rear axle seals

[RebelKid1822]

ive had to replace my rear axle seals twice, basicaly everytime ive dun brakes ive found them leaking, i am woundering if the axle bearings could be causing this. i hav 155k and i belive they are original, plus both of my rear axles hav a small amount of pitting in them where it would appear the bearing would ride. will they need replaced also?

[RebelKid1822]

i learned today fro a napa owner, that there are thesse things called repair bearings. the way they work is that they change the point that the bearings ride to the axle shaft. i like this idea becuz i hav sum pitting in my axle shafts and didnt really want to replace them. was woundering if anyone else has tried this?

[killian96ss]

Do you have pitting on both sides? Those repair bearings are just offset bearings that make the bearing ride farther down the axle. I have never used them. I know a few people who have tried them with mixed results. Some have had no problems, while others have had failures in a short amount of time. I have always believed that putting the bearing farther inboard puts more stress on in it increasing the chance of failure. I had pitting on some axles in my 88 S10 Blazer and chose to just replace the axles with new ones along with new bearings and seals instead of repair bearings. It has been 2 years now and they are doing great with no leaking at all. I got the Alloy brand axles from Summit Racing, and the Timken brand bearing/seal combo from Rock Auto. The Alloy axles are much nicer than the factory axles and Timken has always made quality bearings. If you are on a tight budget the repair bearings might work just fine, just be aware that they could also go bad and you will end up doing this all over again.

Steve

[RebelKid1822]

thaks for the input. i think for now i will just do the repair bearings, they are alot cheaper

[killian96ss]

When you have the axles out, make sure the area where the seal will be is very smooth with no scratches, burrs, etc. I usually use 2000 grit or higher sandpaper to remove any scratches, followed by fine emery cloth, and even a buffing wheel with fine polish compound. The smoother that surface is, the longer that seal will last! This should be done on every part that has a seal like the harmonic balancer, driveshaft yoke, differential yoke, cv axles, etc. I also suggest lightly sanding the whole axle from the splines to just before where the bearing will ride. The reason I recommend this is because when you slide the axle back in through the new seal this is where most new seals are damaged and why they start leaking in such a short amout of time. A slight burr or scratch will cut the seal when you slide it back in. After you have polished the seal area and removed any other rough spots on the axle make sure you wash it off to remove any contaminants. Before you slide the axle back in coat it with fresh gear lube and make sure you slide it in as straight as possible to prevent stretching or damage to the new seal. You can also put a little bit of automotive silicone on the outside of the new seal before you press it into the housing to prevent leaks between the metal lip on the seal and the housing. All this may sound excessive, but it will help those new seals last a long time!

Steve

[RebelKid1822]

thanks