Front axle seal
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New User
Joined: May 2006
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Front axle seal
Hello, everybody!! I am new to the forums and I have a question for you all. I have a '97 F150 4X4 that I have a recurring problem with the right front axle shaft. I am not sure if it is an oil seal or a dust shield, I assume it's not an oil seal because no fluid ever leaks out. What happens is it appears that the seal grips the axle shaft and the whole seal spins inside the housing. Ford has put two axle housings on it (suppossedly) and laying under it now, I can see that the seal has moved, again, out of the housing and I have gently tried to pry it back in, but the housing must be spun out to a larger diameter. I assume that I can pull the axle shaft out, get some Loctite 680 and a new seal, and remedy the problem. If I pull the shock, the swaybar linkage, will I be able to pull the axle shaft out without pulling the spindle? If there are any other fixes, tricks, or recalls, I would love to hear about them. Thanks, Bryan.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,932
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i doubt they changed out the axle housing. to get the axle out of the housing you need to take off the front wheel. the front hub bolts into the spindle housing wit hthree hobt that have 15mm heads. they are tight. with the thre bolts out, the hub slides outward off the axle splines. then you can pull the alxe and CV joint out of the alxe housing to repair the seal. i wonder if you cant just clean the seal in place, clean the housing, and tap it back inside the housing. loctite is o.k. if you have a few thousands clearance, you might need liquid metal like JB weld if you have more clearance than that. --- the seal can only spin if it has more friction on the shaft than the press into the housing. press fit must really been worn out if that is the case.
