steering box that stops leaking? (1 Viewer)

[kevin in okinawa]

My truck spent most of it's life on a subtropical island (Okinawa, Japan). I just recently moved back to the USA in Maryland, where it saw it's first winter. It spent the winter in the garage, and in February I noticed that the gear box was dripping fluid. Diligent me researched the how-to videos, talked to some folks about rebuilding, sourced the repair kits...and now it appears that the dripping leak has subsided back to a slight dampness.

I assume that these seals are probably OE, and for 20+ years haven't been forced to contract/expand with extreme (or actual) weather changes like here in the states. You think my drip was just because the cold weather messed with the seals, but now that it's not freezing anymore they are okay again?

 

[Seth S]

HAve you ever changed the fluid?

 

[OSS]

An oil seal works by being elastic. If the temperature is low enough and the rubber old enough, it won't dynamically adapt to miniscule changes to the metal when it freezes