You already have contacted the pros! Only question left, is where do you live?

 

Is there any diff oil leaking out the diff tube at this time? I think I would fix the u joint, top of the diff oil and see what happens before I change the seal.

 

It's time's like these I'm grateful I only have 2 wheel drive

 

no oil in the tube.....And your right the pros are here....

 

So what part of the globe do you live? I for one like helping out DF members that live nearby.

 

I'm gonna have to move to New Hampshire

But seriously, it's not often you find people like zman willing to help out others like that. But I'm sure there are others like him in this forum!

 

.... my point exactly. I'm not sure how many others have the tool to install the seals though.

 

Blytheville,Ar is where I live

 

Damn, another one too far away.

 

back to the original problem...
when things are as they should be, the axle should be suspended in the center of the tube, and should never strike the tube.

so - either the u-joint is very very bad, allowing the wheel/hub end to flop around and strike the tube -
or - the axle is broken inside the tube, and flopping around in mid-tube
or - (drivers side, correct?) the side gear or carrier bearing inside the diff has something terrible wrong with it. unlikely.

check where your play is. is it at the hub/u-joint? or is the axle loose down in the tube? if down in the tube, you have a broken axle - and. for a temp repair, you could remove the inner half of the axle.