Guys,
My 02 F350 has dust accumulation around the holes in the rear driver side rim.

I would like to think that perhaps there is an overflow for the fuel filler and that this is diesel that has been wind blown to the rear.

Also I have dusty oily accumulation under the fender, like as though the centrifugal forces would have distributed oil (fuel hopefully) there as well.

I track my mileage routinely therefore top off to the max at each fill up. Could this be spill over, or rear diff oil or brake fluid. Just thought y'all might have heard of a problem like this already.

I have not had an oppurtunity to get under in daylight hours to have a look.

Any advice would, as always, be greatly appreciated

 

mphymel
If this fluid is diesel you are filling your tank way too full. And you would smell diesel. If it were brake fluid your reservoir would be low and you would be experiencing braking problems. If your brake fluid is ok you may have an axle seal problem. May help to pull that tire to get a better look.

Good luck, Randy

 

sounds like a brake fluid leak, maybe a brake line or caliper leaking. like Ran440 said, take off the wheel and try to see where it is comming from. if you know fluids well you could just taste it and know right off what it is...i know, i know, but thats how us old wrenchers do it

 

There is a vent in the fuel tank, but it dumps back into the filler neck below the cap, so fuel should not be able to escape unless there is a loose clamp under there.....that would be easy to spot, you can see the fill tube connections when laying under the truck.

I think brake fluid is pretty unlikely too. Disc brake calipers don't really seep like the old drum brake cylinders used too. Discs are generally an all or nothing type of deal.

The axle vent may be causing it, but that would mean the vent tube would have fallen off...also easy to spot.

An axle seal is a definite possibility, and the center caps would make it impossible to find without removing the wheel.

I guess you'll just have to wait on daylight.

 

Um.....ewwwww!

 

O yea - that's what I do! As soon as I see a drop of something leaked under my truck - I crawl under my truck and give it the 'ol licker test. If you're really good - you can tell WHERE the leak is coming from also.... You guys are too much!!!


ANYHOW - it sounds a lot like a rear hub/axle seal to me. If it was brake fluid - you would be leaking quite a bit and I would think you would have noticed a lack of brakes by now. I had a rear hub/axle seal go on my old truck and it made a mess just like you are describing.

ALSO - get it fixed - anything leaking near your brakes is NO good!! I had a buddy wreck a truck because of an unknown axle seal leak. It got all over his one rear brake , and long story short, totalled his truck when he needed to do an emergency stop!

 

Well, I didn't have to taste it to see that the gooey stuff on the garage floor is gear oil. Worse yet, not only is the seal in need of replacement, but the guy before me succeeded in somehow cracking the rear end housing where the upper caliper bolt attaches.

Does anyone know if it is possible to weld this, being cast iron and all?
Since this seal failed at 60K miles, am I looking at a possible bent axle? If so, are rebuilt rear ends worth considering?

 

Shop just called, axle (axle tube?) is bent. Anyone know anything about rebuilt ones?

Any idea what is fair money for a rear end?

Can I change my gears from 3.73 to 3.45 or 3.08, since I will be changing out the rear end.