Please excuse my NEWBNESS. I recently had my front axles rebuilt with new seals, bearings, and "wipers". The truck still leaks oil from the "ball" where the wipers are. (what the wheels turns on, just to the inside of the calipers). 2 questions

1. What type of oil/grease is mean to go in the HUB part(where the filler is by the front caliper) I have heard different answers from different people/places. Half say 80-90 gear oil, half say actual grease... PLEASE FILL ME IN ON THE REAL ANSWER.

2. I am going to rebuild them AGAIN. Any suggestions so they wont leak agan soon?

 

grease goes in the hub, the axle seal is there to keep the gear oil in the axle tube and differential, and to keep it out of the hub. not long after i rebuilt my front end it started leaking on the drivers side. i guess when installing the long side axle\birf i damaged the seal, it was pretty crunched. so buy a new seal, pull the hub and replace it. be careful when putting the axle back in.

 

I filled my hubs with Multi purpose grease. You do not want to put any gear oil in your hubs. The wipers just keep dirt and debris out of the knuckle.

 

GREAT. Thank a lot for the quick (non flaming) replies!

Is it very difficult to rebuilt the front axle, and do you have any tips/suggestions? I also need to replace a front axle, as it clicks/clunks while in 4wd. Brand suggestions?

I am somewhat mechanically inclined(done motor swaps and all suspension on other cars), have tons of tools, but not much time(work and school). Should i just do it myself, or pay a mechanic friend 150 bucks? Is it a "quick and easy" thing, or an all day, cursing life job?

Thanks again guys.

 

If you are running tires bigger then 32" I would recommend Bobby Longfields 30 Spline Longfields. Rebuilding a front axle will take about 2-4 hours depending on your speed. Personally I would do it myself, and save the money.

Read this.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=482812
It is a good write up for replacing axles, as well as how to disassemble and reassemble knuckles.

 

Fastest method to get into an axle is the "Camo Method", named after the creator.

Pull locking hub cap and remove snap ring.
Unbolt seal/felts on back of knuckle.
Unbolt brake caliper and tie out of the way. (can be skipped if you have long brake lines)
Unbolt steering arm. (leave bottom knuckle cap alone)
Pull entire outer knuckle assembly off of axle.

Once the knuckle is off, you can get to the inner axles and repair/ replace.

For a complete overhaul how to: http://www.birfield.com/~morgan/tech/axle/

As far as upgraded axles, the best can be found at: http://longfieldsuperaxles.com/

I can generally find used inners (commonly called Birfields in reference to the joint) at local salvage yards.

I'd suggest getting the newly designed inner axle seals from Marlin while you are in there. Make sure your knuckle seals are in the correct order as well. From memory... rubber, felt and then steel from knuckle towards axle housing.

It's actually a pretty easy job, no special tools really required. If you do decide to get into the hub bearings, you will need a 54mm socket... which can be a little hard to find. Again, Marlin has those in stock.

Most don't fill the entire knuckle with grease unless in very wet conditions or using 4WD in higher speeds. Just really want to make sure the Birf is fully packed.

 

WOW. This is officially the best, kindest, and most helpfull forum ever. Thanks a lot for the help/suggestions guys. I'll most deffinitely be doing this myself!!!

Thanks again!

EDIT- Is it a good idea to replace the bearing every time? I (paid to have it done...DOH!) had them replaced aprox. 20k. miles ago. Would it be wise just to slap new bearings in, while everything is appart?

 

Lol since when did stockfield tollerance go from 35's to 32's? You can run 44's on them as long as you carry a spare and stay away from rocks/flexing.

 

Marlin and TG sell full service knuckle kits, which include all seals, gaskets and bearings.

I guess it wouldn't hurt, but my bet that it would not be necessary unless previous bearings where adjusted incorrectly or there has been some contamination.

If I had the funds, and was planning on tearing my axle apart to the extent you are... I'd probably rebuild the whole thing so I knew exactly where my front end stood.

 

Uhmmm.... why would you run 44's and then stay away from rocks and flexing...?

Just giving you a hard time.

 

You more than likely have a damaged axle oil seal that is leaking. If I was going to tear the axle down that far to replace it, I'd just do a full knuckle service kit, inspect the bearings, but I doubt after 20K they are worn enough to warrant replacement unless installed improperly.

Full Knuckle Service Kits:
http://www.wabfab.org/products/frontaxle/frontaxle.htm

 

First off, I did not say 32". I said bigger then 32". Second, when was the "tolerance" set to 35"? Third, 32' means 32 feet, 32" means 32 inches.

 

Might want to check the bushing behind the axle seal.