So I'm stumped. Here's to hoping everyone here can help me. I'm working on a 93 grand Cherokee laredo. The owner had a problem with the rear passenger axle leaking diff fluid from he outer axle seal. The axle was grooved about an inch and a half up from the part with the wheel studs, like it was rolling on the bearings. I replaced the bearings and.the seal thinking the guy he had do it before didn't seat the.bearings correctly. However, a month later he is.back, and it is leaking again, and the axle is grooved again. If I knew how to upload a pic I would. Other than a bent axle housing I'm not sure what else it could be? Any ideas? I am open to any and all suggestions. Thanks in advance everyone!!

 

Sounds like the axle shaft is grooved down too much. Replace the shaft.

 

This is the third time he has had this issue and it is the same problem everytime. Same wear pattern and everything. Just incasr that helps

 

We had replaced the shaft. We put a brand new one in each time. Someone said I could just be getting defective rods. I do.t want to replace the rod again for it to do the same thing over again. I put all new parts in when I worked on it a month ago

 

If that is the case I would start looking for another axle.

 

Your referring to the axle housing right? The whole thing including the diff housing? Would the inner bearing by the spider gears be causing this?

 

They could be, the tube could also be bent. Usually cheaper and easier to find a used axle with the same gears for $100 - $200 and call it a day.

 

A bent tube is what I was leaning towards. One more quick question. The diff housing is obviously a Dana35, but when I was looking at the ring gear its stamped Dana 44. Will a 44 fit in a 35 housing? I can't imagine it would, but that's what it looks like here

 

Weird. D35 ring gear size is 7 1/2" D44 is 8 1/2"

 

Are you sure it's a d35?

You can ignore the bottom two.

 

I just went and looked at it again with those images in hand. It definitely is not the dana 44 housing in the middle. The end two look similar but the one I've got.here looks just like the cover of the 35 you have pictured there. However when I open up the diff and spin that ring gear around till I can see the numbers its stamped Dana 44and some other numbers. I'm not to sure what to think. Lol

 

Yeah, I would start looking on craigslist or the JY's for a replacement axle. Replace the entire damn thing. If the ring gear is from a d44 the carrier must also be, not even sure how that is possible.

 

Are you sure it's not the 44a found under some grands? The diff cover is not the same as a "real" 44. Check the center section with a magnet and see if/how well it sticks.