Leaking axle seal?

[ShadowsPapa]

No one is yelling.
That's the problem with fakebook, forums and written word. It's an emphasis on terms, not yelling. Maybe bold would be better but the key for caps is faster than highlighting then going up and clicking on a B icon..........
When younger people move into the automotive manufacturing parts positions they over time change terms. Saying axle - axle is a shaft, they have been using the term "axle assembly" to refer to the differential or differential assembly.
But if you go out and say "I'm going to swap axles" - you are replacing one axle shaft with another on one side.
Huge difference when you order parts or ask how to do something - like "how do I change the axle". For that you pull a wheel, pull the nuts that hold the retainer and slide the axle out (generally speaking)

No one seems to be specific with terms when seeking help on fakebook and it leads to tons of confusion out there and strings of messages 40 posts long instead of 10.

I gotta ask - until I came to this forum I have never seen "axle" spelled "axel" which was always a guy's name. Is that a regional thing?

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[rharr]

Axle parts:
Axle housing
Axle shafts
Differential.

Not much to them.

Seal leaks you pull the axle shaft press off the bearing slide on new seal repress bearing put shaft back in axle tube.

Not rocket science but it seems dealers and less mechanical people like to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

 

[Gladman]

Axle parts:
Axle housing
Axle shafts
Differential.

Not much to them.

Seal leaks you pull the axle shaft press off the bearing slide on new seal repress bearing put shaft back in axle tube.

Not rocket science but it seems dealers and less mechanical people like to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

Except in this case the confusion for the rear axle is that the seal can’t be replaced independent of the axle shaft - not economically at least. So the shaft with seal assembly is the repair.

 

[just_another_guy]

No one is yelling.
That's the problem with fakebook, forums and written word. It's an emphasis on terms, not yelling. Maybe bold would be better but the key for caps is faster than highlighting then going up and clicking on a B icon..........
When younger people move into the automotive manufacturing parts positions they over time change terms. Saying axle - axle is a shaft, they have been using the term "axle assembly" to refer to the differential or differential assembly.
But if you go out and say "I'm going to swap axles" - you are replacing one axle shaft with another on one side.
Huge difference when you order parts or ask how to do something - like "how do I change the axle". For that you pull a wheel, pull the nuts that hold the retainer and slide the axle out (generally speaking)

No one seems to be specific with terms when seeking help on fakebook and it leads to tons of confusion out there and strings of messages 40 posts long instead of 10.

I gotta ask - until I came to this forum I have never seen "axle" spelled "axel" which was always a guy's name. Is that a regional thing?

You are the only person I've ever seen who calls an axle assembly (housing, diff, and shafts) a "differential".

 

[rharr]

Except in this case the confusion for the rear axle is that the seal can’t be replaced independent of the axle shaft - not economically at least. So the shaft with seal assembly is the repair.

My point, goofy dealers and corporations determining it makes more financial sense to replace a 25 dollar seal with a 350 dollar shaft assembly....

The M220 axle isn't the first axle you have to press the bearing off the shaft to replace the seal. Lots of other axles (ford 9" is similar)

Another reason they maybe shipping whole axle shaft assemblies is because they can get the individual seal due to supply chain issues... I vague reading watching a video about that...

What are they doing with the old shafts? Will they give them back to you to reseal yourself and carry a spare while wheeling?

 

[DankjeeP]

First off, why are you yelling at me?? i was one of the ones wondering where you have been but not anymore lol
and second go yell at quadratec or mopar for calling this an axel assembly. if you read through the thread some people where saying the dealer was having to replace the whole assembly and some where having just the seal and shaft replaced. i'm just asking if there are some identifying marks on the outside of the assembly to make sure (if the dealer replaces it) its the same one. So since you are someone who knows a lot maybe you can answer my question.

I've never heard the whole assembly called a differential personally. This is the differential.

View attachment 154402 To call the whole assembly a differential would be a misnomer IMHO. You could have a full time locker like a Detroit for example that defeats the whole "differential" aspect of the axle assembly completely. Then there is the front solid axle in a 2WD that has no differential at all, or a trailer for example.

 

[Gladman]

My point, goofy dealers and corporations determining it makes more financial sense to replace a 25 dollar seal with a 350 dollar shaft assembly....

The M220 axle isn't the first axle you have to press the bearing off the shaft to replace the seal. Lots of other axles (ford 9" is similar)

Another reason they maybe shipping whole axle shaft assemblies is because they can get the individual seal due to supply chain issues... I vague reading watching a video about that...

What are they doing with the old shafts? Will they give them back to you to reseal yourself and carry a spare while wheeling?

Agreed, it can be done by anyone with basic mechanical knowledge and skill; and yes these corps make the call.
As far as retaining the axle I believe under the terms of warranty the manufacturer is entitled to keep the damaged/used parts. if it is a non warranty repair then yes, the customer is entitled to the used parts.

 

[Renegade]

My point, goofy dealers and corporations determining it makes more financial sense to replace a 25 dollar seal with a 350 dollar shaft assembly....

The M220 axle isn't the first axle you have to press the bearing off the shaft to replace the seal. Lots of other axles (ford 9" is similar)

Another reason they maybe shipping whole axle shaft assemblies is because they can get the individual seal due to supply chain issues... I vague reading watching a video about that...

What are they doing with the old shafts? Will they give them back to you to reseal yourself and carry a spare while wheeling?

I would venture to guess that Dana/Spicer is supplying warrantied parts to Jeep for free under their supplier contract. If so, it’s much more economical for Jeep to just slap in a new shaft than it is to spend the time replacing a seal and bearing on an axle shaft.

 

[Bumpy Ride]

I would venture to guess that Dana/Spicer is supplying warrantied parts to Jeep for free under their supplier contract. If so, it’s much more economical for Jeep to just slap in a new shaft than it is to spend the time replacing a seal and bearing on an axle shaft.

Yep… I got a whole new rear axle. Took about 7 business days. Arrived in the crate!

 

[NYC-4X4]

Can someone help me out here? Mine was ordered 01/05/21, took delivery 02/20/21 so I definitely fall in the gap where people are seeing this. After seeing this thread I figured I would take a look and saw this:

I am not entirely sure if this looks like what others are experiencing. Can someone chime in here? I brought it to the dealer for another issue and told them to look into this too and their response was that it’s just a rust stain. But, I find it odd to be just on this corner of the truck.

Furthermore, the time in which everyone is getting their axles replaced is bugging me. I have been waiting 6 weeks now for an entire front differential and axle assembly (for a different issue) to be replaced and after badgering the dealer weekly they have no timeframe at all on it. I understand it’s a different part (front, not rear) and parts are scarce right now, but does this sound normal?

 

[cb4017]

Can someone help me out here? Mine was ordered 01/05/21, took delivery 02/20/21 so I definitely fall in the gap where people are seeing this. After seeing this thread I figured I would take a look and saw this:

I am not entirely sure if this looks like what others are experiencing. Can someone chime in here? I brought it to the dealer for another issue and told them to look into this too and their response was that it’s just a rust stain. But, I find it odd to be just on this corner of the truck.

Furthermore, the time in which everyone is getting their axles replaced is bugging me. I have been waiting 6 weeks now for an entire front differential and axle assembly (for a different issue) to be replaced and after badgering the dealer weekly they have no timeframe at all on it. I understand it’s a different part (front, not rear) and parts are scarce right now, but does this sound normal?

To me looks more like it got wet (water) and collected dust. I would just clean it up and keep an eye on it.

 

[WXman]

Picked up my Gladiator from the service department and drove it home 60 miles this afternoon. Looked under it when I got home and did not see any fluid. I'll check it again in a few days.

Something did occur to me on the way home. When I had a Nissan Frontier I remember talk of the D44 axles springing seal leaks because the breather vents would get clogged.

So in the morning I'm going to do two things.
- pull the fill plug to make sure it's not over filled.
- check the breather hose to make sure it's not kinked or otherwise clogged.

Just thinking out loud.

You may be onto something here. I remember my Frontier blowing the seal on one side at around 10,000 miles. Dealer replaced both sides under warranty, and I immediately did the vent hose mod that all the Nissan guys were doing where you route a section of hose off a straight through threaded stud to a high location and then terminate with a small fuel filter or something similar to keep insects out.

Never saw a leak after that.

Another trend I'm noticing. Most of the leaks seem to be on the HD axles, Max Tow and Rubicon.

Do the wide-track axles and the standard axles share the same style pressure vent?

 

[Killroy Was Here]

You may be onto something here. I remember my Frontier blowing the seal on one side at around 10,000 miles. Dealer replaced both sides under warranty, and I immediately did the vent hose mod that all the Nissan guys were doing where you route a section of hose off a straight through threaded stud to a high location and then terminate with a small fuel filter or something similar to keep insects out.

Never saw a leak after that.



Do the wide-track axles and the standard axles share the same style pressure vent?

If you hadn't happened to see it before, check out my earlier post on page 5, #74 of this thread about the restrictive vent hose cap on the rear axle.

After discovering this restriction, I had been running the truck with the vent cap assy. completely removed from the axle vent hose for about three weeks & approx. 1,000 miles until I could get it into the dealer for the seal repair.
Coincidentally the leak almost completely stopped during that time frame. It never did actually drip onto the backside of the wheel, so for whatever it's worth, I believe this restrictive vent is a major contributor to this rash of leaking rear axles.

Just got my Mojave back from the dealer yesterday after they replaced the axle shaft w/bearing & seal assy.
Before reinstalling the vent cap last night, out of curiosity I opened it up again to see about cutting a slit in the paper membrane to allow easier venting, and hopefully prevent any future leak issues.
The picture below is a new discovery that the body of the vent is packed, and I mean VERY tightly packed with a heavy felt material.

It's no wonder that it's almost impossible to blow, or draw any air through the rear axle vent hose. All I can figure is they did this in case you would drive through extremely high water to prevent it from flooding the axle housing.

Since I have no plans on installing a periscope, and converting my truck into a submarine any time soon, I removed all but a very little of this heavy felt from the vent cap.
Now it will pass vented air as it should when the gear lube expands & contracts from thermal cycling when driving. I feel pretty certain that this will eliminate any future seal leakage from pressure buildup. We'll see.

 

[WXman]

If my Gladiator makes it home from the dealership in TN with no leaks, I will pull the vent and go to the hardware store to match up the thread pitch and install a straight through stud so I can route a hose up high like the good ol' days.

 

[JRobes]

If my Gladiator makes it home from the dealership in TN with no leaks, I will pull the vent and go to the hardware store to match up the thread pitch and install a straight through stud so I can route a hose up high like the good ol' days.

Good to hear you're back in a JT. Did you trade in the Ram?

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