rear axle question

[brad m.]

Hi

My jeep is spraying gear lube onto the outside of my wheel . How much gear lube should be inside the axle tube if any . I was wondering if it could be the gasket on the hub . If my seal in the rear end needs replaced is that something I should attempt myself ?
Thanks
Brad

[lt.luke]

Brad, you should be able to replace the wheel seal yourself. I bought a $10 seal puller from the parts store, it's a long T handle with different size hooks on the ends of the T. You figure out which fits, then hook it and BY HAND pop the handle down three or four time. Move it and repeat and on the third or fourth move, it'll pop out. I use a hammer and a wood block to replace so I don't damage the new seals. Then, in this application, a new gasket for the axle and you should be good to go. It WILL require you to take off the axle, wheel and probably the brake drum.

When I took seals out of a brake drum, I actually fliped the drum around backwards and hung it on the end of the axle, remove as above. It didn't damage anything.

[cjv-35]

Sounds like the inner seal in the differential case is bad.To change it, you will have to pull axle shaft and differential out of the housing.

[artificer]

Wez is right.... it is a little bit of a job and involves pulling axles, dropping the crownwheel out....oil can only be getting to the axle end/s from the differential case if either or both inner seals are leaking. The new seals are best fitted by "pulling" into place.

[brad m.]

When you say I have to pull the axle & gears out to change the seals . Does the gear cluster stay together or fall apart when removed ?

[iron duck]

Here you can see the bore where the oilseal is installed both sides of the housing Brad.
The diff carrier is one piece that doesn't fall appart when taking out.
You will need a housing stretcher if the diff carier has the propper pre-load when it was adjusted last rebuild.
The shims are normally behind the bearings, and shouldn't be taken care of. Sometimes the shims are between bearing cone and housing. Then someone must be carefull not to switch them from side.
Also watch the bearing caps for the factory marks.
Make sure you put them back the same way.



Please Brad, here you can see how to use the stretcher and the diff carier that has to be taken out to replace the seals.
Some manuals explain how to take out and put back in the diff carrier without stretcher. But if done propperly it will be difficult.

As a side note, check your brakes for oil contamination.
The seal in the hub could have leacked oil in the brake drums.

Kind regards, Luc

[lt.luke]

Luc, did you build your dif stretcher yourself?

[iron duck]

Hi Luke,

Yes I did build it myself.
It works great, but there is room for improvement.

Kind regards, Luc

[lt.luke]

Are there plans on Jeep draw?

[brad m.]

Thanks for the info.

Can this job be done without removing the axle from the jeep ? I am also not sure what the stretcher is doing in that photo. Can anyone tell me ? The complexity of this job scares me .What type of a machanic would be best equiped for such a job ?

Thanks Brad

[artificer]

It is difficult while in the Jeep mainly in getting things back in place...most times you don't need a spreader but a couple of tyre levers will get the crown wheel out easily and a copper hammer to assist the bearing caps back on assembly. The seals are not very hard with a home made puller to get them into place. You don't need any specialist mechanic.
The "wheel" is hard to lift back in place vertically with axle housing not removed from the springs, but quite easy if the assy is horizontal and the 'wheel" wants to drop back in.
Remarks regarding "marking" caps etc. which I assume he was indicating are important and all things must go back as they came out.

[JIMN]

You really do not need a stretcher. You just need a friend.
Just pull your axle shafts.
Then mark your bearing caps, so you can put them back in exactly the same way. Remove the bearing caps.
Put a box end wrench on one of your ring gear bolts, have your friend rotate the pinion yoke so that the wrench hits against the top of the pumpkin.
Then have your friend take a big pipe wrench and continue turning the pinion while you prepare to catch the differential as it is forced out of the pumpkin.
It may come out all the way, or it may come out part of the way, but enough for you to pry it out the rest of the way from the sides.
Replace your seals, and put it all back together.

[iron duck]

Then mark your bearing caps, so you can put them back in exactly the same way.

Hi JIMN,

I totally agree with your method for taking out the diff housing JIMN.

The marks are already on the caps from the factory.
They should correspond with the marks on the axle housing.
Mostly they are marked with a caracter that stands straight on one side, and lies on its side on the other side.
If the markings are not the same on housing and caps, then the original caps have been lost and replaced by another set of caps.
That would be of concern if the owner wants to do a good job.

The "wheel" is hard to lift back in place vertically with axle housing not removed from the springs, but quite easy if the assy is horizontal and the 'wheel" wants to drop back in.

I agree with you artificer.
That's why I made a stretcher.
It allows you to do any diff job in a professional way without taking underneath the diff housing.
Making a stretcher is less exhausting then pulling the entire axle and still have difficulty's to remove and install the diff carrier.

Kind regards, Luc

[tsornes]

Iron Duck how long are those vertical arms on the spreader? What size steel? Do you have a screw mechanism on the top of the vertical arms?

regards
Torfinn

[Jeff H]

It is an expensive tool to buy from OTC. http://www.otctools.com/products/detail.php?id=1787
If you can make one like Luc has, you will certainly save some money.