Help identify this fluid inside my rear brake shroud

[Bigham]

Rotated my tires and I noticed a fluid had leaked down into the inside bottom of the reak brake shroud. Checked the brakes and they are not leaking. Where could this fluid be coming from?

 

[X6StringerX]

It could be gear oil from a leaky axle seal. Did you smell it? Gear oil has a very distinctive smell. It is almost fish-like.

 

[FordGT55]

If its not brake fluid it has to be the gear oil. Is it dark and a thick oil? And as Stringer said it does have a very distinct smell.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Pull the rear wheel- if it's inside the rim, it's the axle seal...

 

[Bigham]

it does have a weird smell and it is slippery to the touch

 

[RomeovilleIL]

it does have a weird smell and it is slippery to the touch

That may become a regularly quoted post.

 

[Joe Dirt]

You're right...

 

[drdoom]

Joe, I had a wheel that looked like that, it was the axle seal leaking. I replaced them both and the bearings, cleaned the ABS sensor and filled it back up with LUCAS synthetic.

 

[Bigham]

Pull the rear wheel- if it's inside the rim, it's the axle seal...

mine is just a little dribble inside the shroud, nothing like this. Is this what it will turn in to?

How much to repair? Is this a do it yourself job?

 

[5.0L V8]

Outer axle tube seals are fairly easy. Just need a seal puller i believe. I have yet to try inner tube seals, seems alot harder.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Replace the outer wheel bearings when you replace the seals. No sense of draining the diff & pulling the axles twice.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Agree with Dan- not a bad job, definitely a DIY-able repair. If the axle seal is leaking, yes, that is what it will turn into...

 

[deweyville65]

Where are the inner tube seals. I didn't know there were any. If there were, the gear oil can't get to the bearings to lube them.

 

[bobflood]

Agree with Dan and JoeDirt - Also, consider doing both sides (bearings and seals) while you are at it for same reason.
Also +1 for Dewey - Not aware of any "inner" axle tube seals for reason stated above.

 

[slickemhoundd]

If you did not know what you were doing you could still very easily get both axle seals done within an hour and a half m

 

[Joe Dirt]

If I had no idea what I was doing, I certainly wouldn't tie myself to an hour an a half.

 

[deweyville65]

An hour and a half? You must be some flat rate wizard. Seriously though, it s not a hard job to change the seals and bearings. But having the proper tools helps a bunch, and having taken the spider gears out before will help. I would plan on 2-3 hours. And, if you can get the truck up on a lift, will be a big help.

 

[RomeovilleIL]

When you pull the axles to replace the seals is a very good time to overhaul the parking brakes. With the axles out cleaning up the parts and installing new shoes is easy. Bonus is the parts are cheap.

 

[bobflood]

When you pull the axles to replace the seals is a very good time to overhaul the parking brakes. With the axles out cleaning up the parts and installing new shoes is easy. Bonus is the parts are cheap.

+1 on this also!! MUCH easier job with the hubs out!!

 

[drdoom]

True, Romeo...I forgot to put that in my post, but I rebuilt the parking brakes which looked like they were pulled up from a shipwreck. And I did the disc brakes also, did everything at the same time. Bob is right, those parking brakes would have been a dog with the axles in.