2007 4x front axle seals on both sides have failed at the housing. The outer part of the seal is just hanging on the axle drive shafts. Is it worth tearing the front end apart to repair these or should I just run it until I have to go into it to do ball joints? The truck only has 78,000 miles.

I'd post a photo of the seals if I knew how.




Thanks in advance. -Mike

 

Lots of folks had that problem

I know exactly what your talking about

I dont think its to big of deal unless your driving in deep water

I changed mine when I did Ball joints to they were bad for 20K and there is supposedly an updated seal so you should track that down IDK if I got the updated seals or not

 

Mine have been dagling on both ends for who knows how long ... I don't do any deep water runs or muddin, so I'm gonna let 'um stay that way until when/if I ever need to do any work there. Supposedly, there is an "updated" seal for this area to fix this problem.

 

That is just a dust seal. There is another seal inside the axle tube before the differential. The updated seal is metal and seats into the housing. No way in your case would I tear it apart to replace. Unless there is something else to fix ie ball joints, front axle u joints, wheel bearing etc. The knuckle seal would have to be replaced as well and its about $50. Not to mention the tool to seat it. But if you are wondering, otc makes the tool and I wouldn't try to seat it with anything but. Otc is the brand and its about $110. The snap ring behind the hub is a bear also.

 

I was just thinking- there is an inner seal, what does the outer even do?

Thanks for your replies. I'll run it until I have to go in for the ball joints.

I appreciate the advice.

-Mike

 

Mostly just for dust. It is not a watertight seal, nor is the inner. It will keep most of the water out if submerged, but no way is the front diff waterproof,,, even after you fix the seals. Fyi

 

The outer keeps dirt out of the tubes, and away from your inner seal's. The outers are not water proof (Water resistant, maybe, when new ). The inners are most definitely water proof, they keep the gear lube in, so they keep the water out too. No axle is water proof, they have breather's on them!

 

Does the inner seal spin with the axle?

 

oooooo man i wish i would have know this earlier....i replaced mine about a year ago with the updated ones bc they broke dealer charged me 1k!!! hahahah they told me it needed to be done or else i would get all kinds of crap in there...i off road a lot on the sand so it believed them...

 

If the truck need's balljoints or other work, it is a great idea to get them fixed. Running in the sand, and offroading, you would eventually get the axye tubes pretty crusty, which would eventually grind away at the inner seal's.

The inner seals, just seal around the axle shaft's. They are constantly lubed, and seal really well, if all else is good.
I cross Creek's and River's, at top tire levels and my front diff fluid look's like new.

 

THis is quite a job to get to the seal, unless you have to go there for ball joint or 4x4 vacuum leak I would not do it. When I had that problem I just pushed it in place and used some red silicone to seal it until I done it. It kept the seal in place and prevented some dirt to go in.
I do not drive in mud, but in snow and salt on the road, all king of dirt could get in but it will not damage anything since the inner axle seal will keep any dirt to go in the axle. When you do it, just be carefull not to push the dirt inside.

 

I beg to differ, if you look at the location of the fill plug,,, the gear lube does not submerge the inner seal, the lube might just touch the bottom of the axle, which would go along with your statement, but most definitely waterproof? I doubt it. I am sure there is some splashing of lube on it, but as the ring gear spins it will cause the level to drop at the inner seals.

 

well any time i have had an axle seal go bad i have had gear oil coming out all over. so unless i am really stupid that seal is keeping the oil inside. if it wasn't needed ford wouldn't put the inner 1 in there. the outer 1 its a nice idea but not worth opening it up just for that.

 

It was told to me that the inner seal is designed to keep oil in and not designed to keep water out. How true this is??? But when I wheeled alot in my jeep I always had to change diff fluid going through very much water because water would enter pumkin area but I never lost oil out of it.

 

in stock setup the breather is right on top of the axle. most guys that wheel attach a hose to the vent and fish the hose to as high under the hood or truckbox as they can get.