Front Diff (Dana35 IFS) Leak?

[mrd]

I've heard these front diffs look like they're leaking sometimes but they're OK.. so I'm wondering.. is this OK?

 

[Mbrooks420]

I'm not sure when they updated it, but the vent on the front diff was known to spit a little fluid out if driven in reverse at good clip. I know the 96's had this problem. Usually it just looked like seepage, and a dark spot. Yours looks fairly wet. Does it apear to be coming out of the input shaft, or a point above it?

 

[zhanx]

take a picture of it or stop over and help you with it i live right on post

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Looks a little wet. I would suspect the gasket by the way it looks. Usually a leaky pinion seal will leak from the seal back onto the driveshaft or just around the seal -- this goes all over the place on the bottom. Check your fluid to make sure your not running too low. Good luck

-Drew

 

[Hartman]

That too wet to be caused by the pinion seal, but yet I don't know how a gasket leak could spray fluid all the way onto the crossmember like that....

 

[410Fortune]

looks about normal to me for a higher mileage d35 center section, however it does look like the piniopn seal is toast = bearing failure coming up
Fix it now or fix it more later.

 

[mynameisaric]

i am reviving this thread because i JUST encountered this problem and the truck is not driveable. i might put this in 911 but just figured i'd use an already existing post. i took off from a stop and the tires spun(brown wire) and then clunking pop that was fairly loud. it still drove alright for the next block. made a right hand turn ok and then when i went to park in front of my sister's apartments(tight turn to get into the spot) it started grinding (no noise, but i could feel it) and it was very difficult to park(3 point turn where i could usually crank the wheel) my dad came out and i had him sit shotgun and i pulled forward(no car in front of me) and when turning it ground to a hault and didn't want to push it further) went to put it in reverse to park it again, and as soon as i gave it throttle POP(louder than the first). put it in neutral and pushed it back in with no problems. the wheels turn just fine. got out and checked the cv shafts and tie rods. they (both sides) felt firm and not loose or anything. both driveshafts feel firm and not loose or wobbly. the only thing i can visually see wrong is the front diff looks like it is leaking fluid, but its raining out, but everything around it is dry. any ideas? i cnat drive it. i'm thinkin the spider gears blew up or sumthing and they are jamming, but i dont know. thats just my uneducated guess.