Differential issues

So about a year ago I had a chrysler 8.25 rebuilt and re geared along with an hp dana 30 at 4 wheel parts here in charlotte. Well since then I have gone through 3 sets of wheel bearings and have found diff fluid in my drums 3 times. As I was working on my jeep yesterday I noticed both sides of the rear axle leaking diff fluid and the drivers side front leaking as well.

I refuse to take it back to 4 wheel parts as they will not take care of the work that they have done, the continue to make me pay for the work every time I take it back to them I asked them what the problem is and why I have to keep bringing this back and they said they were unsure and that I probably had bad axles. Well I had these axles on the jeep before they were rebuilt for 2 years with no problems and the previous owner never had any issues with them either.

So here is my question, What would cause me to go through 3 sets of wheel bearings and diff fluid to leak and how do I fix this?

inner axle seals, if the 8.25 has em. I've never had one torn down so I'm not sure if it does.

If it has inner seals, that means the bearings are greased not lubed by the gear oil, and the leaking gear oil will wash the grease out... which will cause your bearings to die a terrible death.

8.25 has fluid bathed bearings-- no inner seals.

I'd agree that either the shafts are bent (odd that both would fail at the same time), the shafts have grooves worn in them from the seals (not uncommon, but odd for both at once), fluid level is too high (are there any shims pointing the pinion down?), or a plugged vent tube (higher temps will cause expansion and it'll leak if the vent is plugged).

Shorty said:

8.25 has fluid bathed bearings-- no inner seals.

I'd agree that either the shafts are bent (odd that both would fail at the same time), the shafts have grooves worn in them from the seals (not uncommon, but odd for both at once), fluid level is too high (are there any shims pointing the pinion down?), or a plugged vent tube (higher temps will cause expansion and it'll leak if the vent is plugged).

Click to expand...

It seems very odd to me that both would get bent at the same time especially since I haven't had any issues with them at all before that. The grooves make sense to me, is there someway to repair that? I guess to tell I would have to take the axle shaft out and look at them or take the wheel off and see if there is any play in the shaft up and down and side to side.

Fluid level is a possibility but then why would i have gone through 3 sets of bearings? Also wouldn't there be outer seals that would prevent the fluid from leaking out in that case. I have angle shims pointing the pinion up towards the t-case.

I'll have to check on the plugged vent tube as well.

Still don't know why my bearings would be going bad. And that its leaking up front too.

Drivers Front

Drivers Rear

Passengers Front

Passengers Rear



I also messed with the vent in the rear axle it isnt plugged i took the hose off and blew through it then unplugged the rear filler cap and connected the hose to the axle and blew through it and felt air coming through the filler cap so the vent is not plugged. The diff fluid level in the rear was right below the filler plug, but that doesn't mean it wasn't over full before it had drained out of the axle housing.

Your axle seals on the front are probably screwed up, ever go mudding? Ever have to replace an axle shaft on the trail?

You can handle it a couple ways... just keep topping it off, or rip it apart and replace the seals. I'm using the first method right now.

I don't go mudding, i haven't been 4 wheeling since six months or so before the axles were rebuilt. I have never had the axle shafts out of the front.

Don't they sell like an oversized seal for those? Maybe the axle shaft is worn down a bit and not sealing properly. Something along the lines of a rear axle repair kit?

No ideas?

Well Josh and I tore into the rear diff yesterday to find out that 4 wheel parts completely installed the wrong assembly for the wheel bearings. We took the axle shafts out and saw an outer seal, a grease packed bearing, and another seal on the other side of the race. Btw here is an excellent website for the 8.25


http://www.dippy.org/svcman/sm03a.html#TOP

On the left are the bearings and race I pulled from my axle after 4 wheelparts installed them 3 different times just to wind up with them going bad repeatedly.

Notice the one we dissected it has two seals preinstalled on it a packed bearing in the middle.

On the right is the new bearing and seal I installed. There completely different!


Heres a picture of the new bearing and seal installed.