[Deadhead]

Hey guys,

Hoping someone can help me with this Prob. The driver's side of my truck has been leaking rear lube for a long time (couple of years). I took it to the dealer and they did a whole lot of nothing. They cleaned it & changed the seal & supposedly inspected the axle. Normally I would not take it there, but it wont fit in my normal shop b/c it is an extra cab w/ 8' bed & you can not get in and out of the thing once it is pulled onto the lift. Dealer charged me $700 to do that & inspect the transfer case which had sent some random code to the info center.

Not long after it started to leak again. I had a mechanic I know look at it & he changed the seal again & could not find anything wrong. He has a buddy at GM who went & checked for any chronic problems on this VIN etc. Came up with nothing.

Vehicle has only 40k on it & I have owned since new. It now leaks a ton of grease out of there all over the brake & wheel & I have got to do something. Wondering if there is a problem with the hub.

Anybody?

Thanks.

[455firebird1969]

First, I would check your vent is not blocked, then I would check that it is serviced properly. I use synthetic fluid in mine, and it does seep slightly...

Is it leaking or seeping? A seep may be acceptable, depends on how picky you are I guess

Check this link for other Ideas, there is even another link to walk you through changing the seals yourself...

Hope this helps...


http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthr...t=read+leaking

[Deadhead]

Thanks for the link. That is an amazing site. Tons of categories & info.

Unfortunately, it is really coming out of there. The first time I discovered it was when there was actually smoke coming off the rotor from burning posi fluid.

Seems as though it seals for a while & then gives out again. Seal does not even ride on the axle itself which is what is so crazy about it.

I do most if not all of the work on my Pontiacs myself, but am just not into working on this thing. I am tempted to find a wreck & just change the whole thing out.

[mzbk2l]

Deadhead, if I remember right, that is a 2-piece seal; it is stationary on the spindle, and stationary in the hub. All of the rotating contact takes place within the seal.

They definitely leak more than I would like to see (most of our trucks would have at least one fail before 60,000-70,000 miles), but that was usually just enough to notice the dampness. It is pretty rare in my experience for one to leak so badly that you have fluid all over the place.

I would think that with two different mechanics looking at it, the seal was probably installed correctly, but I have seen the sleeve from a bad seal stay on the spindle and mess up the new seal as it is installed if someone didn't pay attention.

I haven't done one in a few years, but I did my share of 'em when i was working at GM testing those trucks. I believe it's a pretty straightforward job - pull wheels, pull the axle, unbolt the caliper and set it on the leaf spring, unbolt the caliper bracket, and then you can remove the spindle nut and remove the hub.

[Deadhead]

Originally Posted by mzbk2l

Deadhead, if I remember right, that is a 2-piece seal; it is stationary on the spindle, and stationary in the hub. All of the rotating contact takes place within the seal.

They definitely leak more than I would like to see (most of our trucks would have at least one fail before 60,000-70,000 miles), but that was usually just enough to notice the dampness. It is pretty rare in my experience for one to leak so badly that you have fluid all over the place.

I would think that with two different mechanics looking at it, the seal was probably installed correctly, but I have seen the sleeve from a bad seal stay on the spindle and mess up the new seal as it is installed if someone didn't pay attention.

I haven't done one in a few years, but I did my share of 'em when i was working at GM testing those trucks. I believe it's a pretty straightforward job - pull wheels, pull the axle, unbolt the caliper and set it on the leaf spring, unbolt the caliper bracket, and then you can remove the spindle nut and remove the hub.

That is correct. It is the 2 Pc as you say. I am going to have the 2nd guy come over & pull it off with me in hopes that now with so much it will be obvious where the leak is or he will have an aha about how he did it.

I am wondering if there is a flaw in the hub. Piece of flag pit etc.

Thanks for the post & stay safe.

[mzbk2l]

One advantage to the 2-piece seal is that if you do find a small imperfection in the spindle or the hub, you can use sealant on it. Not so easy to do with an older style seal. Good luck with it. I'll be curious to see what you find.