help leaking
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 324
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From: San Tan Valley, AZ
If its not the wheel cyl, its gotta be the axle seal. Does the fluid smell like gear oil? wheres it coming from?
I'm pretty sure there are only two types of fliud that can be in the drum, brake fluid, and gear oil.
I'm pretty sure there are only two types of fliud that can be in the drum, brake fluid, and gear oil.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,802
Likes: 1
If it's clear bluish and smells like gear oil then someone must have recently done an oil change on the axle, too bad their efforts are going to a waste with that leaky seal there. In order for us to tell you how to fix the leak, we need to know what truck you have, and in particular what rear axle (8.8", 9", D60, 10.25" semi-floater, D70, or a 10.25" full floater)?
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Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2008
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You got the 8.8, done a few of those, real easy:
1) remove wheels
2) remove brake drums
3) open differential cover, drain oil
4) find the bolt for the differential cross shaft and remove it (there is a thread-lock compound on it so heating the diff case helps a lot), slide the cross haft out of the diff case
5) push axle shafts in as far as they'd go, remove c-clips from the diff, pull axle shafts all the way out of the axle tubes
6) yank the old seals out, gently beat the new seals in
7) reinstall everything in reverse order (don't forget smearing some thread-locker on the cross shaft retaining bolt), fill the axle up with oil, you're done
This would also be a good time to replace the axle bearings, inspect the axle shaft surfaces where they ride on for wear.
1) remove wheels
2) remove brake drums
3) open differential cover, drain oil
4) find the bolt for the differential cross shaft and remove it (there is a thread-lock compound on it so heating the diff case helps a lot), slide the cross haft out of the diff case
5) push axle shafts in as far as they'd go, remove c-clips from the diff, pull axle shafts all the way out of the axle tubes
6) yank the old seals out, gently beat the new seals in
7) reinstall everything in reverse order (don't forget smearing some thread-locker on the cross shaft retaining bolt), fill the axle up with oil, you're done
This would also be a good time to replace the axle bearings, inspect the axle shaft surfaces where they ride on for wear.
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 324
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From: San Tan Valley, AZ
whiskey tango foxtrot?
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2010
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a no went to advanced auto and got replacement seals got home got the old ones out and they were to big so went back they were stumped spent a hour or two in their they looked on comp at all the other seals going back to the 80s then a last thought the guy got out a replacement seal/ bearing kit and had the same seal as the one we pulled out but the kit has the hole bearing and **** in it
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2008
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Sounds like someone installed a repair bearing/seal kit in the axle tube, this effectively moves the bearing outboard some and makes it ride on a part of the axle shaft that is not normally used - IIRC those things use smaller seals on them, so to use the original-size seal (which is probably what you got at the parts store the first time around) won't fit. You'll have to yank the old bearing set out before you can install new bearings and seals. What's the part number on the box for the new bearing/seal kit you got now?