Axle tubes leaking at Diff

[Grinder]

My axle is leaking around where the axle tubes are pressed into the center section. It's not a bad leak but there is quite a bit of oil soaked around the joints. Should I be concerned?

 

[mrboyle]

Have you ever jumpped your X? Although I have never seen this happen on an 8.8, this is generally a sign that the housing has bent. You might look into that possibility. It is also possible that the housing has just stressed enough to allow the oil to seep through. I suggest cleaning the aeras where the tube is pressed into the center section down to bare metal and look for any signs of cracks or anything that looks out of place. If everything looks good you can have the joint welded to help seal the tube to the center section.

 

[410Fortune]

Are you sure it;s not the pinion seal and it's just making its way down the tubes????

Rare to see an 8,8 do this....I;ve never seen it.

 

[Fischer]

Not impossible though. My buddy twisted his Pumpkin about 30deg. from original. Tried to have them turned back...30 Ton press and a breaker bar welded to the tube wouldn't budge it. Got a new axle, and drive train. Gears miraculousely were okay.

You may have twisted the Pumpkin just a lil bit. The two metals for the pumpkin and the housing are processed different so they can't weld them as the temp properties are different. (I believe). So they heat up the pumpkin then press in the cold housing tubes then hot rivet them at the joint. Then the pumpkin cools and shrinks and essentially seals the housing.

Look at your hot rivets and try to see if they look a bit off or sheared.

 

[410Fortune]

One question:

when did it start leaking, and what did you do to the truck before this?

 

[dave93LTD]

I had mine on a lift the other day and noticed a similar leak. (right side tube on top) Been to hell and back cross country, but only offroad twice on dirt/gravel.

 

[Grinder]

Well, my pinion seal is leaking and thats how I noticed the leakage around the tubes. The oil around the axle tubes does not appear to be comming fromt he pinion seal. I'm putting a new pinion seal in tomorrow. The oil around the tubes seems to be isolated and circles the entire tube/diff joint. My X has seen some rough stuff off road and done a couple jumps (inadvertantly). How can I check to see if the housing is straight? :redexp: