Kyle201

Hey guys... just looking for a little input here.

So I'm doing a rear axle rebuild... bearing, seals.. everything. I've installed the new axle seals, and I'm trying to do the 'grease test' where you grease either the retainer or seal and look for transfer after installing and removing the axle again.. and I'm getting very little transfer... just a few tiny dabs around the edges of the retainer... almost nothing.

What should I do...? Is there anyway it could work, and not leak, with the grease test failing? I really don't think the seals could be installed any further... or maybe they're in too far? I don't know..

ksti

What are we working on? 4rnr or tacoma, year, 2wd, 4wd, motor etc, etc. As for the seals I just see how you could install them to far in.

The grease test, I don't think its a 100% reliable, but thats just my opinion.
Your going to know when you get it all back together and run it. Don't over think it.
I'm pretty sure it will be ok as long as you didn't murder the seals upon installing them. good luck.

Kyle201

it's a 98 4runner, 4wd, abs, 3.6

and yeah... all I could think to do now was just run it and hope for the best.... but i'm worried about contaminating and ruining my new shoes... and perhaps even my new bearing if the gear oil runs through it??

ksti

"Your going to know when you get it all back together and run it. Don't over think it."

^^^ See above.

I just don't know what else to suggest. If your confident you did a good job then just drive it.

habanero

On my 96 there's no spacer so you have to pay attention to where you put them on the axle. The shop that did mine pressed them all together and of course, it leaked. Guess on yours both sides have been done so no comparing the old vs new.

j2the-e

The seal should bottom out in the axle housing. There should be a space between the abs ring and the snap ring. If you press the abs ring and outer spacer on the axle too far it will leak. With the axle installed, remove the abs sensor and look into the hole. You should see the abs ring centered with the hole. If not, buy another ring and spacer and try again

MudHippy

What this "grease test" is I have no clue. But, as recommended by the FSM, you should grease the lip of the seal before installing the axle shaft. So you did that much right. In fact, all the radial lip seals that I've seen in OEM packaging came pregreased in sealed plastic bags. So you can't forget to do it with OEM seals. Therefore, the only thing you are doing wrong, as far as installing the axle shafts, is this supposed grease test. That's not recommended, by the FSM, or by anybody AFAIK.

BOTTOM LINE: You installed new seals. They won't leak...because they're new. And you installed them correctly. Don't get all super-perfectionist OCD about it. Be done with it, and move on to the next part.
There's no spacer. There's an ABS rotor if it's got ABS, or no ABS rotor if it doesn't. If it has an ABS rotor, you can only install the seal one way, or the axle shaft will not install. The ABS rotor will not fit through the seal. So instead of seating the seal flush with the axle housing, it needs to be seated as far into the housing as it will go. There's a machined edge inside the housing to prevent it from being installed too far.

What that shop did on yours was an extremely stupid mistake. They were leaking because they were never actually sealed by the inner axle seals. When they installed them for an axle with ABS, the bearing retainers never came anywhere close to the inner axle seals. What was left holding the oil in the axle housing was the outer axle shaft seals and the bearing case o-rings. Neither of which are designed to do that. And I highly doubt that what's happened here regardless. Since not only is he rebuilding the axle himself(AFAIK), and would likely remember where the seals were seated before he disassembled it. But mostly since his do happen to have an ABS rotor, unlike yours, so(as prev. stated) there's no way to install the axle shaft if he doesn't have the seal installed correctly in the axle housing. Let alone do any "grease test". Which, oddly enough, proves that he hasn't made any mistake there. Since he's able to install the axle shaft to do it.

Here's some pics showing what I mean by what I've said.

Axle shaft with ABS rotor installed correctly(except on a damaged rear axle shaft).

Sealing surface of the rear axle shaft on the bearing retainer(installed on a damaged rear axle shaft).

Rear axle housing with the inner axle seal installed correctly for an ABS rear axle shaft.

MudHippy

If he's using the FSM, then there's no guess work. There's a distance specification. The length of an imaginary line measured parallel from the face of the axle shaft flange to the inner edge of the inner most bearing retainer.

See page SA-84 here: http://ncttora.com/fsm/1996/SIL/tech...a/ras/insp.pdf

j2the-e

Thanks, but I'm aware of the spec. I was trying to ease fears and show a very quick and easy way to check the position of the retainer

DRCOFFEE

Been there, done that. Here is your answer.

possible-solution-leaking-axle-seals

MudHippy

You sure did. And you did it wrong. So no, unless by answer you mean my post in it, there's no answers there.

Thanks for bringing that to my attention so I could clear that mess up for ya!


EDIT: It's too bad I'm not a member over on 4x4wire, there's a guy over there who missed the place where his leak really was(shown in the pics above from zootjeff's thread). No help from you of course...http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showfl...Number=1120136

Hint: Sorry guy, you can't fix that leak with a grinder. If anything...you just made it worse.

And don't claim the other dude's(Jeff the marmot) opinion is support for your argument. It's even more baseless than your is.

DRCOFFEE

MUD let the OP decide for himself. Obviously the Gospell from the FSM didn't solve his problem. If the FSM was correct, this topic wouldn't be so popular. Regardless, my axles are sealed and I confirm it monthly by physically checking them and I continue to update my thread with my results.

Wait! Did I read right? You don't know what the grease test is??????????????????????

sigh...... enough said.

MudHippy

Oh...I know what it is. And I also know how to interpret the results. And why you'd want to do such a thing in the first place. None of which apply to this thread, or even to installing new seals and retainers in an axle housing. You would do that to check things that are worn, not things that are new. And anyone could judge by eye or by feel the results of such a test WITHOUT EVER DOING IT. I know I could!

Case closed.

DRCOFFEE

Yup Guessing is always the best way to do things. You are so right.

The OP is on the right track...The reason you do such a test is to verify that the NEW seal is actually properly situated on the sealing surface. You DON'T do the grease test to test for leakage or worn parts. You use MP grease which is thick and non-flowing on the mating surfaces and press the two parts together. It demostrates whether or not you have positioned your parts correctly.

You come off as an authority when you are clearly uninformed.



I forgot to mention, had you ever done this repair on a yota you would know that the axle seals are sold dry, not pre-packaged in oil/lube. DOH!