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Front axle inner seal leaking

P

philagony94xj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Schererville, Indiana
This is on a D30 HP. The driver side inner axle shaft seal is leaking out the end of the tube. I'm trying to figure out a temporary fix til I can finish the replacement axle I am building.

Can I remove the axle shaft as a whole and use just the stub shaft to hold the bearing together for a week or two? I can just shove a rag into the end of the tube to stop any residual leaking. I really don't want to sink any money into a seal and all that jazz if I'm gonna just scrap the axle anyways.

Thoughts?
 
pull both side shafts...leave the stubs in the unit bearings...drain the case so it does get everywhere or use rags. Their ya go...it will be a 2 wheel drive only jeep but you'd be fine until you get the new axle in
 
is it really leaking Thats bad? I mean typically its only a teaspoon a week or so from all I have ever seen.

If it is that bad then do as above. If kinda bad but not more then like a cup a week, then just let it leak till it stops. That will still allow about a pint in the diff and will be enough to keep everything with some oil, just dont use 4x4.

Keep in mind a teaspoon of oil can look like Alot once it is allowed to pool out on concrete.
 
Yeah it leaks alot. I think I will pull both sides, keep the stubs in the unit bearings and pull the front D.S. Should be fine til the built axle is ready. Thanks guys.
 
I had my gears re-done and had no leaks prior, but now my driverside d30 is leaking from the tube as well. Did a master install kit with new seals, and that drivers side should be harder to mess up when installing the shaft since it's short. The mechanic said that it could be two things:

1.) installation of axle shaft damaged the seal
2.) the new seal hasn't become fully saturated yet and isn't sealing correctly

I'm doing the 600 mile gear lube change for the new gears, and will see if it still leaks after this.
 
The seal is rubber, not leather. It doesn't need to be ""Saturated" in order to seal.

Suggestion though: When you replace shafts, put grease on the splines and surface the seal rides on. Then attempt to avoid dragging the tip of the shaft though whatever mong is on the bottom of the axle tube. You seals will thank you by providing continued good service.
 
Yeah that's kind of how I felt - had never heard about a seal 'saturating' to hold. Pretty hard to drag the splines along the bottom of the axle tube on the short shaft driver's side, though, but it's sounding more like that's my problem - will have to get the shop on it, they probably won't be happy about replacing that seal, but it was new, so no excuse for a leak.
 
If the axle has a groove cut in the seal surface and the old seal was not leaking, and then you proceed to install a new seal just cause. Well then I find that the leak is common from the new seal sitting just on the edge of the old groove. Or if the seal was driven in just a tad bit further then the old one, and the shaft is corroded, well then now the seal is on a rough surface.

Just a few more poss reasons. its not always install error.
 
Thanks! Good info, those are both likely candidates for my issue's source. This is annoying though, because changing the seal is beyond the scope of my capabilities, and the cost seems pretty high. At the same time, I can't be leaking all this gear oil in the parkade.
 
if you're going to pull the shafts why not pop the cover real quick, pop the carrier, and replace the seal ? It would maybe add 15 to 30 minutes on top of pulling the shafts. Its really easy to change an inner seal.

I have a broke friend who cant afford the seals it outer seal for his pass side (swapped a one piece shaft into a disco housing with no inner axle seal at all!) and is just using like some random rubber hose tapped to the shaft and some duct tape wrapped the best he can aorund it all. We just check it before and after every run. FOr some reason, none of the inner seals fit his disco housing.
 
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