fluid leaking from front wheel

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DirtScaresMe

DirtScaresMe

Trouble Maker
10 Year
Joined
Oct 8, 2015
Threads
34
Messages
593
Location
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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facebook.com
Hopefully you guys can tell me how screwed I am. It's not grease (I think) because it decidedly "fluid"-ish. Winter's coming up here so I'd love to get this fixed before I *really* need my 4x4. FZJ-80.

I'm assuming it's no good to drive on this, certainly not for distance or off road. ?

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Axle rebuild time! You probably "can" drive on it like that for months if not years, but nobody here will recommend it.
 
Knuckle reseal time, if you need to significantly drive it, check, fill, make sure it has some grease in it.
 
My magic 8 ball predicts this is in your future!

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Awesome guys, thanks. So I can still drive the mile or so back and forth to town as long as I don't ignore it. Is there a kit I should buy and hand to my mechanic? I'm partially handy, but full time job / two kids I don't see myself doing it.
 
You can drive it, but the gear oil will be washing the grease out of the CV joint, damaging it eventually.

@cruiseroutfit will hook you up.
 
DirtScaresMe said:
Awesome guys, thanks. So I can still drive the mile or so back and forth to town as long as I don't ignore it. Is there a kit I should buy and hand to my mechanic? I'm partially handy, but full time job / two kids I don't see myself doing it.
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@cruiseroutfit and beno can set you up. Not a job I would "hand off" to anyone. Best to do it yourself to learn and know it's done right. Many steps, but quite doable. Plan on 2-3 days for your first time.
 
ewillis said:
@cruiseroutfit and beno can set you up. Not a job I would "hand off" to anyone. Best to do it yourself to learn and know it's done right. Many steps, but quite doable. Plan on 2-3 days for your first time.
Click to expand...

I wish i had the time. Two small kids, traveling for work, etc. 2 days to work on any project is years off. I've learned this the hardway by half finished projects scattered about.
 
DirtScaresMe said:
I wish i had the time. Two small kids, traveling for work, etc. 2 days to work on any project is years off. I've learned this the hardway by half finished projects scattered about.
Click to expand...

I get it. You'll be paying quite a sum to have someone complete this job. Not many shops in the Mammoth area. As said above, you could drive it for quite some time by simply adding grease to the knuckles and fluid in the diff. I would spend some time reading and planning, you could do it next spring when the snow melts.

 
How old are your kids? Can they help? My wife just gives me a few hours here and there to work in the garage and stuff gets done over time
 
It's a messy job and takes some patience to get it done right but can be very satisfying. Research it first so you know what you need as far as tools, grease, parts etc. I'm not sure whether any other Mud members are close but consider reaching out in your local area to see if anyone might be able to help guide you through the process.

As stated above it isn't a catastrophic item at this point but can become one if neglected. Make sure the studs that hold your steering arms to the bottom of the knuckles are tight and plenty of grease in your knuckle.
 
Just keep adding grease to the knuckle and checking the diff fluid level. It will take you 10 minutes per week to make sure things are fine. Then plan a weekend for your wife and kids to go to a hotel and go swimming and have fun without you. Work on it and get it done.

It'll cost you an easy $1200 in labor to have it done by a mechanic. Less than that and they don't know what they are getting in to and won't do it right.

Another note. Slow the eff down. Quit traveling so much for work! Spend more time with your cruiser and family. You live in Mammoth for crying out loud! :)
 
Could be your brake lines/caliper crapped the bed too. Doubtful, but always a chance. If that's the case, then no I wouldn't even risk the 1 mile commute.
 
Yup, time for a rebuild. Some considerations if you're going to tackle the project yourself or want to be armed with some knowledge for you drop it at a shop:
Cruiser Outfitters
 
You need to replace your inner oil seal... Your diff oil is seeping through the knuckles. Easy task but messy. Watch that YouTube video above...

Just did my driver side yesterday.

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Don't forget to clean the front axle vent and possibly change the hose and install a filter for better temperature change from the differential to the knuckle. That can help prevent this from happening.
 
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