I just did my ball joints last weekend and just looked at the area to check for axle seal leak and i think it is leaking. The bottom of the ear of the axle is lighly saturated, but not dripping, or not yet anyways. Since i did the ball joints i have went about 100 miles, could this be the fluid, just beacause i did not drain the diff fluid or could this be a leaky axle seal? How hard is it to replace and axle seal?

Thanks

 

Cross your fingers and hope it's just fluid from pulling the axle...pretty sure you have to pull the diff. out to get to the seals :/

Was it dry before doing the ball joints?

 

hahahahahahaha!

sorry, but i've been working on my hubs/u-joints/axle seals/ for the last two days...i had almost every freakin thing apart good luck buddy[&:]

 

by the way, ask if you have any questions if you replace them...everyone here was more that helpful when i need answers

 

Not only do you have to pull the differential...but you also have to pull the other axle out as well [:'(]

It COULD just be fluid from pulling the axle...try and clean the area up as best you can and see if it gets covered in fluid again. That should let you know if it's really the seal.

This is exactly how I noticed my seal was bad though. Then again, I hadn't done any front-end work prior to noticing the leak.

 

only if its the drivers side.

the passenger side can be done without pulling the carrier out or the drivers side axle.

ask me how i know

 

You don't? The passenger side is actually the side that i did my ball joints so that would be the seal if it is leaking.

 

there are two shafts on the passenger side. the axle shaft connects to the hub, then there is the CAD unit, then there is an intermediate shaft that goes to the diff. the seal is located between the CAD unit and the axle shaft. i belive it was the burning rom that provided me with a very useful diagram, which you can find in one of the threads i started on this forum...

to change the seal on the passenger side, you need to remove the axle shaft. then remove the CAD cover plate. if you look in that hole, there is a gear-slider thing (forgot the name of it offhand), pull that out, and you will see the seal on the right side. i did not change mine, because it looks like a pain in the ***.
anyway, knock the seal out from the outside, by using a long rod or pipe and pushing it out from the axle shaft. the problem is trying to get the new one in. you can place it by hand, but you can't fit any tool in the small CAD hole to pressure the seal into place. some people on here said you will need to assemble a small slide hammer out of nuts, sockets, and threaded rod or similar, so you can pull the seal into position. then you should be good to go!

remember to lube the axle shaft with some all purpose grease before you put it back, so you don't damage the seal.

 

here's the pic, i made some changes to the diagram to reflect the changes i saw in my axle. i JUST spent many, many hours yesterday and today in my front axle making alot of fixes/upgrades, so it is very fresh in my memory


[IMG]local://upfiles/28056/95A28013EA16450F8CE164965256D1E8.jpg[/IMG]

 

CHECK THIS OUT. http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech/axleseal.php