How serious is a rear axle seal leak?
An axle seal is the part of the vehicle that connects the axle to the rear differential, or the transmission. The purpose of the axle seal is to keep transmission fluid from leaking. If the leaking axle seal does not get fixed soon and the transmission is slipping, you could cause permanent damage to the transmission.
How do you change a rear axle seal?
To replace the seal, take the following steps:
- Jack up one side of your truck to take the weight off the wheel.
- Remove the wheel.
- Remove the axle shaft.
- Remove the hub retaining hardware.
- Slide off the hub and drum as a unit.
- Replace the seal behind the hub.
- Put everything back together in the reverse order of removal.
What is the difference between an axle seal and a wheel seal?
The axle shaft is sealed with silicone RTV when it is bolted into the hub. The hub has a wheel seal to protect the bearings. The wheel seal is installed on the back side of the hub.
What does a leaking axle look like?
Dampness around the Seal A slight axle seal leak may only appear as a damp area around the seal. Leaking fluid can also find its way onto the exhaust system, resulting in a burning smell when the exhaust is warm. The leak can also contaminate your brake shoes, causing funny noises and affecting your braking ability.
What causes a rear main seal to go out?
Without a regular oil bath, your rear main seal can become dry and hard causing it to not seal properly around the rotating crank shaft. Things like sand, salt or road grime can cause premature failure of your rear main seal from the outside in. There are many reasons you should regularly change your engine oil.
Why do wheel seals fail?
From time to time, the wheel seal will be hit by potholes, items under the car or debris in the road. When this happens, it can hit the wheel seal housing and cause the seal to break or put a dent in the wheel seal. This can also be seen while having the oil changed by a technician.
What should you check wheel bearing seals for?
It is critical that you inspect the bearings and seals frequently for evidence of leaks. During the inspection, you check if the bearing seals are punctured, have become loose, or have suffered other damage due to the contaminants seeping in.