Early sign of Front Axle Seal failure?? (1 Viewer)

[Congo Cruiser]

Greetings. 1995 FZJ80. 171,000 miles. Lots of time in Africa and South America. Currently in Virginia, USA.

Guessing the photos below indicate an early sign of front axle seal failure.

Front birfields have never been serviced. Just topped off with moly.

Changed gear oil in 2016. Looks good and red. Does it make sense that it would weep down the knuckle studs like in the second photo?

This is only on the passenger side. Driver side is completely dry. Knuckle itself looks good. Just seeping down the studs.

Welcome any confirmation.

I knew this was a project fast approaching. I’m slightly intimidated, but feel up to it. Have been doing a lot more mechanical work myself over the past few years. It’s just that this will be the biggest job so far.

Time to call Cruiser Outfitters. Already have Joey’s tool and poster from Wits’ End...and lots of shop towels!

Thanks

 

[ppc]

I don't see a problem with the axle seal as the back side of the knuckle looks perfectly normal, not a bunch of goo. The red on your finger from the knuckle studs is more than likely the separation of the grease in the knuckle if the vehicle has not been driven much. What brand and type of gear oil and greases are you using.

 

[Congo Cruiser]

Appreciate the quick reply @ppc

The vehicle is not driven much. Has been a garage queen while I’ve been abroad since 2016.

Now I just drive it a a few times a week to keep things rotating. And to reach operating temp.

Mobil 1 synthetic gear oil.

A good quality moly grease - forget the brand name. Will have to look. Was a top shelf brand though.

Is it odd that it’s only the passenger side? Driver side studs are completely dry.

Thanks again.

 

[baldilocks]

The knuckle looks clean and nicely oiled. You have leaking inner axle shaft seals. My bet is that the red is washed out wheel bearing grease unless someone used a red moly grease. Either way, your junk is leaking.

Sitting around is no good for man nor machine.

 

[Congo Cruiser]

@baldilocks - thanks! Couldn’t agree more with that last sentence. Enough with sitting around! Time to get out there now that I’m home.

No red moly was used - the grease I use is Mystik hi-temp moly. It’s gray. Washed out wheel bearing grease? Ok. Makes sense. So that possibly isn’t gear oil?

I just don’t know the anatomy that well - could gear oil seep down those knuckle studs like that...with the axle housing ball still looking good?

Guessing this still means it’s time for the full service with new bearings and all?

I’m psyched to do it. A great fall project now that it’s getting cooler.

Please let me know if you think I should plan the service/rebuild based on this seeping.

And yes...I’ll be driving it more now.

 

[Oscar Witte]

I wish my knuckles looked like that...

 

[baldilocks]

I never saw red gear oil before. Maybe your transmission is leaking through your diff somehow. Ok I’m kidding about that! The wheel bearing grease that is spec’d and popular on many cars it tacky red bearing grease.

If you have never done a knuckle service and don’t know the history of your unit, then I would plan to do full service replacing all bearings, seals and would heavy consideration to also replacing the lower studs and accosiated hardware.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Knuckle looks pristine!

Maybe check the torque on the lower knuckle stud nuts.

 

[maxamillion2345]

Leaking PS from above somehow?

Personally I wouldn’t fret over those knuckles anyway. Wash em once in a while and check on em once in a while. They don’t look bad, don’t mess them up now.

 

[Congo Cruiser]

@mudgudgeon & @maxamillion2345 & others - thanks.

@baldilocks - thanks for the joke! I feel stupid as usual. Of course the Mobil 1 synthetic gear oil I used is clear, not red.

I guess this is most likely bearing grease washing out as @baldilocks said.

Knuckle studs are properly torqued.

Don’t want to overthink this or obsess. Guess I’ll clean the studs off and monitor - and drive it more (now that I’m
home).

I’ll tackle this at some point if it continues, but certainly don’t want to make things worse. Thanks all.

 

[Heckraiser]

I don't think I've ever seen a knuckle that clean before, even freshly serviced!

 

[Congo Cruiser]

Those knuckles have been in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Chile, Brazil and several others. All original. Just topped off with moly. Pretty impressive vehicle.

 

[Rifleman]

When i helped my friend do his axle seals we used moly grease on the biff's and red high temp wheel bearing grease on the wheel bearings.

About a week after doing his seals he called me saying it had started leaking again.

I ask him what was leaking, he said it looked like red oil on the same studs, as in the OP photo.

I told him when we put the brake rotors back on we put a thin wipe of wheel bearing grease on the inner wheel bearing seals, and spindle.

The wheel bearing grease we put on the seals liquefied, and ended up running down on those studs.

I had my friend clean everything off with brake cleaner, after about 2 weeks he reported it had completely stopped dripping.

So my best guess, that red oil you see is coming from your wheel bearings, and if you didn't over pack them it'll stop dripping soon.