Inner CV axle dust shield - how important?

[gatormark91]

My passenger side CV axle was giving me some trouble going in when I installed it, and I obviously wasn't paying enough attention and have realized that I missed installing the inner dust shield (that goes on the differential end, inner stub). It doesn't seem to be a real seal in the way an oil seal is, since the one that came out has no marks on it showing contact with anything. Is it just something to keep a ton of dust from collecting up against the axle oil seal? How critical is this dust shield? I don't mind pulling the axle and installing one, but I'm recovering from some surgery, so it might be a couple months before I can do that sort of physical labor safely.

Thanks!
Mark
Orlando, FL

 

[gatormark91]

anyone?

 

[Ohthetrees]

Can’t say authoritatively, but it seems to me that if Mr. T bothered to install it in the first place, it probably should be there.

 

[Skidoo]

If you get off the pavement it is a good thing to have. It can get overwhelmed if you bury your Cruiser to the frame in mud for several hours. In that case enough mud will get past it to grind up the diff oil seal, been there, have the T-shirt. So in cases less extreme it keeps stuff out of the seal. Guess if you do water crossings it would keep floating debris out also.

 

[Julian Stead]

Are you going to be driving in a dusty environment or through water, if not just worry about your recovery. Change the diff oil and seal when you refit the dust cover if it looks dirty.

 

[gatormark91]

Only been wheeling a couple times on this diff fluid change, so looks like I'll be good. Florida winters are dry, so shouldn't be getting stuck anywhere. It'll be time to change out the diff gear oil anyway when I pull the axle to put the seal on .

Thanks!!!!!
Mark

 

[jahawk]

I forgot one when I did mine also. I'm going to wait until the seal goes and do both then.

Jim

 

[Skidoo]

I forgot one when I did mine also. I'm going to wait until the seal goes and do both then. Jim

I don't know if you want to wait until seal goes, by the time I got it back home to work on, I needed new pinion bearings. Even with changing the oil on the way home after I found the seal leaking from my fun in the mud.

 

[UZJ100LC]

Does anyone know, do new cv axles come with that dust shield? Or do you have to reuse the old ones? Now I’m wondering if I mistakenly missed that part of the job when I replaced mine -_-

 

[2001LC]

OEM FDS (AKA Cv) comes with seals (dust sell and dust shield), also inner snap ring. I do replace differential side oil seal (both side), with FDS change.

 

[UZJ100LC]

OEM FDS (AKA Cv) comes with seals (dust sell and dust shield), also inner snap ring. I do replace differential side oil seal (both side), with FDS change.

Thank you. Yes mine were OEM.