Should I be concerned? (front axle) (1 Viewer)

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Feb 5, 2017
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Location
Carlisle, PA
I've been inspecting my recently acquired 04 LC, and tonight I took a closer look at the front axles. The PO had some work done to the right front axle 10k miles/1yr ago which I can provide more specifics on if someone things it may be related.

My question is is the gap I noticed here something I should be worried about? Can anyone educate me on exactly what I'm looking at here? It looks like this ring somehow got knocked out of place. When I got it inspected my mechanic did note that the bearings were very loose and that he tightened them (both sides)

rightAxle.JPG


Here is the left one for reference
leftAxle.JPG


I'm planning to check the hubs/bearings one of these days, if I should replace this part while I'm at it can anyone point me to a thread/video explaining that process?

Thanks!
 
Yes, you should be concerned. The work on the right front axle left it with at least a damaged grease seal for the spindle bearing and it may have been reassembled incorrectly. Behind that gap toward the wheel is the spindle bearing and hub. Water/gunk getting in there is bad and can quickly ruin the spindle bearings as well as the splines on the axle shaft and hub. You won't know what you need until you get it apart and see what's up. You'll have to remove the front hub (wheel bearings) and the axle. There is an excellent write up in the forum FAQs about the wheel bearing disassembly. A quick search should lead you to a good write up on removing an axle. Just tightening the wheel bearings is not enough!

Front Bearing Replacement

I found a good set of photos of what's behind there in this thread

CV axle question
 
Thanks, those are both helpful. It is probably helpful to include the explanation from the PO and the parts on the previously mentioned work order he gave me. I suspect I'm only getting part of the story, but it is what it is now.

My son pulled out of my driveway and didn't get a 1/4 mile when it sounded like gears grinding metal on metal, the car would still drive but he immediately pulled over and I pulled him back to house. I was not going to take a chance and had it towed to my mechanic. At first he said it was a cracked transfer case and was trying to locate a remanufactured one. Then, he called and said it wasn't cracked but everything inside needed to be replaced and referred to it as hub I'm assuming what he meant was everything inside the hub or the big part of transfer case.
Based on what you passed only I'm thinking the "transfer case drive hub" was a new hub flange, does that seem likely?

And is the thing I see in my gap the seal? Or is it a ring? Am I correct in understanding the axle should be seated further into the knuckle?

parts.png
 
The dust shield is missing.
Many after market axles do not come with the dust shield so that is likley what happens if the axel was replaced with non oem.
The dust shield is just that, it shields the seal from dust sand and debris, so the need for concern would depend on where the vehicle is driven.
 
The dust shield is missing.
Many after market axles do not come with the dust shield so that is likley what happens if the axel was replaced with non oem.
The dust shield is just that, it shields the seal from dust sand and debris, so the need for concern would depend on where the vehicle is driven.
I believe that was the case - a non OEM axle. I'm going to be taking it offroad so I want to get this corrected. Am I going to need a whole new OEM axle or can I get just a dust shield?

It looks like there is a piece floating around in there as well, are you guys seeing that?

I have not noticed any noise, vibrations, or anything out of the ordinary.
 
My gap is not as wide as the OP's but would this cause the same concerns?

20170329_215222.jpg
 
Driver side... should there be a rubber gasket between the hub and axle?

20170329_215305.jpg
 

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