Front axle seals leaking AGAIN.... (1 Viewer)

[1973Guppie]

so I checked the tightness of the nuts and they are fine, looks like the breather is fine too. So I guess I gotta dig and figure out what is going on. One side is puking fairly bad. No way it is grease only melting. Somehow the seal must of gone bad on one side. Ugh.

I read somewhere that if the brass bushing in the spindle is worn it can allow the shaft to move up or down too much, is this correct? I plan to bite the bullet and replace both axles and the spindles probably. I can't seem to find any of the brass bushings that are replaceable? I am also considering seeing if a local machine shop can install a speedy sleeve on the shafts. I am sure a machine shop can measure and install speed sleeves better than me anyhow. Does anyone know of a source for replacement spindle brass bushings?

 

[cruiserdan]

The spindle bushing is available from Toyota. You can go the old solid route or the new needle bearing/thrust bushing combo. Ether will fit in the old spindle.

 

[1973Guppie]

thx cdan, what is the difference between the two? any one better than the other? I am not familiar. Also, do you have an idea of cost on new front inner axles and / or a part # for them?

 

[cruiserdan]

Call me and we can go over it.

 

[landtoy80]

Boo. Like minds want to know.




But I knew that was coming

 

[Dave 2000]

There is something else I have noted on an 80 I worked on late last year. Axle seals/gaskets had been replaced due to a leaky swivel and a noise birf/CV when manoeuvring, within days it started leaking again and the CV was noisy? Garage told the owner the axle case must be bent, it finally came to me from a recommendation. I checked it all out very carefully and drove the car and sure enough you hear the CV clicking, and there was a definite leak. By chance when parking the car in the garage I noted the lock was greater one way than the other, and by quite a bit too. Further investigation showed the steering stops on the left side were screwed right in? The angle it was possible to get the CV around to caused the click, the seal in the axle was not the OE one, the shaft unable to follow the seal tightly during such a tight turn, eventually the oil seeped into the swivel and then there was the leak.

OE seals have a 'floating' seal which allows them to follow the axle shaft during turning, the CV if supported correctly should not allow the axle to move about too much but, the brass bush n the spindle wears and then you have 'run out', of note this can also trigger false ABS activation.

I replaced the bush, cleaned it all up and reset the steering stops, that was IIRC in October last year, I know it is only about five months which is 4 months and three weeks longer than the other repair, but looking good so far.

regards

Dave

 

[1973Guppie]

a little update: looking over the axle today and was checking the tightness of everything. Turns out the half moons were basically on hand tight. I am thinking I put them on and forgot to tighten. I tightened them all up. What I am wondering is if this will cause leaks? From thinking logically the gear oil should not be able to get into the knuckle anyhow, correct? I am unsure if the oil leaking was gear oil or just the knuckle grease. From the look of it was red in color and I used redline moly fortified synthetic. Question is does the axle grease become liquid when it gets hot? stupid question I know but curious how heat changes the consistency of the airfield grease. If it does in fact get fairly liquid when heated then it would make sense that the half moons being so loose would cause the heated grease to seep out.

Thanks for the opinions, insights. Plan right now it to clean both ends up real well and watch it. I really don't want to have to go back in there before the rubithon.

Noah

 

[1973Guppie]

found this below online, so it sounds like moly grease will definitely change properties even when heated a little bit, which would make sense why I was having intermittent leaking, hope this helps others:

High-temperature effects. High temperatures harm greases more than they harm oils. Grease, by its nature, cannot dissipate heat by convection like a circulating oil. Consequently, without the ability to transfer away heat, excessive temperatures result in accelerated oxidation or even carbonization where grease hardens or forms a crust.

Effective grease lubrication depends on the grease's consistency. High temperatures induce softening and bleeding, causing grease to flow away from needed areas. The mineral oil in grease can flash, burn or evaporate at temperatures greater than 177°C (350°F).

Low-temperature effects. If the temperature of a grease is lowered enough, it will become so viscous that it can be classified as a hard grease. Pumpability suffers and machinery operation may become impossible due to torque limitations and power requirements. As a guideline, the base oil's pour point is considered the low-temperature limit of a grease.

 

[allan man]

I think if the half moons were hand tight...then yes it would cause a leak bec. there would not be any tension on the wiper seals.

 

[Pin_Head]

Another possibility is that the seal is not concentric with the axle due to a bent housing. This is more likely on the driver's side. This possibility would show up as a problem with camber.

 

[1973Guppie]

Another possibility is that the seal is not concentric with the axle due to a bent housing. This is more likely on the driver's side. This possibility would show up as a problem with camber.

I don't remember the axle being bent at all during assembly but I guess it is possible. I don't wheel the truck super hard. It steers down the road very well.

 

[DrMontyBean]

A loose steering arm will create a leak. More prevalent on the right side but needs to be investigated.

Have leaking fluid on the right side, preceded by some weird feeling/sounds in the front right suspension/steering. Can you elaborate on this more please. Hoping for this as it seems like a much easier fix!

 

[Dave 2000]

Check the bushing in the stub axle, it not only allows the shaft to move out of alignment but as mentioned earlier can also upset the ABS sensor staying in close contact with the tone ring, triggering the ABS unnecessarily. The steering stops can also cause the edge of the CV to wear, which sounds unlikely but there are photos on my long running thread: Builds - My LC 80 thread. - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/my-lc-80-thread.365673/

A new seal running in and out of the groove in the shaft can 'wind' the oil out like a screw, and without being condescending, was the wiper seal put in back to front?

I note you say the axle is not bent but only an alignment check would prove that unless it was obvious, despite the brute strength of these machines axles do get bent quite often if the use over terrain is hard enough.

Stay safe

regards

Dave

 

[Sarmajor]

Another cause of leakage from the birfield area is corrosion damage to the big Bally thing. I cleaned mine up reall good and applied POR15. From memory i just bought one of their small kits that included the prep products and a small tin of paint. They are now shiny black with just a slight dulling where the wiper seals rub on them while turning the wheel from lock to lock. No leakage since then except for a very very small ooze of Molly grease which never drips on the floor or wheel. Mostly gets cleaned off when wheeling in long grass.
Just looking at their web site and their Caliper painting Kit looks like it would be ideal for the job Or the rust stop kit with a small pot of top cost paint.
Grease does have a small liquid content that will bleed out over time. Just look at any grease gun that has been stored for a while and it will have wetness from the ooze that they all seem to have.

 

[inkpot]

Have leaking fluid on the right side, preceded by some weird feeling/sounds in the front right suspension/steering. Can you elaborate on this more please. Hoping for this as it seems like a much easier fix!

As has been said back in 2016, the lower knuckle studs can become loose. This can cause knuckle leakage and it can also increase play in the steering. Start off by setting proper torque at 71 poundsfeet.