaced. You will be able to get a better idea as to what will need to be repaired or replaced after the wheel and hub has been removed. You will need some brake cleaner.

If the axle seal is the real problem I would be careful of driving for any distance because you can run the differential dry and then you will surely have a major problem.

 

Ok, after a little more research it may not be as bad as I first thought - I was thinking it was like the front axle and the seal was inside the diff housing. It could be your hub seal which doesn't look like as big a job - here's a link to a writeup w/ pics. Still need a special socket but it's not terribly expensive.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...ake-shoes.html

 

I have been DIY my whole life, starting at the age of 9 when I was taking the mechanical alarm clock apart.
After some time you become confident that with some help you can do anything.
The recipe to make it good success it to make it enjoyable. Take your time, set the truck on jacks and have other way of transportation arranged. If the job overwhelms you -have a cold one, take a second look at at, sleep on it and come back in the morning with fresh head.
There is nothing worse than getting on the job with "I have to drive this truck in 2 hr" attitude.