Would someone be able to verify that this is a inner axle seal that has given out?! (1 Viewer)

[Beej]

It probably is failed but to answer your original question, you can pull the fill cap off the front diff and stick you finger in there. You can kind of tell the difference between old gear oil and old gear oil with grease in it.

Knuckle rebuild takes forever and is extremely messy. Lots of good info in search. Seems like its a rite of passage for LC owners. BUT its not an emergency repair necessarily so dont freak out.

 

[landcruisertx]

It probably is failed but to answer your original question, you can pull the fill cap off the front diff and stick you finger in there. You can kind of tell the difference between old gear oil and old gear oil with grease in it.

Knuckle rebuild takes forever and is extremely messy. Lots of good info in search. Seems like its a rite of passage for LC owners. BUT its not an emergency repair necessarily so dont freak out.

Thank you, It is a daily driver so I will just assume it is busted and I will proceed with a full front end rebuild asap.

 

[ariff]

Yeah time for a rebuild.. I am in the same boat with my 93 and have been driving with it like yours is for several months. I do pump some grease in the fill hole every once in a while. I have my parts from Kurt as well (Great guy and fast service) I just need a nice weekend to do the job. You may want to also check out your tie rod ends and drag links as well as this is a good time to replace those.. Mine needed it and Cruiser Outfitters has a nice affordable kit to do those as well.. Good luck!

 

[landcruisertx]

Yeah time for a rebuild.. I am in the same boat with my 93 and have been driving with it like yours is for several months. I do pump some grease in the fill hole every once in a while. I have my parts from Kurt as well (Great guy and fast service) I just need a nice weekend to do the job. You may want to also check out your tie rod ends and drag links as well as this is a good time to replace those.. Mine needed it and Cruiser Outfitters has a nice affordable kit to do those as well.. Good luck!

I just had my tie rods and drag links redone. Good luck with yours too!

 

[Rifleman]

So when I will be rebuilding the front birfields I will need a birfield rebuilt kit, and what else do I need to buy?

I'm surprised no one else brought this up, Don't forget to buy a 6 pack of your favorite adult beverage. Nothing like sitting back admiring your handy work with an ice cold beer!

 

[ccslider]

You will also need a front end poster and a t-shirt @NLXTACY

 

[landcruisertx]

I'm surprised no one else brought this up, Don't forget to buy a 6 pack of your favorite adult beverage. Nothing like sitting back admiring your handy work with an ice cold beer!

That is the best advice I have received so far

 

[pawnthatdude]

You will also need a front end poster and a t-shirt @NLXTACY

Yup, unbelievably useful. Wish the upside down version would have been available at the time.

 

[Beej]

I am so glad i never have to do this for the first time again.

 

[BILT4ME]

@80lover :

Great to have you here! I posted the answer to your PM her, so that it may help others like yourself in their hours of searching.

My LC was my neighbor's son's first car. Unfortunately, he was NOT as mechanically inclined as you are.

First of all, reference points. When I refer to the left side of something, it is as if your are sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle. Even though you are under the hood, looking at the engine, the brake booster is on the LEFT side of the truck, even though when you're looking at it , it is on your right. Make sense?

Doing searches is an excellent way to find a lot of the info. Go to the upper right, just below the "Inbox" tab and enter what you are looking for. Be vague first, then work at narrowing it down. Not everyone labels their posts accurately.

Anyway.....On to it.
The vent is on the left top of the front axle. There is a 90° fitting that screws into the top of the axle housing. There is a hose that attaches to it and leads up to the left frame rail to an aluminum box about 3" x 4". That is the vent housing.

Most of us bypass the vent housing because it's easy.

Remove the hose from the 90° fitting and unscrew the fitting. Using brake cleaner and a pick, clean both ends of the fitting so you can easily blow through it. Do the same for the hole in the from axle that you removed the fitting from. Frequently, the old grease (differential oil) hardens into that opening and blocks the airflow. The opening on mine was blocked and could not allow air in/out. Clean it out with a pick, trying to NOT drop the junk and crap into the hole. Do NOT spray brake cleaner into the hole. You can spray it on a rag and wipe around the hole.

Reinstall the fitting in the hole.

Buy 6 ft of 1/4" ID Fuel hose from your local FLAPS (Friendly Local Auto Parts Store)
Buy (1) 1/4" fuel filter (Can be a cheap one)
Buy at least (3) hose clamps to fit the hose listed above.

Install the hose on the end of the fitting and secure with a hose clamp.

Route the new hose up the left side to the frame rail and up the left side to the engine side of the brake booster. Make sure that you leave enough slack at the bottom for the axle to do a full drop and not rip off the hose.

Install the fuel filter so it is in the vertical position on the RIGHT side of the brake booster, right next to the firewall. Secure it with a hose clamp.

Install another length of hose to bring the end over the top of the booster and so the hose terminates pointing down on the left side of the booster. Secure that end to SOMETHING with a zip tie or one of those rubber lined slide over clamps and attach it to the firewall with a screw.
Make sure the end of the hose is pointing down.
Make sure the filter is in the vertical position (so any oil residue can drain back to the axle).
Make sure the hos is not routed in such a manner that it will get pinched, cut, burned, and ripped off during normal operation and full flex of the front axle.

The remaining factory vent box and hose can just stay on there if you want, or you can remove it.

Good Luck!

 

[landcruisertx]

@80lover :

Great to have you here! I posted the answer to your PM her, so that it may help others like yourself in their hours of searching.

My LC was my neighbor's son's first car. Unfortunately, he was NOT as mechanically inclined as you are.

First of all, reference points. When I refer to the left side of something, it is as if your are sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle. Even though you are under the hood, looking at the engine, the brake booster is on the LEFT side of the truck, even though when you're looking at it , it is on your right. Make sense?

Doing searches is an excellent way to find a lot of the info. Go to the upper right, just below the "Inbox" tab and enter what you are looking for. Be vague first, then work at narrowing it down. Not everyone labels their posts accurately.
View attachment 1816766

Anyway.....On to it.
The vent is on the left top of the front axle. There is a 90° fitting that screws into the top of the axle housing. There is a hose that attaches to it and leads up to the left frame rail to an aluminum box about 3" x 4". That is the vent housing.

Most of us bypass the vent housing because it's easy.

Remove the hose from the 90° fitting and unscrew the fitting. Using brake cleaner and a pick, clean both ends of the fitting so you can easily blow through it. Do the same for the hole in the from axle that you removed the fitting from. Frequently, the old grease (differential oil) hardens into that opening and blocks the airflow. The opening on mine was blocked and could not allow air in/out. Clean it out with a pick, trying to NOT drop the junk and crap into the hole. Do NOT spray brake cleaner into the hole. You can spray it on a rag and wipe around the hole.

Reinstall the fitting in the hole.

Buy 6 ft of 1/4" ID Fuel hose from your local FLAPS (Friendly Local Auto Parts Store)
Buy (1) 1/4" fuel filter (Can be a cheap one)
Buy at least (3) hose clamps to fit the hose listed above.

Install the hose on the end of the fitting and secure with a hose clamp.

Route the new hose up the left side to the frame rail and up the left side to the engine side of the brake booster. Make sure that you leave enough slack at the bottom for the axle to do a full drop and not rip off the hose.

Install the fuel filter so it is in the vertical position on the RIGHT side of the brake booster, right next to the firewall. Secure it with a hose clamp.

Install another length of hose to bring the end over the top of the booster and so the hose terminates pointing down on the left side of the booster. Secure that end to SOMETHING with a zip tie or one of those rubber lined slide over clamps and attach it to the firewall with a screw.
Make sure the end of the hose is pointing down.
Make sure the filter is in the vertical position (so any oil residue can drain back to the axle).
Make sure the hos is not routed in such a manner that it will get pinched, cut, burned, and ripped off during normal operation and full flex of the front axle.

The remaining factory vent box and hose can just stay on there if you want, or you can remove it.

Good Luck!

Thank you, I was wondering if I could use an ARB diff breather without including a fuel filter?

 

[BILT4ME]

Thank you, I was wondering if I could use an ARB diff breather without including a fuel filter?

Yes, you can if you want to spend the money! Can mount it in the same location. Do a search for ARB Breather and I know you'll find some pics.