Knuckle leaking a lot more, how far can I go?

[ripple]

Fortunately I don't absolutely have to drive it, but I really need to. I just noticed a lot of grease/oil on the inside of the tire as I was about to switch rubber for a road trip, in the morning, about 400 miles total. I didn't just start leaking, it's been leaking, for probably 50,000 miles. It's obviously past due for a rebuild, but is there any chance that I will just make a bit of a mess with another 400 miles, or do the odds favor seriously %*#@ something up in 400 miles of highway driving. I think I know the answers, but I'm hoping that I'm being too paranoid. I just haven't heard of any catastrophic knuckle leaking stories....yet.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

You have complete failure of the inner seal.

As long as you stay in 2 wheel drive and do not engage the hubs you might get away with it, but it needs to be fixed.

 

[specialk396]

Are you a gamblin man? If I had AAA Plus(and I do), I'd go for it, but be prepared to replace bearings, etc. later.

 

[Shane1981]

In theory if you remain in 2wd and disconnect your free wheeling hubs you can drive around like this indefinitely your upper and lower steering knuckle bearings should have adequete lubrication to run for quite some time and your wheel bearings are not affected at all. However, it looks aweful, it is contaminating the environment and it is not a very big job to overhaul the assembly. I would do it when you can but it is not extremely urgent.

 

[alaska60]

As long as you still have grease comin out.......................
Stay in 2X!!

 

[DirtyLittleSecret]

Time to give Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters a call!

 

[Thylacine]

Professional reply - you're washing your bearing grease out with oil and will have a catastrophic failure if usage is continued.
Real-life reply - seen 60 series run for years like this as long as diff-oil is adequate and in 2wd only. Reckon you'll do 400 miles easy.
What *I'd* do is have a go, obviously being aware of a possible front-end problem possibly arising on the trip, and halting at the first sign of such. This is assuming that it's not a remote trip where a break-down could cause excessive hardship.
it's a 60 series, you'll be right.




ed

 

[ripple]

Thanks to all. I was feeling like it would be ok, but there wasn't enough reason to risk it. In addition to visiting some friends and some live David Grisman, I was picking up a used almost new power steering pump for 30 bucks(which will be shipped to me instead). Thanks again and again, I went fishing instead.

 

[cruiser88]

put a fitting on where you fill the birfs with grease, run long hose inside the cabin insert funnel..........keep pouring gear oil in

 

[Cruzerman]

I probably would have risked it for David Grisman.

 

[lehiguy]

You could run like that for years. I know I did. Your knuckles won't suffer, they're getting a steady stream of goo from the gear lube that's supposed to be in the diff. It does dissolve the knuckle grease, so theoretically, once it all gets out something will wear out. Your main concern is the diff. It will run dry eventually and gears don't like to be dry. I ran for a stupid long time like that, I kept replacing inner axle seals and they would puke in a month or two, so I just topped off the diff every now and again. Then I put in some of Marlin's inner axle seals and !Viola! No more leaky knuckles. Don't waste your money on anything else.

 

[wengejor]

I put in marlin seals as well and they're great. No more messy goo leaking out of the knuckles.

 

[ripple]

So many knuckles, so little time. thanks everyone

 

[karlsz]

What leak? Looks just like my 62, I thought that was the way they were supposed to be.

 

[nmarshall-no]

that photo makes me feel better.