iamsuperbleeder

So I went on my lunch today and while I was walking to my truck, I noticed a little spot under my truck right under about where the diff is...



needless to say, I take a peek, and she's leaking...



so I got home and checked the fluid, and it's still pretty much still full. It couldn't have been leaking for long because I just now noticed it, so that explains the fluid level, but I've got a quart of 80W90 in the tool box always just in case.

At first I though it was maybe just the drain plug dripping, which would have been great; just tighten it down right... well after futher inspection, it looks more like the gasket between the 3rd member and the axle housing.

Now call me a nuB if yoiu will, but I've got a stupid question. To change that sucker, all you have to do it unbolt her ( after removing the drive shaft obviously ), clean it up, and bolt it back together with a new gasket, right? and of course fill it back up with some fresh diff oil... Or is it more involved; do the axle-shafts have to be pulled and everything...

Living in this appartment I'm at now, they wont let me do some work like that in the parking lot, so I'd have to take it some where... or I guess I could do it at a buddies house one weekend...

But I just want to know what I'm diving into here



Thanx guys and gals!



OH, any suggestions on good gear-oils? Deffenately want to go sythetic, but it's kinda sucks at the same time. I was hoping it would have lasted a few more months till I get a locker, but oh well...

iamsuperbleeder

well I'm stupid and guilty of not researching first...

I do have to pull the axles...


but it's all good, not sure how old my wheel seals are anywho, could be original for all I know, so it wouldn't hurt to replace those too...


if I can hold off for about 2 weeks I might be able to get a locker to throw in while she's apart... but we'll see

904_runner

you got it, remove axles, driveshaft, unbolt 3rd, remove 3rd, clean, apply rtv or whatever, put back together, refill and TADA, done!

what locker are you thinking about?

sure you can hold off for a couple weeks, just make sure the diff stays full of fluid.

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

check your pinion seal too, sometimes that will start leaking and drip down the third housing to make you think it is a seal...any sign of oil being spun up under the bed?

Some people thing they save sometime by letting the axles rest on the seal but from past experience I know that I end up doing a seal a few months later so so forget that. I will deal with having to bleed the brakes..


have fun, if it is just the gasket you should be able to have it done in a couple of hours

check out an aussie locker, pretty straight forward install, and about $265 delivered to your door

Beaniam

I've had to pull my third more times than I can count, I've got it down to about 25 minutes. I just use RTV, no gasket. I would replace the axle seals at the same time since they're right there anyway when you pull the axles.

Kiroshu

Yea i know its a bit of a job but when i had a 95 toyota 4runner i had the same problem and i had a bad roar from it leaking so long and grinding the gears inside so i just replaced the entire rear end lol.
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1988 Toyota 4runner SR5 V6 3.0 5-Speed

Jay351

Oh man, the hardest part of doing that seal, is bleeding the brakes!

FYI, make sure your breather is not clogged. Mine was and it forced out gear oil past that seal (only did it when the axle was hot). After I cleared out the breather and extended it. The leak stopped!

If you still need to do the gasket get a buddy to help hold the 3rd member, that sucker is pretty heavy.

-Jack up truck, secure front wheels
-Remove rear tires
-Drain gear oil - there will still be some inside the diff, it will come out when you remove the third
- Undo e-brake cables
- crimp the soft brake lines with vice grips, this will help you when you bleed the brakes later.
- Unbolt the 4 bolts holding the axle to the axle housing - slide out the axle, be ginger with it, try not to nick the sides of the axle tube. Put on ground like Oc's picture shows.
- Unbolt driveshaft and move out of the way
- Remove abs sensor (if you have it), remove it on the frame rail, where it clips into the harness, dont remove it from the third - they like to break.
- Unbolt the 3rd and make sure you got a good hold on it. Strapping it to a floor jack would help.
-Remove gasket and use a scraper to make sure its all clean.

- Get new gasket - lay a thin film of RTV or FIPG on the axle housing and place the gasket on.
- Line up the third and slide it in, bolt it up
- Slide in axle shafts, carefull not to nick the sides of the axle tubes
- bolt on 4 backing plate bolts (holds axle to housing)
- re attach ABS sensor
- Bolt on driveshaft
- Re-attach e-brake fittings and brake lines
- Fill with gear oil
- Bleed brakes
- Install wheels and your done!

iamsuperbleeder

yeah, it's gunna be one of those easy to do step-by-step things, but it's just a pain having to do it ya know...

I'll check the breather first; I've been wanting to extend it up anyway...

as for the locker, after reading a bunch of reviews and hearing good things, I'm considering a Lock-Rite, and at the same time I'm wanting to throw in some gears to make 33s a lil easier to turn after the 3' lift. It's probably going to be one of those all-at-once things if I can hold it off for a bit, but like I said, we'll see. I'll keep tabs on the level and see how fast it's leaking.

If I do go with new gears and the Lock-Rite, the 3rd member's definately going to a shop... to me, that's like putting together a short block; I'd just rather have someone else that has done it many more times than me put it together with the proper tools and get it done right.



I just started my new job about 3 weeks ago, and I'm making 3 X's the money I use to, so this truck is in for a much needed rebuild/upgrade after 287k miles!

thook

Looks like everyone already answered all of your other questions 'cept one....

Redline gear oil. Good stuff!

iamsuperbleeder

Redline huh, to be honest I've never heard of it Who carries the stuff? I may have to look into it.

I was just gunna settle for the Valvoline sythetic, but if I can find something better or equal then I'm all for it; I'm not a big Valvoline fan...

904_runner

google redline.

the only store i know has it near me is napa

iamsuperbleeder

I pass a Napa on my way to and from work; I may have to pay the store a visit on my way home tomorrow!

thook

Summit Racing. Order your needs once and your good to go for a while. That's where I get my MT-90 for the 5spd. Which, btw, is the schmidt for these things.

Jay351

My amsoil is treatin me pretty well

iamsuperbleeder

Ok, well I'm heading to my father's this weekend and he said he'll assist me in knocking it out this Saturday! Although I could do it myself no problem, he just doesn't have anything better to do on his weekends, lol.

So here's the list I came up with...

-Diff gasket
-RTV
-Lock-tite
-Wheel Seals
-4qts syth 80W90
-2 new u-joints
-PB Blaster

not including the obvious things like tools, jack-stands, oil catch-pan, lots-o-rags, etc...

if anyone can think of anything I missed, lemme know

I would have liked to wait for the locker and gears, but I really don't feel like checking the dang thang every other day for I'm not sure how much longer. I may end up just getting a 3rd already assembled with the gears and locker and just keep the old one as a spare anyway, so a swap wont be all that difficult.

and if yall know me, pictures are probably to follow






oh yeah, lucky post, 777, rofl
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Spence1016

new axle seals and bearings?

MIKEMOKAS

heres some advise having gone through the wheel seal/ bearing ordeal. try your hardest to obtain one of those axle shaft slide hammer pullers. it bolts to your rear hubs with your lug nuts and then you hit out your axle shafts while everything is still on the truck. this also saves from having to bleed the brakes.

if you pull the shafts out from the 4 14mm bolts at the backing plate you will be forced to have a shop with a huge press to install the new seals. unless you want to slam the axles onto the ground and have your hands throbbing for a few hours.

take my advise and buy that tool.

been there, done that, not fun.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...highlight=axle

iamsuperbleeder

well I think the bearings are fine, but guess I'll find out for sure once I get the axles pulled out. but yes, the seals are getting replaced if I'm going through the trouble of tearing it apart; I meant to say axle seals, not wheel seals, sorry.

Now if I do end up having to do the bearings, then yes of course new outer seals too...

MIKEMOKAS

im not telling you to replace the bearings. hell, look at the prices of the damn things, there pretty pricey.

im just suggesting to buy that nice tool that i described because the price of that tool will probably be less than the bill of your mechanic for having him replace those seals.

ohhhhh wait...!!! are you speaking of the inner or outer seals? the inners are a complete piece of cake. the outers are what im advising you about. whoops.

iamsuperbleeder

lol, yeah man, the inners that stare you in the face right after you take the 4 bolts out from the flange and slide the axle out; that's the ones that are definitely getting replaced

the outters depend on the bearings. their not leaking, but if the bearings seem to have too much play and I decide to replace them at the same time, then new outter seals would go on too

I know what you mean about the slid-hammer; I've used em before. when used right, they work miracles