Stevo3

Hey guys, i searched around and couldnt find anything that could help me. I installed the 1'' diff spacers to relieve some stress off my CV's. All was good. But when i iwent 4 wheelin a few weeks after the install to see how it does. And when i was going over bumps, or ruts/washes, it sounds like something is hitting somewhere. The day after i noticed a drop of oil under my truck. I figured it was just from changing the oil or something so i wiped off the oil off my oil pan/ bolt.

Well a week went by and then there was another drip. When i got my allignment done i asked the tech if he could have a look see to see what was leaking. Was the front of my oil pan. No biggie, It was only dripping maybe once a week.

I just got back from the dunes this weekend and well, during the time at the dunes i kept hearing that thud. After i went down the sand drags and parked i noticed a couple drops of oil this time. checked my oil level, it was good.

Im thinking it has something to do with the diff drop, i never had this problem until those were installed. Does anyone else have this problem? This weekend im going to remove the skids and have a look inbetween the oil pan and the transfercase/diff. I think its hitting in there somewhere causing the pan to move and leak oil from the seal :cry: . Any help or assistance would be greatly appreciated. I dont want to spend a crapload of money to have that seal replaced and have it go and do it again. I would do it myself, i just dont have the tools to do it.

Sorry for the rant
Thanks,
Stevo

SLC97SR5

So is the oil pan itself leaking or is oil just dripping off of it? Is it engine oil or gear oil?

Stevo3

It is engine oil for sure, and it is comming from the front side of the oil pan. It almost seems like everytime i hear that thud it spits the oil out. because its even on my CV. Ill have to get some pics.

And not its not my CV's leaking. i replaced all the clamps and stopped all the leaking after the lift.

SLC97SR5

I'm interested on the "thud", can you move the oil pan up and down or side to side like it's extremly loose, have any of the bolts backed out, what about the gasket, is it all squished out?

Stevo3

We tried to move the oilpan at the shop and it moves the entire engine. There arent any bolts loose that we could have seen. As for the gasket, im afraid to tighten it as for itll leak more if that is really the issue. Im sure its polly about time for a new one anyways. but its has started to leak when i have been hearing the thud.

SLC97SR5

How close is your skid to the pan now that you've dropped the diff? Is it possible that the oil drain plug/bung is getting hung up in the skid plate access hole and the thud is the skid violently slipping off the plug thereby flexing the pan enough to cause a mild leak? Far off, I know but try taking off the skids entirely and do some MILD wheeling,flexing and see if you can duplicate the thud with the plates off.

BajaRunner

The thud... Is it coming from the diff or possibly one of your struts? I know a lot of people have problems with thuds after installing spacers/springs... people don't tighten the top nut enough, and causes the shock to move a slight amount and cause a noise.

Check to see if you tightened the two diff bolts down enough as well.

With the oil, you might have just hit something right to knock the seal loose.

Did you by chance switch to synthetic oil? I have oil leaks now when I did the switch since its a lot thinner.

mpavolka

Find out what the torque spec is on those bolts and make sure they are tight. Also if you are using the stock skid plate those bolts probably rest against it so the skid plate could be hitting them, if you can get the truck to make the noise by hitting a certain bump or something, try doing without the skid plate on.

As for the oil, some cars just leak as they get older. You haven;t had any work done on the motor recently have you?

Stevo3

For the struts, My brother and I put them in after a shop installed the spacer. Go to find out we put the springs in backwards. so it leaned to the driver side. *note* i also used 03 tacoma ext cab struts* So we swapped them back out re alligned them and placed them in. Still get the same thud.
The skids dont come close to the bolt for the drain. They arent hitting there. The skids how ever do rest against the 2 Diff Bolts. But, its against them so hard i cant kick it or anything to make it thud.

As for switching to synthetic. no. I have always used castrol gtx drive hard. Unless the stealership uses synthetic.

And. well, i guess you can say i have had motor work done...... i had the oil changed at my local stealership.

Anyone know the torque offhand for those diff bolts?

mpavolka

steve@sonoransteel.com can answer that torque spec. I don't have my directions anymore. As for the engine work an oil change doesn't really matter. I was just asking because from the factory seals should never leak. It is when a motor is messed with that a seal would leak. However if you just got your oil changed it could still be leaking from the change, hopefully. Its just me but I would make sure everything is tight on your suspension. For the oil, clean it very well and find out where it is coming from.

If yor car is just leaking and it has nothing to do with the spacers you could try stop leak, but even better since you live in Arizona would be to put in heavier weight oil depending on the temperatures your car is in.

Nosra451

I have the same thud type sound in my 97. It happens when I drive up a speed bump or up a driveway approach. Today I placed it on a lift and found that I could make the ball joints move quite a bit. It appears like that is my culprit. Anybody changed these?