leaking rear axle seal

[NickStorey]

Hey guys,

I have an 05 XLT 4x4 with 150kms, Just within the last week I noticed some oil dripping in my driveway, no more than like 5 drops per 8 hours/overnight it was parked in one spot. took it to a quick lube place and they said its my rear axle seal, and since its 4 wheel ind. suspension, they have to remove the entire rear end essentially to get to it. so Im looking at like 6 hours of labour and parts around the $700-$800 mark. he then went on to say just top it up whenever its low, but that means checking it once maybe twice a month, and thats with oil dripping all over my driveway, I want a more permanent fix.

what I wanna know is am I being snowed here? is that BS?

I was reading online and I found a product called ATP AT205 its a sealer designed for this sort of thing, I tried a similar product from my local auto parts store with mediocre results, apparently people swear by this particular product. I have yet to find it in person at a local shop, so before I go buying it online I wanted to know if anyone has firsthand exp. with it?

 

[Donystoy]

I hope you are not having a quick lube joint do this kind of work on your vehicle.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=318515&highlight=replace+rear+axle+seals

 

[jcinor]

Rear Diff leak is a common problem for your year. The seal is a 2 piece type that has been changed since then. I got my new seals from Amazon, but Napa also has them for about 30 US dollars. To replace the seals, the axles must be pulled, that takes 30 min per side, seals need to be pulled with slide hammer, or hammered out but you could damage the case with the latter. I used a pipe over my seal driver to set the new seal, it took me 2 hours total the first time I did it.

There is a post on the site with pics that show how to do it.

JC

 

[esclamada]

I got quoted for $250 for the rear axle seal replacement maybe 5 years ago. $700-$800 seems high for me.

When I did mine, it took a while since I have difficulty removing the ball joint (tie rod end) I have to use a knuckle spreader to take it out. The knuckle and axle need to be taken out so maybe 3-6 hours.


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[imp]

"Leak-Stop"

Oil seals are made of rubber. Additive products are sold widely to stop leaking seals. These products contain materials which cause the rubber to swell, thus hopefully creating a better grip on the rotating shaft.

Sometimes, they actually work, but if they do, the "fix" rarely lasts for a long time, as the solvents contained in such "leak-stops" also soften the rubber, making it rather "mushy".

The amount of active material contained is relatively small, so lubricating qualities of the oil are not adversely affected.

It can't hurt to try, as it's a lot easier fix than $700-800. Occasionally, oil seals leak around their outside diameter, the metal part, in which case stop-leak is useless. imp