Marlin Crawler axle seals after 100K mi

[MikeB]

I had Marlin seals for about 40K miles with no significant leakage. But I went back to Toyota seals after seeing so many bad experiences posted here.

Speedi-Sleeves #99139 have worked well for me on a set of inner axles that were badly grooved.

 

[gsdog2]

How long can one go with soupy birfs before trouble starts?

 

[wearsabrowncoat]

How long can one go with soupy birfs before trouble starts?

I think there are too many variables to say. Type of driving, distance, tire and vehicle weight. As soon as the greases and dif oil mix you get degraded performance but in my opinion the real damage occurs when the soup starts making its way past the seals on the knuckles and you have less lubrication. If you can't get to the rebuild right away I would say squirt and tube or two of CV grease into the inspection/grease plug on the front of the knuckle and then quickly find the time/money to accomplish a rebuild.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

What is wrong with the OEM seal, nothing why chance it I love and run Marlins products.

 

[missinglink]

For those with grooved axles, anyone had experience welding a layer on and then turning them back down on a lathe? We do this with our mixer shafts that need to pull a vacuum.

 

[cbpeck]

Very helpful thread...

I'm gearing up to do my first front axle service. I recently bought the truck with 230k and a bit of clicking, much more clicking when locked. I'm going to go ahead and replace the birfs. Going to run 33" tires.

Torfab recommended Marlin OE spec replacement birfs and Marlin seals.

I understand the Marlin & Toyota seals install in different locations. The seals are on the axle, not the birfield shaft, correct? If so, then replacing birfields won't get around any shaft wear I may have at the seal.

Torfab indicated that new OEM seals may be more prone to leaking on an older, grooved axle, and that Marlin seals were the answer because they install in a different location. I'm very reluctant to use Marlin seals, as I've read so many negatives on here. Any additional insight on seal and birfield selection would be helpful.

 

[LINUS]

@cbpeck - both install in same place & use same race area, ride on birf shaft, the "different place" is at most ~few 16ths / mm's offset. If even that, really the Marlin was just thicker in hand than OE ones.

If you have new birfs then the Toy seals would be my pick, run till grooved then worry about Marlin seals.

 

[cbpeck]

@cbpeck - both install in same place & use same race area, ride on birf shaft, the "different place" is at most ~few 16ths / mm's offset. If even that, really the Marlin was just thicker in hand than OE ones.

Linus, thanks for your response. Now that's confusing. Several people on here have stated the seals seat around the axle shaft. Others, including you, state it's around the birfield shaft. A cursory review of youtube and the FSM sure make it look like it seals around the axle. Hmmm.

 

[Pin_Head]

Seal wars?

But it is just a seal; it's not the space shuttle.

 

[bloc]

Linus, thanks for your response. Now that's confusing. Several people on here have stated the seals seat around the axle shaft. Others, including you, state it's around the birfield shaft. A cursory review of youtube and the FSM sure make it look like it seals around the axle. Hmmm.

The "seal" everyone refers to seals on a flat section of the inner axle shaft a couple inches inboard of where it goes into the "star" of the birfield joint. The groove forms on this flat area. Replacing birfs alone will not give you a new sealing surface, but new inners would.

Alternately some people install OEM seals but push them a little further in than flush which moves the seal relative to the groove on the flat.

To the left of this pic is what goes into the birfield, the rest is self-explanatory.

 

[cbpeck]

Seal wars?

But it is just a seal; it's not the space shuttle.

Haha, I agree... until I spend a whole weekend redoing the front axle, only to be sabotaged by a crappy $10 seal.

 

[cbpeck]

The "seal" everyone refers to seals on a flat section of the inner axle shaft a couple inches inboard of where it goes into the "star" of the birfield joint. The groove forms on this flat area. Replacing birfs alone will not give you a new sealing surface, but new inners would.

Alternately some people install OEM seals but push them a little further in than flush which moves the seal relative to the groove on the flat.

To the left of this pic is what goes into the birfield, the rest is self-explanatory.

Thank you so much.

 

[LINUS]

Linus, thanks for your response. Now that's confusing. Several people on here have stated the seals seat around the axle shaft. Others, including you, state it's around the birfield shaft. A cursory review of youtube and the FSM sure make it look like it seals around the axle. Hmmm.

I screwed up - I was thinking axle & typed birf - you are right, any seal riding on the birf shaft would be totally pointless as it's outboard of the grease, letting it all mix & make the soup. The seal rides on the inner axle shaft, race holding it is the axle shell.

I'm leaving my old wrong/typo post, just so it's understood what I typed was wrong. Good catch.