lurk520

Rear axle seals
So a few weeks ago I drove far down the highway and there was oil covering the back of my WJ. Looked underneath and driver axle tube looked oily. Had my seals replaced 5 years ago. So today I pulled the driver axle but found no oil in the drum break area. Then noticed the very bottom of differential seal was slightly wet looking. Is it possible it for an axle seal to leak and not get oil in the brakes? I'm thinking no. Maybe it was just the differential seal 😡.... Guess I'm just going to do both axle seals and the differential at this point. Got a lube locker gasket coming for the rear diff.

lurk520

Also what is the best way to Jack up the body to get the gas tank out of the way to do the differential seal? Looks you could possibly Lift it by the tow bar or at the triangle points on the "frame"???

Bearstream

lurk520

The original lasted 11 years. I don't know what kind were used to replace them but they are 5 years old and actually weren't leaking. I got Timken this time. Supposed to be direct match to OEM.

97grand4.0

I had problems getting the right axle seals, a few years back I installed the wrong ones and had leaks had to do it all over again.

dave1123

You can put a floor jack under the diff and jack it WAY up. Put jackstands under the lower control arm mounts, then let the jack down. That's the way I did mine. I didn't even use a gasket, just cleaned it up real good and used black RTV sealant. If the areas around the bolts are dimpled, just put a block of metal under the flange inside the lip and hammer them flat. I used a claw hammer clamped in my vise as an anvil.

lurk520

Just find it weird that the back of my hatch was completely covered in oil but axle seals appeared not to be leaking, only slightly wet on bottom of differential. Although I was traveling 75-80 mph and bottom half of differential housing is oil stained. Looks like maybe oil traveled up the housing and on to the gas tank skid plate. Under carriage is dry between the transmission and rear end. Brake fluid is full. Breather tube is not plugged. Must be the diff but doesn't drip fluid.

lurk520

Got everything done. Never messed with drum brakes before, so redoing the parking brakes was the worst part (still need to be adjusted tighter too). Took me 2 hours and an aneurysm to do the first side, second side took 20 minutes or less. Re-did rear diff with lube locker gasket. Cover was a nightmare to get off because of the old silicone. Hopefully no more leaks now.

dave1123

How does the pinion seal look?

lurk520

Did not appear to be leaking. Actually found out its the transmission. Wife's cousin owns a shop 3 hours away but said any leak will cover the back hatch because the way air travels around a vehicle, it can even leave the under body dry.