I'm starting to prep the truck for my Rubicon trip from Jersey to the Sierra Nevada mountains and back.
Started with a rear wheel bearing inspection/service only to find the entire handbrake/inner drum assembly soaked with gear oil. The grease has washed out of the bearings and there were wear marks on both the rollers and races.
Everything, and I mean everything was cleaned and replaced on both sides with new OEM parts. New bearings, seals, lock nuts, thrust washers, even replaced the 2 bearing locknut screws.
The axles themselves had what I consider to be significant grooves where the inner axle seal (90310-35001) rides.
After a few hundred miles, I'm once again getting whiffs of gear oil smells coming from the rear.
I've read the many threads/opinions about running the FF rear without the inner axle seals (I don't want to do this), but I fail to understand how that doesn't contaminate/leak past the rear axle hub seal (90311-62002) which is clearly happening on my truck.
In any case, is there a better option other than the OEM inner rear axle seals? I probably can guess at this one.
I was considering purchasing new OEM rear axle shafts, as the splines are ever-so-slightly twisted, but the left side OEM locker version (42311-60110) seems to be difficult to source.
At this point I'm rambling on a bit due to frustration and caffeine, but I'm looking for options and still have a lot to do before June.
Started with a rear wheel bearing inspection/service only to find the entire handbrake/inner drum assembly soaked with gear oil. The grease has washed out of the bearings and there were wear marks on both the rollers and races.
Everything, and I mean everything was cleaned and replaced on both sides with new OEM parts. New bearings, seals, lock nuts, thrust washers, even replaced the 2 bearing locknut screws.
The axles themselves had what I consider to be significant grooves where the inner axle seal (90310-35001) rides.
After a few hundred miles, I'm once again getting whiffs of gear oil smells coming from the rear.
I've read the many threads/opinions about running the FF rear without the inner axle seals (I don't want to do this), but I fail to understand how that doesn't contaminate/leak past the rear axle hub seal (90311-62002) which is clearly happening on my truck.
In any case, is there a better option other than the OEM inner rear axle seals? I probably can guess at this one.
I was considering purchasing new OEM rear axle shafts, as the splines are ever-so-slightly twisted, but the left side OEM locker version (42311-60110) seems to be difficult to source.
At this point I'm rambling on a bit due to frustration and caffeine, but I'm looking for options and still have a lot to do before June.