Front diff...inner axle leak ??

[Steve Graham]

I'm doing my annual wheel bearing clean and repack, pulled the front right axle out to check the ujoints and saw that the inner axle seal is leaking. In the factory manual there is no mention of how to get to the seal, only a picture on page 2-52 that shows that it installs from the inside according the the picture. Is that true? If that's true that I have to pull the gears I'm gong to let it leak. Also found a grove on the seal area of the axle, any one have an idea how to fix that, other than buying a new inner axle.



thanks,

Steve

 

[dodgenstein]

Axle leak

You are correct. The axle must be completely disassembled. The seals are just outboard of the side bearings on the differential carrier. Be sure to use the seals with the guide built in to guide the axle through the seal or the splines will probably nick the seal and you get to do the whole thing again. Replace both sides while you have it apart.

 

[formula]

I'm not exactly sure, but you should be able to get a speedy sleeve to slip over the shaft and provide a new surface for the seal to ride on.



Sean

 

[Steve Graham]

Thanks,

I'm heading off to the parts store this morning, looking for a speedy sleeve. I sure hope they have one, other wise it's no more water crossing for my Dodge.



Steve

 

[dodgenstein]

As I recall the seal just slips into the axle tube (no shoulder to rest against). You could tap it in a little farther and start on a different part of the shaft. As long as the seal is on the smooth part of the axle it should be fine.

 

[boatpuller]

I know it's not the correct thing to do but if you are going to put a speedy sleeve on it you could try just putting it back into the old seal so you don't need to pull the differential out, the extra thickness of the speedy sleeve might make the old seal work.

I haven't done it on a front axle but I have an older 360 gas engine that was leaking around the harmonic balancer, picked up seal and sleeve at parts store, came home pulled balancer and found that the seal needs to be installed from inside timing cover, didn't have time to pull cover so I installed speedy sleeve and planned on pulling it apart at a future date but that was 2 years ago and the seal hasn't leaked since, still have the new seal in the glovebox but don't see a reason to replace since it's not leaking.

It might be worth a try if you don't feel like pulling the diff.

Good luck, Happy Rammin,

Caleb

 

[Steve Graham]

I found a sleeve that I think is going to work. It's a "National 99156" for shafts 1. 559-1. 565. The axle measures 1. 562 so it's going to be on the tight side to get on. I'll have to fab a longer installation tool or find a way to get the sleeve all the way to the end but that not a big problem. The sleeve comes with flange on one end, I'll grind it down once the sleeve is seated so it dosen't shove crude up into to the seal and make it worse.



Steve