Hey just replaced my axle joints and cleaned my axle tub, took the shafts out, and now axle is leaking from hosings, anyone have any thoughts? The only thing I didn't know how to put back was a weird band that was like a sping but smaller, anyone know what that is?

 

Have you re-installed the axle shafts and now it's leaking gear oil?

 

Everything is installed and back together

 

And now it is leaking out of the tube

 

It may just be oil that leaked out into the tube when you removed the shafts or you may have damaged the seal when reinstalling the shaft. I would just wipe it up for a few days and see if it stops but keep and eye on the amount in the diff. The part your talking about I would assume are the guides Chrysler uses in the factory to install the shafts. They are not needed.

 

Was the spring round about the size of a half dollar? If so that is for your inner axle seal that keeps your fluid inside your diff, and much needed.

 

If you didn't pull the plastic rings that keep the axle shaft centered out of the tubes before reinstalling them they get pushed against the seals damaging them and making it leak.
When you pulled the axles out did the plastic rings come out with them?
I didn't get one out when I did mine and it caused my seal to leak after I put them together.
I took it back apart and pulled it out and luckily it didn't damage the seal and it quit leaking.


Worse case it you pushed the inner seal out or knocked the spring out of the groove that seals it.
Sounds like its time to tear it down again.

 

That's what I did knocked out the sping anyone have a good write ups on how to pull the inner parts on the diff Dana 44 with locker

 

Subscribed!

 

Just did this a week ago..

1st.. How much leaking..?? Someone mentioned that you may just have fluid that slipped by the seals while the axles were out.. I'd give this a few days and see if it stops.. Spray the ends down where the axles exit the tubes with brake cleaner and see if it keeps coming back, slows down or just stops.. If it stops call it good..

If it keeps on leaking, you may have damaged the seals putting the axles back in.. In which case..

1. Drain fluid from Diff
2. Pull the axles out.. They don't have to come all the way out of the tubes, just out of the carrier and housing. Seems you've got this down, not going to go into detail on how to do it..
3. Drop tie rod out of the way.
4. Remove diff cover
5. There's a small bolt on the top right side of the diff where the activator wires enter the housing, remove it and the retainer. Pull the wires out.. There's an o-ring holding it in so it's not just going to fall out. Once out, unclip the connector and push the carrier end back in to the housing.
6. Pull the bearing caps on each side of the carrier, make sure you take note of exactly which end of the caps are UP and what side they go on. They MUST go back in the same postion.
7. Pull the carrier out and make sure you catch all of the shims and bearing races and do NOT MIX THEM UP. Once again they must go back in exactly the same place they came from. You MAY have to get a good size pry bar and try to roll the carrier UP and out from the bottom. Careful with the wires.
8. Remove the old seals.
9. Install new seals.. Good way to do this is get some all thread and cut it about 6 inches longer than the diff housing is wide. Get some good heavy fender washers on it with nuts. Bring the nuts on both ends in far enough you can insert the ends of the all thread into the axle tubes. Slip the fender washers over each end of the rod. Slip the new seals over the ends of the rod and carefully put them in place where you can start turning the nuts to push OUT and press the seals into place.. Fender washers need to be sized as close to the same size as the seals as you can find.. Not sure if that really makes sense or not. Make sure you slather the new seals up with oil, so the rubber is slippery and won't rip when the axles are put back in place..
10. Put it back together. Getting the carrier and the shims back in place can be tricky.. Typically it's a two person job if you don't have a case spreader.. Slip the carrier back into the housing with the bearing races and shims. They likely aren't going to just fall back into place.. Get a 1x2 board that's about 3ft long.. Use that board as a "punch" back and forth on each side of the carrier to help nudge everything back in place. One person keeps the board lined up on the bearing caps and shims and moving it back and forth from side to side while someone else smacks it with a big hammer.. Go slow, watch what you're doing and you'll be able to get it all seated back in place without damaging the shims.. Try and make sure you don't bind anything up against that pin sticking into the housing from the drivers side of the housing.
11. Fish the locker plug up through it's hole.
12. Install the bearing caps back where they came from. Put all bolts back in hand tight.. Once all are in, Torque bolts to 80 lbs.
13. If you're not in 2wd, get there. Turn the carrier back and forth all the way around, making sure it's smooth all through the movement. Do the same thing from the driveshift side.. Spin it until the ring has made a full turn both ways and make sure it feel smooth through the full range.
14. Carefully insert the axle shafts back into the carrier through the new seals. You'll feel when they hit the seal and when they slip through and get to the splines on the carrier.
15. Reconnect wire for the locker and get it sealed back in the housing and the little clip and bolt back in place. Put the t-case in 4Lo and check the locker.. Make sure the lights on the dash act right when you activate the locker. You may have to turn one of the axle shafts to get the locker to line up and lock. Make sure the locker lights on the dash go out when you turn the lockers back off. If the lights don't act right, either the wire isn't plugged back up quite right or that plunger stem behind the carrier is bound up.
16. Once everything seems to be working smoothly, close it all back up, fill it with fluid, bolt the tie rod, unit bearings, brakes and wheels back up and check it out..

Think that's everything.. If anyone sees anything I missed add to it with a 11a, 13b, etc...


Good luck with it.. That's about a 2 - 3 hour process there start to finish, if it all goes smooth..