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Should there be diff fluid in the housing?

jmsull

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Chicago
I just had my rear end rebuilt (D44). There is diff fluid leaking from the passenger side end of the housing, out by the brakes. My question is, obviously there is a problem with that seal, but should the fluid even be making it's way out of the differential? I though it was all sealed up.
 
No.the seal is the most outboard part of the axle,right behind the backing plate.
Thats what lubricates the wheel bearings.
 
Last edited:
RCP Phx said:
No.the seal is the most outboard part of the axle,right behind the backing plate.

So it's normal to have diff fluid in the tubes?
 
Great, well thanks for all the quick replies.

Can I hijack my own thread?

Would a new ring and pinion make any noise? Or should it be silent. Its making noise, only audible at low speeds (15-30mph), but then vibrates at highway speeds.
 
jmsull said:
Great, well thanks for all the quick replies.

Can I hijack my own thread?

Would a new ring and pinion make any noise? Or should it be silent. Its making noise, only audible at low speeds (15-30mph), but then vibrates at highway speeds.

Did you break it in properly?
 
jmsull said:
Great, well thanks for all the quick replies.

Can I hijack my own thread?

Would a new ring and pinion make any noise? Or should it be silent. Its making noise, only audible at low speeds (15-30mph), but then vibrates at highway speeds.
There shouldnt be any noise,what axle are you refering to?
 
Well the D35 has seals at the diff side of the tube so that the oil won't reach the outside bearings. There is another seal before and after the wheel bearings, which are lubed with axle grease not oil from the diff.
 
sjx40250 said:
Well the D35 has seals at the diff side of the tube so that the oil won't reach the outside bearings. There is another seal before and after the wheel bearings, which are lubed with axle grease not oil from the diff.

I have a D44, but I was under the assumption that it was set-up just as you describe the D35, with an inner seal for the diff fluid, and an outer seal for the grease packed bearings.

So again I ask, to those who know for sure, should there be differential fluid in the tubes of a D44?
 
Most solid axles (like my D35's) have tupes open to the differential lube oil. The oil is allowed to mingle with the bearing grease (both actually lubricate the bearings, but the oil helps to carry heat away from the bearings as well,) and the seal is at the outboard end of the axle shaft.

Since the bearings are pressed onto the shaft, you'll need to remove them to replace the axle seal - so you might as well replace those as well (they're typically cut with a grinding wheel until they pop from internal stresses - it's a healthy press fit!) I usually cut my own off before I take the shafts in to have bearings pressed on - it cuts the bill by half, and you don't need to go all the way through! Get about 2/3 through the inner race, and you hear a loud "POP!" as the metal lets go. Notch to remove.

Make sure the seal and shaft are greased before you install the seal - a seal that starts running on a dry shaft will fail quickly.

As far as gear break-in, I can't give you anything off the top of my head, but if you check Randy's Ring & Pinion (www.ring-pinion.com or www.ringpinion.com, I think) you can find instructions on both installation and break-in there. Since the process of breaking in a gearset is essentially runinng the gears together until they take a set to each other, it's really important that it be done correctly. Gears are not usually lapped at the factory, and they'd still need to be matched anyhow.

The only XJ axle I can think off offhand with inboard seals (the oil seals are at the differential, rather than at the wheels) is the front-end Dana 30. Everything else (c-clip or no, light or heavy duty) seals at the wheel end.

5-90
 
SPOBI
I have regeared lots of 35's. Sorry but there isn't any seal near the carrier. The 35 is a semi float axle with c-clips. it uses a torington bearing that rides on the axleshaft instead of an inner race.

regaurding the gear noise... if you had the work performed at a local shop then call them right away and find out.
there are several posibilities.
you could have not followed a proper breakin procedure as outlined by gear manufactures and installers. someone could have don't a crappy job setting up the gears. you might have water in the diff. you might not have enough oil in the diff.

sjx40250 said:
Well the D35 has seals at the diff side of the tube so that the oil won't reach the outside bearings. There is another seal before and after the wheel bearings, which are lubed with axle grease not oil from the diff.
 
Sorry, but that rates a small "spobi."

I've got four XJ's (87-89) with Dana35 rears - one with Trac-Lock - and not a one of them use C-clips for retaining the axle shafts, making them true "semi-floating" axles (the weight of the tyre/wheel & vehicle is still borne by the axle shaft - a full-float has a separate hub and axle shaft, so the shaft may be removed while leaving the wheel/hub in place.)

The later D35's were C-clip, but the AMC/RENIX XJ's are almost all semi-floating.

5-90
 
Hijack alert!

On those oler versions, can you drive on a broken shaft. Im assuming not because theres nothing to keep the shaft straight.
 
OK yeah sorry,
I think it was about '90 that they went to the c-clip.
I just got back from SEMA and being out till 4am with the guys from Randy's ring and Pinion.
true semi float? you mean an 8.25 isn't a true semi float? its fake? Ok so the earyly 35's had a pressed on bearing like a 44. semi float is semi float... D44, 35, amc20, 8.25, gm 10 bolt 12 bolt even many D60's are SF.
full float examples would be a D30, D60, 70, 80.
but now were are getting into things that are irrelivant to the subject matter of this thread.

while some D44's do have a baffle just inside of the axle bearing, its only on older D44's like in CJ's.
in the matter of installing an ARB into any rear axle, one of hte requirments is that you drill or cut a notch/hole inside the housing where the tube ends. the hole has to be on the bottom edge to allow oil to drain from the tube back into the housing. typically the oil drains throough the bearing but the bearing configuration on the ARB's requires the reliefs.
 
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