The other day I noticed a couple of ounces of oil in my rear drivers side axel boot. (now I know why they are yellow transparent) Cleaned the oil out and refilled the rear diff. Drove it yesterday and now there is more oil in the boot.
I checked my manual and the repair does not look that difficult other than the spring removal(s). Is it hard to make a spring compressor or should one be purchased? Should the ring metal be replaced if the only damage is the O ring? Anything else (pitfalls) to look for in the repair?
Swifty in Illinois
Rear Differential Leak
Moderator: TechMOGogy
Rear Differential Leak
Swifty 72 710M
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Lightningpinz
- Posts: 218
- Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2004 7:32 pm
- Location: Lakewood, Co
The spring removal and reinstall is easy on the rear. you won't need a spring compressor. remove the shock and limiting strap and let the axle sag. remove the perch bolt from underneath and you can get the springs in and out by hand.
The hard part is seperating the axle. Loosen the two pinch bolts on the bottom of the outer axle stub. Remove the bolt that aligns and locks the two axle halves together. Then you need to insert the factory tool (wedge)into the slot where the 2 pinch bolts pinch the axle tub. (Some use a chisle as a wedge) Then you drive the outer axle off with the factory spreader tool (T shape head with a bolt in a lower shock mount and a threaded rod toward the diff case with a nut driving an outer sleeve with a flat plste on the bottom)
The axle seal is that plate and all of it's parts. Remove the rubber stop ring and if yours has the steel stop platen pull them out of the old seal and install into the new seal. The "o" ring seals the Outside of the seal. Put silicon sealer in the oring groove,then place the o ring into the o ring groove in the diff, coat the leading edge of the new seal with plenty of silicon sealer and reinsert. The silicon seals, lubes the seal into the case and keeps the o ring in place so it doesn't get nicked. Then reassemble
Best of luck
The hard part is seperating the axle. Loosen the two pinch bolts on the bottom of the outer axle stub. Remove the bolt that aligns and locks the two axle halves together. Then you need to insert the factory tool (wedge)into the slot where the 2 pinch bolts pinch the axle tub. (Some use a chisle as a wedge) Then you drive the outer axle off with the factory spreader tool (T shape head with a bolt in a lower shock mount and a threaded rod toward the diff case with a nut driving an outer sleeve with a flat plste on the bottom)
The axle seal is that plate and all of it's parts. Remove the rubber stop ring and if yours has the steel stop platen pull them out of the old seal and install into the new seal. The "o" ring seals the Outside of the seal. Put silicon sealer in the oring groove,then place the o ring into the o ring groove in the diff, coat the leading edge of the new seal with plenty of silicon sealer and reinsert. The silicon seals, lubes the seal into the case and keeps the o ring in place so it doesn't get nicked. Then reassemble
Best of luck
I used my Pinz jack to slide the outer portion of the axle off. This keeps me from having to beat on things with a hammer or buy a factory tool. Since the Pinz is already equiped with the jack nothing to buy. Just keep the pump side down on the jack so the fluid is available for pumping.
The problem is if you are getting oil into your boot it could be from the seal at the ball cup and stop ring. The other oring is behind the ball cup and requires tear down of the axle to replace. If the oring around the outside of the stop ring were to fail the oil would leak on the ground.
The problem is if you are getting oil into your boot it could be from the seal at the ball cup and stop ring. The other oring is behind the ball cup and requires tear down of the axle to replace. If the oring around the outside of the stop ring were to fail the oil would leak on the ground.
Mike