I'm not in the same city as my truck so i can't go get pics or look for more stuff but I'll post what i know. i was scootin around under my truck the other night and noticed that particularly on the passenger side, but also on the drivers side, on the rear axle there is some sort of greasy substance and it looks to be new...meaning it is still wet. its about at the base of the shock and all over the shock as well. my exhaust is a dump tip in about the same left-right position but up higher in the truck...do you think this is just exhaust junk building up or is a shock leaking or something? sorry again for the limited information

 

Inner axle seals?

 

If it's at the base of the shock and you have a dump pipe, it very well could be liquid in the exhaust that is getting blown out (especially at start-up) on to the shock. My exhaust sprays a few teaspoons of fluid out each morning on to the ground. It is black in color.

The other possibility is a blown shock. There are ways of testing that but it sounds like you are away from the vehicle...

 

yeah, maybe next time i get a chance i should clean it off 100% and inspect it after a few hours of driving to see where the buildup first begins, then maybe i can isolate it...

having a blown shock could make sense but its not riding like anything is wrong...

 

Pictures would help immensely in narrowing it down and the color of the fluid.

 

i checked it out today and the liquid is definitely black by the time i wiped it off, and its even chunky at some points (like a thick grease or oil) and it *appears* to be starting at the ends of my axle and seeping inward toward the differential. a buddy suggested my breather extension could be clogged so fluid is going past the seals, but i checked the breather and it flows freely like it should. what sorta seals could it be?

 

I second what Wabbit said...

 

alright alright, i finally just went out and took pics (took me long enough). these are in the dark with a flash but show the dark substance/stain pretty well. if there are better views yall need, ill go take em ASAP.







Thats what it looks like. I have cleaned off t he rear axle and that is whats left. by "clean", i mean i used a rag and didnt go into too much detail with it. it *looks* like its coming out from around the outter axle... my diff breather is not clogged

 

axle seals leak into the brake drum. I think you might have blown shocks. Wash it down really good with some degreaser and check it daily to see where the oil starts spreading from.

 

i would get ahold of a power washer and spray it down.

 

Well, is there oil leaking from the shock? It looks like there is some on the shock... check with a finger or anything right where the seal between the inner shaft and body meet. Ive seen blown shocks before, but, this is ridiculous. Do you have weird noises coming from the rear going over bumps?

My diff oil came up the axle shafts a little bit, but, this is a lot.

Another thought is if your tranny or oil pan is leaking in front and streamlining the rear.

Before you clean it, smell the oil, whats it smell like.... each oil has its own scent.

It does look like some blown shcoks, but, you'd really know if they were. They make a ton of noise, and, that looks like a heck of a lot of oil to be poured out of them.

What kind of shocks are they? You have any doubts if they are too long or short?

 

total shot in the dark, but i didnt see it covered.

brake fluid?

 

you're right, it seems like a heck of a lot of oil/grease to be coming out of the shocks, and for both to be blown at the same time just cuts those chances even more. i am pretty confident that the shocks are fine lengthwise. they are Rancho shocks, so theyre of pretty good quality.

ill smell it and see what i can find out but i dont have a very good sense of smell at all, lol, it all just smells like "dirty" to me.

i do get noise from the rear end over bumps and turns but ive isolated that to my leaf springs and shackles, not the shocks.

ill see what i can find out and thanks for the suggestions, i appreciate them


it could be, but how would I know for sure? i had my brakes services by the dealer back in october and this leak has been around for at least that time so surely that isnt it, unless they just missed it.


This leak is very very slow as it's been around for months...probably close to 8 months or so and I'm just now noticing it's severity and trying to isolate it. I have no ill-effects because of it (that I can tell), I just hate leaks on my rig.

 

how are your fluid levels? check the brake fluid reservoir.

 

Check your fluid level in your brake reservoir, and then do the bump test on your rear end of your truck. Get your butt up and stand on the rear bumper and jump up and down a few times and hop off the truck. Watch as the truck jounces and rebounds and after three or four up and down movements if it is still moving then you shock will be bad. I am going to say that it is your axel because of the wealth of fluid markings you have. I would crack open the filler hole of your rear diff and with you finger, see if you can find the fluid level of your fluid. If you cannot find the level of your diff fluid with you finger then that is your leaking fluid. If that is it then I would suggest inner and outer axel seals and a bearing check. Better safe, then on the side of the road...Or worse!