I have an '04 EB Expy 4wd that I bought used las March. After changing the oil this last time I noticed that there was a drip coming off of the end of the front axle housing (see picture) just before the flange where the passenger inner CV joint mounts. How easy/hard is it to fix this and is it just a leaky seal?

 

Did you ever figure this out? I just posted a similar thread for the same problem. Looks like I am not getting many responses either.....

 

I haven't fixed it yet but from what I've read here I think it's an axle seal. To replace it you have to get into the front differential and take a bunch of parts out to get to it. I've just been checking the levels frequently and keeping it full. good luck.

 

I Just replaced the same seal on my 06 Eddie, it is a lot of work but not complicated at all.
JUst be very careful removing the old seal , it is a PITA to come out. The new seal is about $12 at the dealer, also make sure you replace the little snap ring thag goes at the tip of the shaft.
I took some pics as well.

 

Prior to 03, I think that is correct that a retainer clip had to be removed from within the front diff to get the axel to come out. However, the 03-06 (and perhaps beyond?) have a different design. You just use a slide hammer to pull the axel out. There is a special clip that fits on the end of the axel. It comes back out with the axel. Ford shop manual says to replace that clip -- which cost me more than the seal, interestingly.

The dealership had to order the clip and the parts guy hinted that he did not see many of them move through. I suspect that the clip could be re-used. The axel cannot catastrophically come out of the housing -- the steering knuckle and CV joint prevent all that. But if the axel did try to come out, I think it might ruin a CV joint and probably would result in ruining the axel seal as well.

 

I actually wrote this up for another site. Here is the text version:

You have to remove the hub, knuckle, springs, CV joint and lower arm. That is actually the HARD part. But if you are in there replacing other parts anyhow, by all means fix the leak too.

You then attach a slide hammer to the end of the axle and pop it out. Earlier axels require one to remove a differential cover and pop a "C clip" off. But starting with 03 Expy (04 in F150 I think), the axel is held in place with a spring "Circlip" that fits in a groove on the axel and snaps into another groove in the splines inside the differential.

Ford manual says to replace this circlip whenever the axle is removed. Cost $18 from Ford. For the life of me, the original and my replacement look identical, but I try to follow FoMoCo recomendations.

With the axle out, you can remove the oil seal. Here, you have to be really careful, as the housing is aluminum. I used a chisel to "implode" the seal till I could get ahold of its edge. Whatever you do, don't pry around too much useing the aluminum houseing as a fulcrum, or you'll bugger the houseing up.

Once I had the oil seal out, I polished the aluminum houseing with some fine emory cloth and then steel wool. Don't get filings on the outer bearing, which is close and exposed at this point.

Then you tap the new seal in carefully. If you have a set of 1" drive sockets, one of those in the right size would make a dandy seal driver, but I didn't, so I used a piece of wood and carfully tapped in a circle keeping the new oil seal "true". If you get it crooked into the houseing, you'll ruin it or worse, damaging the houseing as well.

The seal was $12 at Ford....

Once the new seal is in, lube it with some grease and make sure that the axle has some lube on it as well -- it is not possible to prefectly insert the axel back in without touching the seal once or twice and you do not want to promptly ruin your new seal.

The axel, with the new circlip at the end, will slip into some sort of tapered area right before the splines in the diff, and then it will "pop" back into place. no hammer needed, just a good shove.

And you are done......

Except of course that thereafter, you have to replace all the other stuff you removed to get there. I put in new top and bottom ball joints, CV joints, and stabilizer joints. And removed the air suspension and put coils back in place...
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Thanks. I'll give this a go soon.

 

Thanks from the cruise guy. I can use this information.
Cornell

 

Well, I have been watching my problem since my last note above dated 10 of 2012. My problem has gotten worse. The differential to axel seal only slightly leaks but my road noise has gotten a lot worse. Sounds like other old fords that I had when rear axel bearing is going out. Like a tire hum that is always constant starting around 30 mph and worse at 50 mph etc. But reading these threads seems to suggest that it may be on the front instead of rear. Now, I notice a slight grinding noise heard right away when taking off cold and turning left. Suggest to me that the cv joint or something is bad. There is one that is enclosed and not fixable next to the hub and another under a boot that I think I could access or re-grease, located next to diff. housing shaft. Since I should replace the seal some day I think then I should replace one of these noisy items. Does anyone know how I can check to see if this is the problem and which end of the rt. axel it may be? Or do I need to start a new thread??
Cornell, email; thecruiseguy@comcast.net