Rear Drive Axle Seal

[xltexplorer22]

How hard is it to change the rear drive axle seal? I think that's what it's called, where the rear axle connects to the differential housing. THANKS!

 

[Creager]

I am not sure what you are referring too, the seal(s) at the wheels, or the driveshaft?

If you are referring to the one at the driveshaft, I would recommend replacing the oil seal with a BCA/National unit (the expensive one), a new 8.8 crush sleeve, and a new pinion nut. These can all be had at Randy's Ring and Pinion.

You will need to know how to reset the pinion bearing preload to do this. A write up is on this site, and many others, that describe the process of setting the pinion bearing preload.

Some people simply remove/replace the seal without resetting the preload; I wouldn’t recommend that; you are jeopardizing the reliability of your rear axle doing this

 

[IZwack]

Is the seal leaking?

Rochester wooOOOoo (went to RIT).
Say xltexplorer22, I'll meet you at Dibela's. Ready set gO!

 

[xltexplorer22]

It's leaking around the edge of the rear drive axle on the drivers side. Not the ones on the wheels end or the driveshaft one. There is this one seal where the axle shaft connects into the differential housing on the side of it. That seal is leaking.