Hi all, 1979 f350 4wd- while dropping my fuel tanks this weekend i noticed some fluid leaking from the back side of the hub? Question is what am i looking at replacing. . . When i started looking for rear axle seals , 2 came up . A rear hub seal and an inner axle seal? Which one or both , as long as i have it all apart. Is one more complicated than the other to replace . Thanks for any info.

 

By your description it is the rear hub\drum seal. The other seal is the outer axle seal. That is the part with the bolts that you can see in the center of the rear wheel. Replace the inner seals on both drums because they typically wear the same. Also, check your axle vent, that is the square piece of metal mounted on your axle housing. It is supposed to have a rubber hose connected to it pointing up towards the bed of the truck to keep debris out. Make sure both the metal and hose are clear of obstructions or the housing can build up pressure and blow the new seals.

If the surface on the axle housing where the wheel seal rides on is grooved, they make repair kits.

 

hey thanks, will these grooves if present be very noticeable? And who makes a repair kit and what does the repair kit consist of ?

 

Yes, they will be noticeable if it has high mileage. If your fingernail gets stuck in the groove, buy a repair kit. The repair kit consists of a thin metal sleeve that slides over the axle where the seal rides on and the includes the seal itself. I cannot think of a specific store that sells them off the top of my head but they are a very common part. Napa maybe?
If the groove is slight, take some Emory cloth to it.

 

Thanks a lot!! makes sense... is this seal terribly hard to get to ?any special tools needed?

 

No, it is not. I believe they are called "Redi-Sleeve" here is a link that may help. How to repair a leaking axle seal. - Dodge Diesel - Diesel Truck Resource Forums It is for a Dana 70 but the process is the same for your Dana 60, and your redi-sleeve part number is going to be different.

 

you will need the special socket to remove the nut(s) inside the hub. About 3" across. Probably available for rent. Oh and that drum is a heavy sob.

 

I'm an Idiot, all my life I have used only a hammer and large flat-blade screwdriver to remove or install the axle nuts.....

 

How do you torque that axle nut with a screw driver?

 

The nut looks somethin like this.