Axle Seal Question

[bebyb]

Hello all, I have an axle seal leaking on the driver side front axle as I can see diff fluid dripping out of the axle boot. I took off the drum and looked at the wheel bearings and no fluid is making it inside of them as the grease is still fine and there are no other signs of gear lube around that area. Since it is the middle of winter I would kind of like to wait till it gets warmer in the spring to tackle the project as the days are short and it is cold outside and I work on all of my vehicles outside. As long as I keep the differential filled with fluid will it hurt anything to run it like that until the spring?

 

[HanksDeuce]

Define "run it like that until the spring"? Do you plan on driving your deuce daily? Or plan on parking it until warmer weather?

 

[bebyb]

Define "run it like that until the spring"? Do you plan on driving your deuce daily? Or plan on parking it until warmer weather?

Not every day. Probably drive it a total of 1000 miles or so. Mainly on weekends and days off from work.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Nah, run it. Keep an eye on the fluid level and you should be fine. If mudding, you'll probably contaminate the fluid.

 

[orren]

I sort of got the same problem with a right rear wheel. It runs a little warm but usually not
too hot to the touch. I removed the outer axle cap and got maybe two cups of diff oil to
run out. Soon I plan to replace whatever is letting the diff oil in and check over all seals
and bearings, too.

 

[sandcobra164]

Orren,
There is nothing keeping gear oil from getting to the axle and cap assembly on the rear axle of the deuce. There is an outer seal to keep the oil from getting into the bearings and washing out the grease. If you're not seeing oil on the inside sidewall of your rear wheels, you don't have a leak. In my experience, when a Deuce has oil leaking into the hubs, that's the coldest hub on the truck. The fact that your concerned about a warm one tells me it likely does not have oil but perhaps tight bearings.

 

[bebyb]

One more question guys, I recently discovered a pinion seal leak on the middle axle. Can I simply keep the differential filled like I do with the front axle or does a pinion seal leak require immediate attention?

 

[Karl kostman]

bebyb the pinion seal leak is another one of those items that if its not to bad can wait till Spring, keep the diff up to level and you will be fine. Read up on the TMs before you tack this one though and make sure that you have a very good seal puller to get the old one out, then I did the first one on my deuce it took me longer to remove the old seal than any other part of the job!
KK

 

[acesneights1]

Check the vent on the axles that are leaking and try to keep levels just below the bowl, not to the fill plug.
front axle seals can be a bitch. Most likely age but could indicate a worn spindle bushing so check that when you do the seals.
i would not drive the truck with a rear axle seal leak. That means gear oil has worked past both inner and outer seal and has washed out the bearings as well as contaminated the brake linings.
5 tons can run with a leaking outer seal as the inner seal can hold gear oil in to some extent but the inner deuce seals cannot hold it at all and this is most likely why your Hubs are running hot.