Leaking axle! help!

Just put on my factory skid plate this morning, afterstripping it down and recoating it. Well, in the process I noticed a strange leaking. I feared it was the brake line, but that's all ok. Seems looking closer at it, it seems to be dripping out of the axle tube. It's only on the driver side though, not the passenger side. It's a '90 XJ 4.0, dana30 front. The fluid looks like oil in colour. Was thinking maybe have a blown seal or something? Need to do the u-jionts end of the montb as it is. Wondering if it's a seal, replace it then? Do I need to start worrying about it? or will I be ok until then?
I've never opened either transfer case, nor did anything with then at the present, altnough when I turn I hear noise, which figure is my worn u-joints that I need to replace.
Any help on this and what I need to do is greatly appreciiated.
TIA

Should just be a seal. From what i've experienced, Dana 30s often have seal problems. I personally wouldn't be worried.

Thanks. Just don't need something to go wrong with it at all. Had enough issues last month. I'm hoping to be able to get to my uncles' house sometime the beginning of next month as he has a friend with an XJ who can possibly give me a hand to do everything I have left to do, and most likely replace the seal. Just something that I feel I'm over my head with without help doing it, never doing anything like this before, and I really don't want to pay to have it done at all.

I guess my fear is that with it leaking, although a slow drip, that something will seize up and do some severe damage. Just got the engine running really smooth, and have the breather tube from the valve cover as the only part left to replace. Can't afford another month like this one at all.
Looks like the diff cover has been off at sometime in the not to distant past. Just not sure when exacly. I'll have to ask my brother. Should I just keep topping up the diff to make sure there's no big issues? or will things be ok? What do I use anyways? [yeah, I know, newb question, but this is all new to me though]

It may be leaking because(??) the shaft is wobbling due to the bad ujoint.

Just in case, top-up the diff with 75W90 gear oil. Tire or PartSource -- gold bottle, or the Castrol Syntec(black bottle).

Lou said:

It may be leaking because(??) the shaft is wobbling due to the bad ujoint.

Just in case, top-up the diff with 75W90 gear oil. Tire or PartSource -- gold bottle, or the Castrol Syntec(black bottle).

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Thanks for the input! That would be great if that's all that it is. I'm debating whether to try to do the u-joints myself or not. I'll need the u-joint remover. I'm just afraid of breaking the bolts off in doing it. They look pretty rusty. Been trying to find my penetrating stuff to start soaking it. Wish I had PB Blaster left, but used it up and can't find it anywhere up here. I'm hoping a few days of that will loosen it enough to get it off to replace the u-joints. It looks pretty straight foward, and I only have basic tools at the moment, so hoping I can do it. I've never been adverse to trying, just don't want to break anything doing it.

cykaaro said:

Thanks for the input! That would be great if that's all that it is. I'm debating whether to try to do the u-joints myself or not. I'll need the u-joint remover. I'm just afraid of breaking the bolts off in doing it. They look pretty rusty. Been trying to find my penetrating stuff to start soaking it. Wish I had PB Blaster left, but used it up and can't find it anywhere up here. I'm hoping a few days of that will loosen it enough to get it off to replace the u-joints. It looks pretty straight foward, and I only have basic tools at the moment, so hoping I can do it. I've never been adverse to trying, just don't want to break anything doing it.

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u joint tool? Like a socket vice and BFH right

My 2 1/2lb small sledge is at my friends, which is the biggest I have. Was just going to buy the u-joint tool, as I'll probably have another XJ to have to do as well, so might as well I figured. Just going to take my time and try to do it right. The biggest thing I worry about is the bolts as I say. I'm hoping they come out easy enough, but looks like they've not been touched since they were originally put in. The calipers I"m not too worried about as they were replaced in september so should be easy to take off.

If it is a seal, I wouldn't worry much about it. Mine has been out for a long time. I just keep the diff topped off, and make sure that I park that tire higher than the other one so that it doesn't have a chance to leak when I am parked.

xjnation said:

u joint tool? Like a socket vice and BFH right

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Up here we have this brown thing that seem to grow on metal. Especially during the 'salty months'.

I've actually bent a handle on a vise in trying to remove an ujoint. (OK..It was a cheap vise) The tool just makes it that much easier.

That's what you get for trying to use a vice as a press, use it as a holding fixture instead- no sockets required, except a couple taps to finish up the install.

JJacobs said:

That's what you get for trying to use a vice as a press, use it as a holding fixture instead- no sockets required, except a couple taps to finish up the install.

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Hey! I never said I knew what the hell I was doing.

this u joint tool form what ive seen online why not just use a c clamp and a socket???

frankenjeep, have you actually swapped a ujoint with a c-clamp? Or heard of anyone doing it? I think it's another internet 4x4 myth.

The thread is a lot finer on the U joint press, so the mechanical advantage is much better than the C-clamp. Also, the press is much heavier duty. I broke the handle on my vise 2 joints ago. I ended up beating it out with a BFH and deformed one of the sides of the yoke a little. Then I got the Harbor Freight press for the other axle joint and it came right out.

JJacobs said:

frankenjeep, have you actually swapped a ujoint with a c-clamp? Or heard of anyone doing it? I think it's another internet 4x4 myth.

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I just replaced both axle u-joints on Monday. There was NO way a c-clamp could have gotten these out. I put my HF u-joint press in a bench vice and used a breaker bar. Piece of cake.