front axle leak

[shlacks]

hey guys
i have a 80 series part time 4x4 1994
i keep getting axle leaks from front axles in no time wat so ever ive tried genuine seals with the same thing then aftermarket seals and again ive got another axle leak? is anyone else been in the same situation and managed to fix the problem? is there something im missing? or is this just the way it is.... as i am a qualified mechanic and working on patrols mostly they very rarely get these problems and ive spoken to some toyota mechanic friends of mine and they say they do them all the time.... surely there has to be a fix to this???
cheers
matt

[Z()LTAN]

Bent housing?

Bent axles?

Seal area on axle grooved?

[shlacks]

everything looks straight and there is no wear marks/grooves on the axle at all from the seal....

[Z()LTAN]

are your axles retained in the CV properly? Both clips working?

[shlacks]

yes well last time i pulled it apart that was all nice and tight ill be pulling it back down next weekend so ill check it all again i just thought id ask here first incase someone told me to get a certain something or do something differant to what ive already done...

[Z()LTAN]

hmmm weird, what diff oil you running?

wat weight

[shlacks]

castrol lsx 90

[Z()LTAN]

Hmm weird mate...

Thats the right oil

Have you checked your breather?

[shlacks]

yer seems to be fine.... ill re do everything one more time if it does it again ill find another housing and build the diff from scratch with air locker and longfields. thanks for you help

[rockcrawler31]

there's only 2 things it's going to be

either the seal face on the axle is grooved or the housing is bent

strip the housing and take it to somewhere that will place a dummy centre in it with a straight bar in the carrier bearings. It only needs to be 1/4 inch out to have it dump it's oil everywhere into the knuckle. This is not something you can eyeball.

[rockcrawler31]

Hmm weird mate...

Thats the right oil

Have you checked your breather?

while a blocked breather COULD force oil past the seals as the oil heats up it tends to exhibit the reverse with water being sucked into the CV housing as it cools in a river crossing.

I'd be more inclined to suggest a bent housing, which is not something you can measure without having the housing out.

OP - by the way if you just buy a second housing you have no guarantee that it won't be bent too. Chances are you'll get it from a wreckers. why are most trucks in a wreckers? because they've been in an accident - bent housing time.

[shlacks]

yer good call ill send it too our diff+trans guys get them to check it over for me

[KaMo]

What about worn bushes in the stub axles???

[dogbreath_48]

What about worn bushes in the stub axles???

spindle bush, good one...or how about incorrectly set up swivel housing alignment/height? (or is this set in the 80s?)

When you whack it all back together try the marlin crawler axle seals available from locktup4x4.com

[DNA Off Road]

Sounds like you know what you are looking for [mostly]. I'd put my money on a bent housing - much harder to spot than the other possibilities. Doesn't matter how good your seals are they won't last long if this is the case.

Let us know how you go...

Cheers

[shlacks]

yer its the only thing i can think of too!!! i might order the marlin crawler seals as they say they are alot better and give them a go before i fork out to get the housing straightened.... anybody had a housing straightened before? how much did it cost?
thanks
matt