Half shaft oil seal

[dieselboy]

Hello forum!
I was told I would need to replace the seals when disturbing the half shafts. I took both rear wheels off tonight and there is thick oil leaking from inside one of the drums.

Where are these seals located? I assume the half shaft would have to be completely removed / diff oil drained.
IS this just the one seal and does it require pressing into anything?

What I really mean is, can I do this on the driveway with a halfords tool set and some axle stands The offside is not leaking at all so I dont feel this should be replaced.

Thanks in advance!
P.S The diff is amazing.

[dieselboy]

Just had a thought...
This has only happened since Avalanche. I wonder if my diff breather is blocked with gunk.
Another question then - If this is the case, if I clear the breather again and the oil from the drum will this be okay? Or will that seal now have broke because of the pressure?

[wishbone]

More likely to be due to being disturbed. If it was me I'd get the bearings and seals done on both sides then fit extended breathers to make sure all is solid for the future..

[dieselboy]

Ta. It's a shame because I was dead careful with the shafts when they were pulled out. I measured a jack so that when it was pulled out it sat at the same height from the ground and in the same position until I slotted it back.
I took a look at roughtrax rear axle parts and going by their website there is a lot of pieces to the rear shafts. May be this is not something I can do one Saturday morning.

[NiftyNev]

If it was me I'd get the bearings and seals done on both sides then fit extended breathers to make sure all is solid for the future..

X2

Inner seal is the only one you can do without pressing the bearing of the shaft.

Nev

[dieselboy]

Cheers Nev.

Looks like it's a difficult job then.
I'll see if I can get away with clearing the breather in the mean time.

[Albannach]

You won't. Once they leak, they leak. And it's not only the replacable seals that'll be leaking, the one in the bearing will be gubbed too. Take the half shafts out, take them to a grown up (like I did) to have the bearings replaced, then re-fit the shafts.

[Apache]

Any in-out play when you grab the hub and pull it? Up-down play maybe?

If so, bearing is stuffed anyway, which is the usual cause of diff oil coming through the seal. Just replacing the seals wont fix it in this case.

[charliemuttley]

You will definately need to replace bearings too in order to do job properly (i.e both seals). I had to cut mine off and then make a long tube to hammer the new ones on- i wouldn't do it on drivw with Halfrauds tool set! You could take it all apart and take just the half shaft to someone who can though.

[TonyN]

you can bring the shafts up to me if you want and we'll do them, but you have till wait till I get back from Cornwall in a week, unless you get here by lunchtime today!

[dieselboy]

Any in-out play when you grab the hub and pull it? Up-down play maybe?

If so, bearing is stuffed anyway, which is the usual cause of diff oil coming through the seal. Just replacing the seals wont fix it in this case.

No, there isnt any play at all. But it looks like replacing the lot is the way forward.

you can bring the shafts up to me if you want and we'll do them, but you have till wait till I get back from Cornwall in a week, unless you get here by lunchtime today!

Thanks Tony. Im in Canary Wharf at work so highly unlikely! lol

So can someone explain this, if I unbolt the shaft and brake line and pull the shaft out completely, I'm left with the shaft and the drum.
Where are the pieces that need replacing? How would a garage replace the seals? Can you tell I am thinking about doing it myself

The problem I have is that I don't have another car once the shaft is out. I doubt my mum will let me put the shaft anywhere near her car!

On another note, I had a look at my rear bumper last night to see about straightening it up after Avalanche. Within about 30 minutes it's pretty much back to normal. It got dark so will finish it Saturday before it gets washed n waxed

[dieselboy]

Tony I'm still after the ARB drop spacer if you have two for sale? Motorway driving was interesting when I changed lanes. Reminded me a little of a speed boat, except the Surf tilts the opposite way when turning!
I used your diff drop spacers wich has been perfect for the shaft angles BTW.

[biosurf]

Hi Tony
Regency have experience of replacing bearings and seals as they have done both of mine in the past.

Its a rarity for me to disagree with Albannach (mainly becauise I know a bit more than feck all about vehicular gubbins) but both my diffs leaked recently as my extended breathers weren't doing their job properly. I replaced with some new stock breathers and though the front still has a slight leak, the rear has stopped entirely. Not saying this will always be the case (and do bear in mind that I have had both bearings and seals replaced in the last couple of years which may well make it more forgiving) but may be worth experimenting (but not too much as your rear drums will get covered in diff oil)


I was surprised with the stock breathers that I could only blow through them one way. I thought that the idea was to allow the axle to breathe not just exhale! I would have thought that this means that after its first time of geting hot and all the hot air expanding that there will always be a state of vacuum in the axle once the air and oil inside cools and contracts? Does this mean that if they are new stock breathers that theoretically even if you dip them in water when the axle is hot that water ingress shouldn't happen?

[NiftyNev]

This help?

Nev

[dieselboy]

Thanks Nev, Helps quite a bit.

Biosurf, I might drop it into Regency (my uncle!)
When I replaced my diff some weeks ago, the oil that I drained from it had water in it! So yes I would have thought the breather alows airflow both ways.