Hello all,
Was replacing my rear brake pad on my 2001 f350 cc 4x4 SRW and noticed fluid on back side of rotor and burnt oil smell. Removed rotor and inside was soaked. I am assuming this is a axle seal leak. Is this something i can replace my self or do i need special tools?
Any info out there on how to replace would be greatly appreciated.

 

boondocks101, with reading the 2004 f250-f550 service manual it does take special tools to replace the wheel hub seal. It is a cartridge type seal. This procedure should be the same as our trucks. I have not had to do this so I do not know if it can be done without the special tools. By the way 2004 will be the same rear axle that we have. I may be wrong, but a little gremlin in my head says that if you get the hub off via two large nuts or a ratcheting nut you will have access to the seal in the hub assembly.

 

Go to Guzzles's web page , has lots of maintence tips for you.
Welcome to camodown's Rear Hub Seals and Parking Brake repairs

 

Thank You tommyl for covering my ****!!

 

Thanks gentlemen, looks like im off to ford in am to buys some more tools

 

If you take a measurement of the approximate inner and outer diameter of the axle nut, you can go to an auto parts store and buy the special wrench for those nuts. It has a round extension that extends inside the axle nut for support. Then there is an outer "collar" for lack of a better word on the wrench that has four tabs that fit into the nut. The tools are much cheaper at the parts store than at the dealership.

You will need new parking brake shoes, that differential fluid will have soaked the shoes also. After replacing the shoes and putting a little high temp grease on the backing plate pads and on the adjuster screw, you can measure the shoes and adjust them fairly accurately without the giant measuring caliper tool (similar to a vernier caliper) that the pros use. I have seen a plastic version of the caliper that works well. or you could fabricate a gauge out of a piece of poster board or thin plywood. Don't know who sells the plastic calipers.

Some of the years have left hand nuts on the driver side only-my late 99 does.

I assume you've cleaned up the brake caliper slide pins and used the special grease on them.
If you are concerned about the bearings being too tight after you follow the torqueing directions, check the temperature with a hand-held sensor after driving a half hour. Those bearings and the differential on a warm day will run about 120* max, unless you have been braking a lot. The rotors themselves obviously can be way over 200* from braking heavily.
Larry