Rear Axel Seal Leak

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Coming back from taking the wife out to eat last night and notice a black mark under the driver's side rear wheel. It's dark and I go get my trusty flashlight and I smell it before I lean down!!!! That dam* axel seal!! I just replaced it not three weeks ago (see topic The rear brakes from He!!). Looks like my day off Monday will be spent fixing this little problem.

I remember reading about someone who had a persistant axel leak and had to "sleeve" the axel (I think this is the word they used) to get it to stop. I searched and could not find that thread. Could someone clarify what you have to do to get a permanant fix. The axel shaft did not appear to be in bad shape, but what do I know!!! Or is it possible to fix it with a different axel seal. The one I put in was a National Seal brand. I'm open to any and all suggestions!!



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92 Ext. Cab, Auto trans. , 3. 54 Non-LS, Isspro Tach, 16 cm housing, PW injectors, no name 3 Gauge cluster, 230,000+ miles, straight pipe, old and abused but still running strong!!!!

 

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I recently replaced my seals also. I have always used Timken seals and bearings and have yet to have a problem with them, on any application. It's been a little over a month in the Dodge and no problems yet.

I remember someone posting about using the Mopar seals, and saying they looked of better quality.

Also, make sure your shoes are not soaked in gear oil. I tried cleaning mine because there was a lot of material left, only to replace them 2 weeks later. You just can't get all the gear oil off/out of them.

Ryan

 

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Yeah I know what you mean about grease. That was the reason I changed mine about three weeks ago. Same side. Thats what bothers me. Hopefully I can just buy one pair of shoes and not both pair.

I will look at the Timkens and Dodge offerings and decide which to use. I am no whiz with a caliper but may borrow one to check the axel for out of round. Will also Mic the hub. Hope this doesen't turn into an expensive problem. Thanks for the info Ryan.



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92 Ext. Cab, Auto trans. , 3. 54 Non-LS, Isspro Tach, 16 cm housing, PW injectors, no name 3 Gauge cluster, 230,000+ miles, straight pipe, old and abused but still running strong!!!!

 

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With the amount of miles on your truck you will most likely find that there is a slight groove worn in the journal on the axle housing where the seal rides. If you can feel the groove with your fingernail you will need to install a Speedi-Sleeve to repair it. You will need to measure the journal diameter with a micrometer to get the right one. Hope this helps.

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89 w250, 47rh trans, cleaned up exhaust, Dynomax bullet muffer, 3" lift

 

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Thanks Paul that is the info I was looking for!!!! What exactly do these things do?? Can they be found at the local parts house?? Any more info you can share about them would be appreciated!!!

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92 Ext. Cab, Auto trans. , 3. 54 Non-LS, Isspro Tach, 16 cm housing, PW injectors, no name 3 Gauge cluster, 230,000+ miles, straight pipe, old and abused but still running strong!!!!

 

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I have a 92 W2500 and I have had a speedy sleeve on my right side for years. My truck was stolen back in about 1995 and the surface was damaged, requiring a sleeve. The sleeve # is a Napa 99287RS and I use CR28746 seals on the rear. National and Napa seals have not lasted on my truck, I have found several Napa seals to be faulty from the factory. The seal, before the CR that I have on my truck now, lasted 170 miles, this CR has 33,236 miles on it. If my seals leak, the shoes do not get contaminated, because there is a metal housing, for the lack of the proper name of it, that makes the oil stay out of the brake shoe area, it just runs down the inside of the tire.
You will need to make a tool to install the sleeve, because of the rear end housing sticking out well past the area where the sleeve has to go. You will find that the sleeve sticks out past the seal area surface, I cut this off with a dremel tool, you may not need to, I never have checked to see if the bearing will hit the speedy sleeve or not, if not it will be close.

Hopefully I haven't forgot anything.

Rodney

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92 2500 Reg. Cab LE
Dark Spectrum Blue and Silver 4x4 Auto
PW Injectors, 232,000 miles
16cm2 housing, Isspro guages.

 

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Thanks for the info and part #'s Rodney. I am not a very good person at getting pictures in my mind when someone explains it, but will print these responses and have them handy when I dive into this project.

P. S. If I'm not back posting by Wednesday evening someone come looking for me!!!!! I may have put this old beast out to pasture.

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92 Ext. Cab, Auto trans. , 3. 54 Non-LS, Isspro Tach, 16 cm housing, PW injectors, no name 3 Gauge cluster, 230,000+ miles, straight pipe, old and abused but still running strong!!!!

 

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Shrimpy,
I had the same problem in my 93 when I switched to Mobil 1 synthetic fluid. Turned out the vent hose cap was VERY restrictive. I took the cap off, and replaced it with a small piece of rag wired around it to keep out dirt, and no problem in 8K miles. Everything else checked out- seals were good, no groove on the axle shaft, etc. A friend of mine told me the synthetic fluid MAY be building up more pressure than the regular, and may cause it to blow by the seal if the vent was partially clogged. I took the hose off the axle, and blew into it, (after cleaning it off really good, of course). Then took the cap off and blew into it again- difference of night and day. Replaced the cap with the wire and rag, no more seal leaks. Also worked on my mom's 92. Just a thought.

Daniel

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Daniel's current truck: 1993 W350 club cab, 5 speed, treadplate aluminum flatbed, 4. 10 rear end, straight pipes, K&N, "slightly" tweaked pump. ISSPRO color coded pyrometer and 50psi boost guage. NRA Life Member (since age 12) and d@mned proud of it. IRBCTS.

 

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Shrimpy I replaced my seals last year after 75,000 KM. So far no problem.
Two other things to keep in mind;-
1) When you have the hubs off try to wash as much of the crud (oil & sludge) of the oil slinger (that is off the side of the slinger that you can't see), before you re-install, or else the remaining oil that is behind the oil slinger will keep coming out and you may think that your seals are still leaking.
2) When you re-install the hub keep it centred when you slide on the axle or you may damage the new seal.
Good luck,
Al

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92-LE,4x4,5spd,3. 54,Borgeson steering shaft, Tach,Isspro Pyro & Boost, 16cm2, PW injectors

[This message has been edited by Al Kungel (edited 01-28-2001). ]

 

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i put sleeve on my 93 duelly 1 yr ago
i used a plactic pipe once you buy
sleeve take it to hardware or plumbing
store try pcv or plactic pipe
mine cracked just as it fit over axle
hub as it met sleeve, but held together
enough to pound the sleeve on.
use sleeve cement, by it where y ou buy sleeve.
dont clean rear shoes, replace if oiled
bill

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1993 w350 ex cab, banks,nv 4500 in
open exaust, pw Injectors are in. Big rig flaps,tach soon to be in. Its loud and goes ok, for a 93,only beat 1 pwr strk furd. 2 optimas,
love driving it!