Replacing axle gasket outer

[GoHot229]

Ok Guys, I have an axle leak. Actually its the outer gasket where the axel itself fits into the HUB housing right there at the tire/wheel, which is secured w/bolts, in other words, un-do the bolts and remove and the whole axle will slide out horozontally ie. pull straight out. My question is: if you pull the axle out, will the splined end drop inside....... down to the housing? and when you go to put it back in be tough to slide back into the splines? without putting a drift in one of the bolt holes and prying down to lift the axle (splined end) up to hit the female splined end? I guess what I'm thinking is when you pull the axle out of the diferential splines, when it gets to the end of the splines, will it drop a couple inches? and will you then have to use a drift punch to fit in an axle bolt hole and pry to raise the male 'axle' splined side to meet the 'female' axle splined side in order to push the axle in fully to reinstall the bolts. Am I correct? The alternative is to use two gaskets and cut them across in one spot and install them 180 (cuts) from each other, use ample silicone and cinch it back up, that way you could pull the axle out from the housing just a half inch or so and not have the axle come out of the splines??

 

[ccequipment]

You can pull it out and install it by hand without a drift, just push down a little on the top and wiggle it around and it will slide right in. You will have a little gear oil come out so be prepared for that, clean things up and a little silcone and you will be good.

 

[GoHot229]

You can pull it out and install it by hand without a drift, just push down a little on the top and wiggle it around and it will slide right in. You will have a little gear oil come out so be prepared for that, clean things up and a little silcone and you will be good.

CC, thanks, I was hoping for such a scenario. Sounds good !

 

[gringeltaube]

A practical alternative to paper gaskets, with excellent results: clean both surfaces and use Loctite 518.
Dozens installed that way, not one ever leaking!

G.

 

[2Deuces wild]

If you have gear oil leaking it sounds like the rear oil seal is leaking. You should have only grease in the hub. If its grease just replace the paper gasket. Tork the hubs at 40.
If you have to replace the rear seal its a lot more work than just removing the front hub spindle. you have to remove everything in the pictures I'm sending. There is a good thread on here with step by step directions in the disassembly and repair. If you pull the outer band off the boot and gear oil pours out then you know for sure.http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/8460-front-axle-seals-boots-stepxstep.html

 

[m16ty]

If you have gear oil leaking it sounds like the rear oil seal is leaking. You should have only grease in the hub. If its grease just replace the paper gasket. Tork the hubs at 40.

Not really. The outer seal holds the gear oil back . There is gear oil aginst the axle flange. If the gasket leaks there it will be gear oil.

 

[oldshep]

ive got gear oil slightly dripping out of one of my axle boots. how long should i run it this way?

 

[m16ty]

ive got gear oil slightly dripping out of one of my axle boots. how long should i run it this way?

You can run it for a pretty good while if you don't mind the mess and keep tabs on the axle oil level. If it was me I'd get it fixed though. It's not that big of a deal to do.

 

[2Deuces wild]

I was under the impression the rear seal was to keep the oil in the axle and away from the knuckle and out of the hub? It looked to me that if the oil continued to flow into the knuckle that it would flow into the hub and finally getting into the the brakes and bearings. The front outer axle seal looks like its to keep the grease in. Maybe I'm wrong but everything I've read seems to suggest that it's lubed with grease.

 

[m16ty]

I was under the impression the rear seal was to keep the oil in the axle and away from the knuckle and out of the hub? It looked to me that if the oil continued to flow into the knuckle that it would flow into the hub and finally getting into the the brakes and bearings. The front outer axle seal looks like its to keep the grease in. Maybe I'm wrong but everything I've read seems to suggest that it's lubed with grease.

Ok, You and I are not on the same page. I was thinking back axle and you were thinking front. You are correct in your statement about the front. I just assumed he was talking about a back axle but I could be wrong. We were both right, just on different ends of the truck .

 

[2Deuces wild]

Ah, rear axle would be easy and correct on both accounts. Just a paper gasket and away we go. I've been dealing with the front. Pain in my rear end Had to do 2 rear inside rear's last month. found them leaking when I was replacing the tork rods. At this rate I will be a first rate Mechanic

 

[scooter01922]

I gotta reseal my rearmost axle as my hubs look just like yours did deuces wild. Not much of a leak but annoying still. Oddly enough when i pulled the axleshaft out of there when i was going to do it there was NO seal at all on the hub flange. No gasket, no silicon, nothing. Put it back together and still no leak, and yes the gear oil is at the right level. I dunno, maybe that hub and axleshaft just fit really well on that particular axle.

 

[2Deuces wild]

Got to love Yankee engineering

 

[powerhouseduece]

Just one small side note, on my old deuce I thought i had a rear axle seal bad because it was leaking ever so slightly but still pushing out gear oil. I laid under the truck and checked the little vent cap, twisting it slightly and all of the sudden ppiissssssttt. It let off a good bit of pressure.

just something to look for before you go killing yourself taking the tires off and the hub just to find out its going to do it all over.

 

[Brock Steel]

99 would you believe the old pressure relief valve trick.