I replaced the driver u joint the other day and thought that I wouldn't have to mess with it again for a very long time.

I was wrong.

I guess i knicked the axle seal when re-installing because I have diff fluid all over my tire and wheel well. I noticed a squeaking noise coming from my wheel this morning in a full lock low speed turn into a parking space, so when I got out I looked behind the tire and saw the diff fluid. So now i get to take the axles and the carrier out to get to the leaking seal.

Yay for me!

 

Ugh. I feel your pain. I was VERY fortunate when I did mine because I hit one of the seals kinda hard putting the passenger side axle back in when doing my u-joints and wheel bearing hubs. I was prayin it wouldn't leak and it hasn't yet.

 

well i thought i was very careful when i did mine. i went really slow and it felt like it went right through the center of the seal. it may be that its was just worn out and pulling the axle out then putting it back in just made the seal crap out.

 

True.

 

Actually, the axle is running truer now that you have a new joint, so any wear the bad joint caused to the seal, is just open. For instance the bad joint made the seal wear oval let's say. Without the wobble and vibration the axle is now running round.

 

well i'm halfway there. i went at it for a little while before it got dark and got the axles out, cad unit off, and the intermediate shaft pulled back about 4 inches. i'll see tomorrow if the shaft is pulled back far enough.

i got a new passenger u joint too because when i saw the leak i decided to check for play in it and sure enough its bad. only the yoke has bad caps so it isn't as far gone as the driver side was.
i would be finishing everything up tonight but i got up at 6pm thursday and worked from 8pm to 8am and i've been kinda zombified all day. i hate sleeping, theres too many things to do and not enough time to do them between working and sleeping.

i need to push knock'er loose again. i shot up the passenger hub nut an hour or so before i went to take it off and did it again right before i put the socket on. i put the 3' cheater bar on the end of the breaker bar and she broke free with very little effort. it was too easy. i think all the people that have trouble with that nut try to get it off when it is dry. thats the only reason i could see it being tough to get off.

zman, when are you gonna send me some cyclo? i want to try it out but i can't find any. i saw some on a low budget web site but i think there was a couple different types and i would rather find it in a store somewhere.
i can't find kroil oil either, thats the one thats preferred by the antique tractor restoration crowd.

 

I buy it at real auto parts stores around here, not autozone or the like.

 

what is a real auto parts store? and do you think there are any real ones in NC? one of the best places i've found for chemicals is a local welding shop that stocks a lot of CRC products. i do have a harbor freight about 40 minutes away, u think they'd have it? i've always wanted to check that place out and that would give me a good excuse to go out there.

 

I'm talking about a mom and pops auto parts more or less. But I think I have seen it in autozone or pepboys. Its called Cyclo BreakAway.

 

If you go to Harbor Freight, leave all your bank cards at home at take only a $20. That place is so cheap that you'll keep grabbing things off the shelves and sooner or later you'll be over a hundred. I have one about 10min away and I have to keep my hands in my pockets, and not just for fun...