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Hey experts, I have a 1999 F150 Lariat. I'm losing gear oil from the front passenger side. Would you call that the outer axle seal? Anyone know what's involved with fixing that? I'm losing a few drops here and there, it's not gushing.
This photo is looking in from the front of the truck at the passenger wheel:
Well that isnt going to be fun. The seal is definitely going but something bigger could have been the reason it went. I had a bearing go bad, eat up the internal shaft, and cost me a few hundred dollars for my mechanic to get it in working order.
I haven't seen those leak there from normal bearing wear, not yet anyway. Like jp said, it's usually from another issue, like say a floor jack slip or some kind of impact. That would take out (smash) the pilot bearing (a little 5 dollar hako needle bushing, a common bearing sold on Amazon) and bend the very end of axle which in-turn leads to outer bearing wear once 4x4 in engaged (quickly). You can pull that tube/axle without removing the halfshaft (just the axle side needs to be unbolted ) and diff. It's might be more difficult that way, but it can be done quicker this way. I replaced the tube axle and internal assembly complete in one of these. The part was used from salvage. Then replaced the axle needle bearing with new. I made the installation tool to press the bearing into place (just washer welded to a bushing, nothing special).
Like I said and also JP posted, those don't loose the seal on there own/normally without and underlying problem. There's three bearings that come into play, the two axle tube bearings and the small pilot bearing at the very end of the shaft. I didn't have all the correct tools for full bearing replacement. This is why I went refurbished/used on a complete assembly (new part and assembly has been discontinued) and fabricated the needle bearing press accessory. Done right cheap way lol.
When these trucks are in 2WD mode, does the front differential sit idle, or is it constantly spinning?
I'm just debating how much time I have to deal with this problem. Right now it's just a drip. But if that thing started letting loose and leaking more fluid, will I risk blowing up my front end, even if I don't use 4WD?
It spins all the time. That CV axle is bolted to it, so it is locked to it. It is not engaged unless the transfer case is also engaged, unless there are issues with the system of course.
The axle tube is an ez fix.
Easiest to just pull one from truck at scrap yard, change your shift fork too.
Literally 1 hr.
You can replace parts as well, with tube/shaft off, remove snapring from end of axle. And it can be removed from tube. But easier to get part from junk yard. Pull a part has no matching description for this So stub axle works, and its about $20 for whole assembly. (It's not a whole axle and it's not a CV shaft) . (Technically a stub axle is just the flange axle shaft that sticks into the side of the differential housing, that the CV bolts to). People sell these for $175-$275 on ebay and parts sites. Ive got one sitting in my garage. When I changed my shift Fork I also changed that axle tube and shaft for one that has little bit less play than mine had . Dirt cheap at Pull-A-Part only.
$18
Not to mention I got a free good shift Fork also, and some lug nuts that they didn't charge me for.
Part number 1 in the diagram is it actual stub axle. Pull-A-Part has no designation for this axle tube and disconnect system. So you get it for a good price.
Wow, I didn't realize how easy it would be to swap the whole diff out. I see one on Craigslist already pulled for $100. Since mine probably has some kind of damage causing the leak, I think I'll swap it out and then do some surgery on my old one to see what's going on with it.
03-27-2019, 03:49 PM
Axle leak - front passenger side
