Hi all,

So I had my '00 4Runner at the dealer about 2 wks ago for timing belt, water pump, brakes etc. etc. They said they noticed my rear axle seals went bad and leaked gear lube on the drums etc. So they replaced both seals. A few days later I still smelt gear lube and noticed some on the inside of the rear drivers wheel. I called the dealer and they felt it was left over from b4 the fix. Well, drove out to the beach and came back and I knew for sure it was not fixed and still leaking.
Took it back to the dealer 2 days ago and they claimed they finalled fixed this time, said the seal was torn or something. Well, this morning I drove about 60miles on the highway and got home and it still stunk...I am pretty sure it is still leaking!!
Could something be wrong w/my 4Runner that the seal won't hold? Is this a typical problem with Runners?

Thanks,
Mike

 

Yes, typical problem, but, they should have fixed it the first time.

They need to check your bearings, and make sure your axle is not bent! These are two reasons why your seals could be blowing so easily.

The smell COULD be from the left over gear oil, but, that would be very bad if Toyota didn't clean out the oil properly.

 

I'm bringing it back in.
They said maybe the vent tube is clogged and it is building up too much pressure. I doubt that.
It was clean and dry when I got it back yesterday and now this morning after driving on the highway...there is a nice puddle of lube on the bottom of the inside of the wheel.

Mike

 

Hit them up to replace your rear shoes again now that they are soaked in 90wt

 

im having the same problem. i just replaced mine as well, and am noticing a puddle. let me know how it turns out. good luck

 

common problem,we've had em come back here also,my own was leaking & i put an aftermarket seal in about a year ago-so far so good-has anyone put brngs in it before,if so the collar on the axle that meets the seal may not be in the correct position

 

Dealer told me the bearing was bad and not keeping the 90wt in well enuf. Said they will only charge me for the part and not the labor since I'm had to bring it back in a few times.

Mike

 

Ditto to SC, also AFTER they've finally fixed the leak then go ahead and do the diff breather mod. If you do it before hand the dealership may blame it on that so wait awhile.

 

Had this problem as well after replaced the inner seal myself 4 + times in 3 days. thinking i did it wrong or somthing. wheel the wheel bearing was bad and had some play. But my MAJOR issure was that somebody b4 me changed my axles in the rear they were 55mm or somthing the same as a 2002 4runner so the seals i bought werent the right ones. Took a shot a couple ours to figure that out for me .. So CHECK ur axles incase ..

 

Thats interesting... Never knew the axles were different thicknesses?

 

This boils down to how the ABS gear retaining ring is pressed on. There are TSB's to fix this as well, it is due to change from the diff mounted sensor in the 2nd Gen to the axle/wheel mounted sensor in the 3rd Gen.

When I installed the Poly Performance Cro-Mo's I have, I dumped all that ABS ring stuff as it was all eliminated already. Now I have the spacers that Tacomas have that do not have ABS. Now it is like all the old stuff and never leaks.

There is a TSB and known fixes for this.