Leaking axle seal?

[flipmode]

Update: Took it back to the shop so they could take more photos for Mopar and report to them. I've included the photos here:

It appears there may be enough of a machining error (arrow) on the housing to cause a leak- what are your thoughts? The service adviser and tech I am working with have claimed I am leaking about 1/4 quart a week- seems like a lot more than what appears on my wheel.

Update: so after some time waiting for parts, the dealership has received and is tasked by Mopar (or whoever) to replace the following:

• 68474093AA
• 68401295AA
• 68538462AA
• 68474094AA
• 68378949AA

To be honest I'm a very skeptical to have the dealer replace more than air in a tire, so I'll report back here to see if this repair/rebuild makes things worse or corrects the defect causing the leak.

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[ShadowsPapa]

Update: so after some time waiting for parts, the dealership has received and is tasked by Mopar (or whoever) to replace the following:

• 68474093AA
• 68401295AA
• 68538462AA
• 68474094AA
• 68378949AA

To be honest I'm a very skeptical to have the dealer replace more than air in a tire, so I'll report back here to see if this repair/rebuild makes things worse or corrects the defect causing the leak.

So they are replacing the housing, ring and pinion, the cover, and axle?

They are replacing it in pieces, and not an entire assembly?
I hope they know how to build an assembly from parts or a kit - and they can set up that ring and pinion in the differential housing from scratch.
It's not a job I'd trust to every "mechanic".

 

[flipmode]

So they are replacing the housing, ring and pinion, the cover, and axle?

They are replacing it in pieces, and not an entire assembly?
I hope they know how to build an assembly from parts or a kit - and they can set up that ring and pinion in the differential housing from scratch.
It's not a job I'd trust to every "mechanic".

I know, I'm a bit concerned.

Short of removing the diff cover and replacing all the fluid after I pick it up, how can I tell if the gears were installed properly?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I know, I'm a bit concerned.

Short of removing the diff cover and replacing all the fluid after I pick it up, how can I tell if the gears were installed properly?

Sound will be the one big indication - listen for whine, or a noisy differential or excessive "clunking".

New gears - don't tow with it right away, if you even do.

Otherwise, it's a matter of hoping the backlash is proper, pinion depth is proper, carrier preload, pinion preload and so on.
I guess I'm paranoid - it's an area some are excellent at and can do it in their sleep, they can quote the specs for almost any differential ever made, they are just really good. Others - well, even after a quarter in college on drivetrains and differential setup, some just struggled with it.
Am I a pro? LOL - no, but I get 'em done and I know when to look at the book if I have a doubt about something, and I know what NOT to do.

I watched one of those restoration shows on TV a long while back - they were restoring a classic car for a guy. One of the shop employees was tasked with rebuilding the rear axle, new bearings, seals, etc. - re-using the original gears. It should have been pretty straight forward but when he got it together, it was bound up, he couldn't turn the pinion. Another guy walked over to see what was going on - oh, you have the shims in on the wrong side.............
I wonder how many would have buttoned it up, put it under the car and called it good? And this was a restoration shop.
And when a friend brought me the limited slip out of his custom built Rambler American - he said an axle guy in Kenosha rebuilt the differential for him and installed it up there. He got a few miles out of town and blew the pinion bearings. And I mean BLEW. All that was left of the bearings were pieces.
They took it back, he wanted to get home so they swapped his original differential back under the car. He brought me the limited slip to figure out what went wrong, and fix it up for him (he lives about 30 minutes from me)
I didn't know where to start as far as what I found wrong. Even the limited slip inside the carrier was all wrong. Things were in the wrong order - supposedly that part the guy put a clutch kit in - but some of the plates were blue, in the wrong places.
So when I see something like that come from an axle guy............

Your shop may be great - they may have a guy who knows his xxxx on those things, some do.


Here's from a book on differential gear setup - and an example of the one from my SX4 -

This is a good wear pattern. Very much centered, and even the length of the tooth as well as height of the tooth -

Maybe hard to tell from this pic - I can't find the others I took of the rear differential from my car. It has over 193,000 miles on it. I rebuilt it a far as bearings and seals at about 190,000 when I took the pictures. The wear pattern for a gear nearing 200,000 miles is very good.

 

[Mojave2021]

Update: so after some time waiting for parts, the dealership has received and is tasked by Mopar (or whoever) to replace the following:

• 68474093AA
• 68401295AA
• 68538462AA
• 68474094AA
• 68378949AA

To be honest I'm a very skeptical to have the dealer replace more than air in a tire, so I'll report back here to see if this repair/rebuild makes things worse or corrects the defect causing the leak.

I would highly recommend calling your dealer back to ask them to order the full rear housing assembly. Trusting your dealer to assemble one seems like a giant risk to me. So far the full assembly replacement has worked for me.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I would highly recommend calling your dealer back to ask them to order the full rear housing assembly. Trusting your dealer to assemble one seems like a giant risk to me. So far the full assembly replacement has worked for me.

If you think about costs from the dealer perspective - think of the time, hourly rate, to put one together from parts vs. the whole assembly replacement.

Sounds like a good suggestion.
It seems like most have actually been replacing the whole thing as an assembly and not building one from parts.

 

[bd100]

Looks like I'd better wait on the control arm and shock skids until after the axle is fixed first. Don't want the dealer throwing them away or blaming the problem on the skids.

 

[flipmode]

So they are replacing the housing, ring and pinion, the cover, and axle?

They are replacing it in pieces, and not an entire assembly?
I hope they know how to build an assembly from parts or a kit - and they can set up that ring and pinion in the differential housing from scratch.
It's not a job I'd trust to every "mechanic".

The story I just got: they were unable to procure an entire rear end assembly- so they ordered as many parts as possible to replace and fix. Mopar directed them to replace the differential gears, not really sure why.

Current status is at the ring gear: they are unable to unmarry the ring gear from the carrier, so they ordered a new carrier and will replace that too.

I'll be surprised if this thing moves, let alone drives, after this people are done with it.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The story I just got was they were unable to procure an entire rear end assembly- so they ordered as many parts as possible to replace and fix. Mopar directed them to replace the differential gears, not really sure why.

Current status is at the ring gear: they are unable to unmarry the ring gear from the carrier, so they ordered a new carrier and will replace that too.

I'll be surprised if this thing moves, let alone drives, after this people are done with it.

They can be snug once the bolts are out, but there are ways around that, too. Well, better that than they mess up the carrier trying to get things apart and then give it back with something dinged up.

 

[flipmode]

They can be snug once the bolts are out, but there are ways around that, too. Well, better that than they mess up the carrier trying to get things apart and then give it back with something dinged up.

Agreed,

 

[pm4045]

watching

 

[bd100]

I am told: "Nationwide back-order" and they won't do the full axle unless there is internal damage.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I am told: "Nationwide back-order" and they won't do the full axle unless there is internal damage.

So they just keep slipping the same old axle shaft into place and you return 5 months later with another leak at the same axle...........

Some are getting the whole thing, the proof is in some of the posts here. Or at least they were until just the last few weeks.

 

[flipmode]

The story I just got: they were unable to procure an entire rear end assembly- so they ordered as many parts as possible to replace and fix. Mopar directed them to replace the differential gears, not really sure why.

Current status is at the ring gear: they are unable to unmarry the ring gear from the carrier, so they ordered a new carrier and will replace that too.

I'll be surprised if this thing moves, let alone drives, after this people are done with it.

Update: The gears whine louder than the engine at highway speeds. Also, the differential cover is leaking/wicking oil up the outside of the cover.

I've emailed the dealership with photos and notes about my frustrations, I've also reached out to @JeepCares in this forum. Is there any other recourse you guys can recommend to get this resolved?

 

[t-bot]

Looks like I just joined this club today. Was rotating the tires and noticed fluid on the right rear.
Contacted dealership to schedule diagnosis.

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