Is it worth the time, money and trouble to put outboard tube axle seals on my 2010 JKUS or do they cause more trouble than they are worth? Manufacturers say they keep "mud, crud and debris" out of the front axle tube but can they possibly trap water leading to hidden corrosion problems?

 

My opinion is they will keep the big stuff out, but the little stuff is bound to get in and stay...water, silt, etc.

 

if you get an inner axle seal leak how will you know? jeeps came out of the factory with no outer seal for a reason. If I had a bad inner seal with diff fluid sloshing around my axle housing ide like to know pretty quick wouldnt you?

 

When I sleeved my axles they came with "dust" seals. After a couple years I had a problem with an axle leak. Turned out to be the Chromoly shafts had been ground down at the inner axle seal. The axle shafts were full of mud and crud and there was no way for it to get out. So it just ground down the axle shafts at the inner seals until it leaked. Pulled out the "dust" seals after that. Now the junk can drain out.

 

One thing to keep in mind is, the outer end of the inner shaft doesn't stay concentric with the axle tube. As the wheels turn left and right, and the u-joints do their thing, the shaft is displaced, making a perfect seal impossible.

That's the main reason there is no seal there from the factory, and the reason the bearing is as far inboard as it can be, next to the differential.