My 99 1500 Ram 4X4 driver side seal is leaking [this is the 2nd new seal- 1st seal failure was due to bad wheel bearing]. I can drive 8-10 miles and it doesn't leak....If i drive it over that it begins to leak. Lube is about 1/2" below fill hole.

Before i do another seal, what is the lube minimum from the fill hole can I go without any damage?

...vent tube is clear

Thanks

 

You might need a new shaft. Is the seal seat damaged on the shaft? Is the shaft bent, is the ujoint good and the shaft isn't vibrating? Is the seal straight and installed to the correct depth? Did you reinstall the diff correctly and make sure the bearings are not shot?

 

u-joint was replaced with the wheel bearing 1st time around....everything looked good going back in. However, u got me thinking when u mentioned the word "vibration".......2nd time around i replaced the brakes and have felt a vibration when braking which i attributed to a slight rotor warp [ haven't figured which side yet].......something to think about.

Thanks for the reply.............btw, how far below the fill hole can i go before adding lube is necessary?

 

i'd say you can go at least 1 inch below fill hole, maybe 2 inches, but i wouldn't go any lower than that.

when my seals were bad i discovered that they would leak real bad when the diff was full, and then after it got it little low the leak slowed down a lot. so for a long time i just refilled it about once a month but not to the top. replacing the seals is a sizable job and you must have a seal puller contraption, either store bought or home made.