Hello All,


A couple weeks ago I was under my truck (2001 5.4L 4x4 XLT with 185K Miles on it.) and noticed that I had a leak in each front axle. Right where the CV/hub assmebly meets the axle shaft. Parts 3 & 12 in the diagram below. No noise or odd behavior.



I took it into a local shop and asked them to replace the axle seals. It was a bit more than I wanted to tackle in the driveway and I read that you need a special tool to seat the seal.

Well after I go home picked it up from the shop I noticed lots of fresh grease in and around the passenger side wheel. And just wrote it off as spillage from the install and never gave it a second thought.

Today, 10 days and less than 20 miles later I noticed a squeak coming from that side. I looked and noticed that there was more grease all coming from the CV boot closest to the wheel. It's punched!
I jacked up that side and spun the wheel. There is a rubbing/squeaking noise coming from the exact spot where the axle seal was installed.

I called the shop and they said bring it in.

Can anyone tell me if the punched boot losing all its lube and a squeak at the other end of the axle be part of the same problem?

I realize I should probably just change out the hub/cv assembly anyway and probably will but I would like to know if the seal job was done correctly.

I'm not sure that the boot nearest to the wheel losing its grease would make the squeak or not.

Any comments or advice?

 

Spray a little WD 40 between 11 and 12, if the noise stops then it is seal-flange related. Older cars ...trucks, get a noise in that area when the seals start to age, yet they may not even leak. Was the boot ripped before the seal job? Take a peak inside the rip and see if it is bone dry. If so it was ripped a long time ago. I certainly would take it back to the shop that did it and ask them to check it out.

 

Thanks for the advice.

Yeah the cv boot is not the source of the sound. I was certainly not thinking clearly when I wrote that last night. I was working out my beer drinking arm.

The shop lubed the area of the seal and replaced the CV boot for me this morning. Noise is gone according to them. I'll see. It had been fine when I took it in and was leaking when I got it back. They fixed it free. Certainly won me over with that. I had heard mixed reviews about these guys but they stood behind their work.

I think I need to replace the axles soon anyway. 185K Miles on the truck. Starting to hear, on occasion, a mild clicking when turning/backing out of the drive. I was just worried about the front diff. That's a much bigger job.