I noticed some fluid leaking on the inside passenger front tire of my 2001 Ram 5.2 4x4. The shop said the wheel bearing is bad, and is replacing it. He said the leak is coming from the axle, and is cuased by the bad bearing allowing movement. Should I expect any damage to the axle ?? How do I check, and replace any missing fluid ? Thanks for the help.

 

The shop will replace and fill it when they do the work. Other than that, go to the FAQ section and download the 2001 factory service manual.

 

Thanks for the quick reply, I am having a problem downloading that file..I will try my cookies.

 

It will come in very handy if you can DL it.

 

i disagree with your mechanic that the axle seal leak is caused by the bad bearing. its also not going to stop leaking after the bearing is replaced. reason is that the bearing is on the outside end of the axle, and the seal is on the inside end, very far away. the little bit of play that might exist at the bearing will have no effect at all on the inside end, where that inside end is captured by the diff (drivers side) or intermediate bushing/bearing (passenger side).

the axle seal is leaking simply because its shot. search here for lots of info and it is a pretty big job to change those stupid seals.

if its not leaking real bad, you can keep it checked and keep it just a tad low on oil, below the fill hole but where you can touch it with your finger. if you try to keep it full it'll likely just leak out. when it gets a smidgen low it'll leak a LOT less.

 

Got the truck back today, and so far, no leaks. I will check the fluid level in the axle tomorrow, and hope for the best. It probably wouldn't hurt to change the front and back all together. Thanks again for the help guys.