I had a question concerning my 97 T100 SR5 Xtra Cab

Lately it has been doing something weird, I think it is the rear diff. If it sits in the driveway, you can put the gear selector in D and it won't move. You give it some gas and it strains, a bit more gas and the Pass. Side rear wheel will start to spin, then a clunk (sounds and feels like it is in the rear) and it will finally move. After the initial scariness, it runs and drives fine. This problem only happened in D, but sometimes in R too. It first happened after I towed my race car out to Mid-Ohio, an 8 hour drive.

It is sporadic and does not seem to have any frequency to pin it down. I thought it was after it sat too long, but it can happen overnight or after a few days or even an hour or two.

It also looks like the leaf springs have shifted, the bottom ones no longer line up. Not sure what that is.

I do tow with it and probably a bit more than it is rated for, so I am sure I have caused the problem.

Any thoughts on what it is?

 

check to see if your drive shaft hasnt seased up or if your rear end is lined up correctly.. my dads friend has a t100 and he tows some heavy stuff with it and when he goes to the oil field towin and spinnin and catchin on stuff you can make parts move the wrong way.. and well long story short his rear end was off center..

 

Judging by the springs, you may not be far off. But wouldn;t being off-center have possibly caused some damage already? Is this an issue that can be fixed with an alignment?

 

I had a knowledegable friend look at it and he tells me that it is the axle seals. The fluid is leaking down inside the drum, you can actually see it. Probably explains why the braking in the rear has been so poor lately.

Anyone ever changed the axle seals on a 97 T100 4x4? What is involved? Ino ther words what am I getting into? Thanks.