Leaking Front Axle Temporary Fix Advice (5 Viewers)

[CaptBeardilocks]

For the last 4 years/40k miles since I built my truck, I have redone the knuckles 3 times. Each year the right side starts weeping relatively soon after rebuild. I travel 8-9mo out of the year and use the truck as intended on rough forest roads but don't wheel it hard. The ball gets wet in the first 3-4000 miles and over the course of the year I'll get a few dozen drips on the tire, but it's not pouring out.

I have almost new RCV axles in the front that (as of last year) weren't grooved badly. Wheel bearings have been replaced twice now, as well as pinion bearings. Pinions being re-shimmed properly, according to the FSM anyway, last year. I have only ever used OEM Mr T axle seals.

At this point I'm relatively certain that I have a bent axle housing. I'm on the lookout for a used housing but tracking down a decent LOCKER housing is difficult. And with my summer workshop in the NE US, virtually impossible without shipping across the country. I'll find one eventually, but until then....

Are there any tricks or tips to keep it limping along another year? The RCV axles are drilled so I can add fresh moly to the CVs a few times a year.

I have a set of Terrain Tamer axle seals that I was thinking of putting on that side.

Has anyone tried doubling up axle seals on one side? Seating two of them on one side? From memory, I think there's room to seat two seals. Maybe. But I'm not sure if that would cause other problems. Or even help at all. Lol.

Any other tips?

 

[NeverFinis]

I assume what is dripping is gear oil and not grease.

Before going to all the trouble of buying an axle housing, get an alignment and check camber and all the other metrics. It should pick up a bent housing.

You should be able to modify a non-locking housing to make it a locking housing. I did this on my 1985 4Runner over 2 decades ago (dual e-lockers in stock housings).

Does Terrain Tamer offer an inner axle seal? Anything different about them from stock?

 

[Godwin]

Have you checked your axle vent to make sure it’s not clogged?

 

[CaptBeardilocks]

I assume what is dripping is gear oil and not grease.

Before going to all the trouble of buying an axle housing, get an alignment and check camber and all the other metrics. It should pick up a bent housing.

You should be able to modify a non-locking housing to make it a locking housing. I did this on my 1985 4Runner over 2 decades ago (dual e-lockers in stock housings).

Does Terrain Tamer offer an inner axle seal? Anything different about them from stock?

Yes, it's dripping gear oil.

I got an alignment to finish off the build 4yrs ago. Alignment was near perfect after adding Delta VS arms to match my Slinky lift. No mention of a bent housing from them. My impression at this point is that it's just ever so slightly bent.

I was under the impression that with the 80 axles, you needed a locker axle housing to fit stock lockers. If anyone know otherwise, please chime in.

 

[CaptBeardilocks]

Have you checked your axle vent to make sure it’s not clogged?

Yep. Every year. Lol. New in-housing fitting, new hose run up higher, etc etc.

 

[ChaseTruck]

Usually a no-no, but if you're suspecting a bent housing, perhaps experiment with the shims at the trunnion bearings?

 

[NeverFinis]

To possibly convert, one will need to grind out the housing, maybe add new material. Looks like 4 studs need to be changed. The long studs have to be dead straight due to their length. I have done this on mini-truck axles (only 2 studs needed to be changed), but I haven't done it on a FJ80 axle.

For a new diff locking front axle, $1500, including shipping, from PartSouq. I am surprised that they will ship it but they are top notch at shipping...

Personally, I might wait until Toyota had a nation-wide sale and order from a local dealership. I did this for a rear housing, and the first one came damaged from shipping. The second one, which I accepted, had a damaged shipping box, but the axle was ok.

Gasket differences:

Locking

Non-locking, possibly flipped from the gasket above

 

[CaptBeardilocks]

I swear I looked on Partsouq and it was listed NLA. They list shipping at $380 which seems insanely cheap to me. I just got an (admittedly heavy) order from them and paid like $125 for that small box.

I will say I have never ever received anything from them damaged. Always amazingly well packed. But I have never ordered anything that large from them either.

With Dealer retail being $2681.32 precisely, it would take a helluva sale to get close to the $1500 shipped from Partsouq. With the hope that it arrived undamaged.

 

[Dindu Nuffin]

I'm a big fan of OEM parts when it comes to seals and gaskets but in the case of axle seals, I've found the Marlin Ecoseals to be superior, especially when there's an out-of-spec condition. In my case, it was a groove worn in the axle shaft.

 

[CrabCake]

Devil's advocate...I suspected a slightly bent axle on mine due to an oil intrusion on one birf plus bent radius arm mounts on the same side, did a part time kit so the front end is only spinning when locked for off road fun. So far so good...feel free to pm me and I'll give you a rundown of why I suspected the bent axle and my thoughts.

 

[Dindu Nuffin]

Dfeel free to pm me and I'll give you a rundown of why I suspected the bent axle and my thoughts.

Why not do it here and add to the collective knowledge base?

 

[CrabCake]

Fair enough...long story short, I rebuilt my front birfs as they were due and installed the Longfield 30 spline Chro-Mo axles at that time (plus all seals, bearings, etc.). I did a good wheeling weekend soon after. A few months later, I noticed that I had a drip on the passenger side birf, checked it out, and it was soup. After closer inspection, I noticed that my passenger side radius arm mounts were bent/twisted on the back side. I have the Delta 3 arms, and they did fine, but the mounts on the axle were definitely torqued. I was able to pull the radius arm and had a block of aluminum that fit perfectly between the mount tabs...I was able to hammer the tabs fairly straight again, or at least a lot better than they were. I rebuilt and did a new oil seal on that side, and so far so good...(see P/T spool install below at that time).

Since I was planning on doing the 10% underdrive gear, I decided to do the part time spool as well at the same time. My logic was that if the oil seal was going to leak again due to a slightly bent axle, that it would only be turning when the front hubs were locked, helping to slow a seal problem if in fact it was still an issue (not just a failed first time seal replacement procedure). I just did a 1200+ mile round trip to GSMTR, wheeled for 3 full days, and so far, it still looks dry. I need to do a final closer inspection post-trip, but I feel that it definitely helped in my situation.

Hope this helps!

 

[CaptBeardilocks]

@CrabCake Thanks for the write-up.

Weighing the cost of a part-time kit vs a front axle housing... Haha. At least that's an option worth ruminating on.

I just ordered one of the MC EcoSeals for that side. I'll run that another year and see if it helps. If not, decisions will have to be made.