Hey guys, I just noticed about 2 weeks ago a small puddle of oil underneath my passengers wheel. I looked underneath and see the axle hub seal is literally out of the axle. It's just spinning freely.. looks like it popped out. It actually looks like its been out for awhile now but I never noticed it because I haven't used 4x4 in awhile. I had to use it a couple weekends ago up in the mountains for a short period of time but once I was done, I disengaged the hubs.

Luckly, I found this now than later. For the seal to be blown out, it really doesn't leak that much.. is that right? I checked the front diff fluid and it was still full and didn't look contaminated. Granted, I still drive the truck but as long as the hubs aren't engaged, nothing is moving so I'm good until I need 4x4. I had to use it the other night once again for a short period of time and it really didn't leak that much.. more so after it sits parked in one spot... just a small puddle.

How big of a job and what tools do I need to fix the seal? The bearings, etc. seem tight, other side looks good. I have a feeling it may of been out since I bought the truck 5 months ago and just now noticed it.

Let me know, next semi warm day, I would like to get it fixed.

 

mine has been seeping oil for some time now not really LEAKING though. i'll check the fluid pretty often. you'll have to remove both axels out of the houseing and the remove the guts to get to the seals. its a pretty big job if you have never been in a axel before. if you dont know how to do it or know someone that does you'll have to pay the cost to have them done(dont know off hand how much)

 

Are we talking about the same seal? Maybe I'm referring to another seal rather than Axle hub Seal. If you crawl under the truck and look towards the front U joint, its the first seal right behind the U joint. Its completely out, I can spin it around with my finger. Doesn't seam like I would have to pull the axles out just to get to that seal.. as long as the everything behind this seal is okay..which I think it is. I was hoping to try to use a flat punch to get it back in there, but I don't think I'll be able to.

 

that seal your seeing is not the grease seal thats a dust seal and I don't know that I have seen any original ones that are still in place after about 20k miles. you can't see the actual grease seal it's inside the pumpkin itself and as ron01sd said you have to remove the axles and the differential to get to them. not too expensive and really not that hard to do just time consuming is all. You will not need to reset the gears even, just make sure you take the caps off and keep them for the proper side then when reinstalling torque properly reseal the cover and fill with grease (after reinstalling the axles. I have looked at mine and both those dust seals have been lose for 80,000 miles and still have no grease showing, and the old 70s model trucks didn't even have those seals on them, basically they really don't do squat and never have. If you doubt it, jack your truck up and put the front end on jack stands then have someone else turn the wheel lock to lock while you watch the axle shaft as it goes into the axle tube and see how much it moves side to side when you do that even static and you will see how that seal can't work or stay in place.

 

Okay, good, I was hoping to hear it was just a dust seal.. thats what I thought originally but wasn't positive. My truck has 100,000 miles on it and the drivers side dust seal is still in.. thats what kinda got me wondering.

However, I'm pretty sure something is still leaking regardless. My lower passengers side ball joint was soaked in oil (smelled more like tranny fluid and was thin like it) I had a small puddle right under that wheel thats what made me believe it was coming from the axle.. its not grease.. its definely a liquid. I better take a better look tomorrow.

Also, if that dust seal is out, I was more worried about salt, dirt, water, etc. getting inside of there... but as long as the inner seals are good, it shouldn't contaminate, correct?

 

yeah it's not a big issue, those seals do a fair job of keeping mud out if they stay in but especially on the long side it takes a lot of junk getting into that axle tube to get all the way to the inner seal.
I would take a real real close look at that stuff you say is leaking I am wondering if it's something other than axle grease. make darn sure its coming from the axle tube itself and not above it. if you have a drain valve on your fuel filter that is been knocked partially open by accident you could be draining diesel onto your axle since ti drains above it. Also you have a couple cooler lines that run above that axle that could possibly be leaking like trans and PS coolers.
My first guess is going to be that fuel filter drain valve though, but if its one of the others that is a issue that needs corrected right now.
usually most people can tell axle grease smell in a heart beat so you got me thinking and went and looked at mine which brought up the above mentined ideas

 

It was not grease! It was definely a liquid as I seen the small puddle in the driveway under the u joint area. When I first seen it, it was a milky thick color and my heart dropped... thinking the worst. However, it was only milky as it rained real hard the night before and anytime an oil gets contaminated by water, it changes color to a milky white. However, I did look underneath the truck and seen the lower ball joint area was wet.. I even seen a drip at the bottom of the ball joint so I know something was leaking.

I'll take a better look now and see if I see anything. I have been driving it for the last 2 - 3 weeks every once in awhile and haven't seen any leaks since then. It wasn't diesel fuel either, I'd be able to smell that. I always keep an eye on the fluid levels and nothing has dropped. I'll take a better look and report back.

 

After taking a better look under the truck, it does appear the oil is coming from the axle. It does actually smell like grease after taking another smell. Although, its was runny more like oil. I can see the dried up grease around the lower ball joint area and around the dust seal. I was thinking maybe the water from the road was causing the grease to run like it did.

If this is in fact coming from the axle, is this something to be concerned about? I had to use 4x4 last week and I didn't see anything coming out. It seemed pretty dry the next day.

 

Mine started leaking after Ford did my balljoints 3 months ago. It only leaks alittle bit. Check your fluid level! Don't think you have to worry about it, unless you drive in water that is over the front axle. When you need to replace the balljoints than fix the leak!!

 

major thing I don't like about that leaking is not so much the chance that the axle will leak all the grease out but that the grease in that axle tube will act as an attractant to all the dust and grime that goes under your truck and eventually fill that axle tube up with junk that is a PITA to clean out later. Well that and the usual mess of having grease spots under your truck. I also wouldn't run with the hubs locked constantly allowing the front diff to spin and fling that grease around and cause more to come out the seal.

 

Sorry I didn't see he said, the dust seal is out of the axle !!!!!!!!! Got to learn to read before I type.......

 

My axle tube seal is leaking also on the passenger side. It has been leaking for about 2months and happened right after 100k. I dont do any offroading and hardly ever use 4x4 so I'm not to worried about it. I would just keep a eye on the diff fuild level or pay to have it fixed.

 

Right, I only lock the hubs when I absolutely need 4x4.. which is rare even in snow or ice. My truck does real well when driving on snow covered roads. If I lock the hubs, I will unlock them as soon as I'm clear.

Well what is causing the grease to leak out? What seal past the dust seal is causing it to leak? Also, it wouldn't have anything to do with the differential fluid right?

 

that is what is leaking out is diff fluid, the seal as stated earlier that keeps the fluid in the differential is INSIDE of the pumpkin, you have to remove the ring gear and diff itself to get to that seal (you access and replace it from inside)

 

Gotcha, okay, I'll just keep an eye on the diff fluid for now. Spring time I'll rip into it and get that replaced.