Hi all, I need some help with a very basic question. Does the front diff fluid (D44 Rubi) overflow out like I drew in the pic below? 2 days ago I changed my front and rear diff covers to ARB’s, then drove it just a few short miles Friday night. I didn’t drive it or even look at it yesterday. Today I went into the garage and noticed a puddle of fluid right under my driver’s side front tire.

Is it safe to assume I just overfilled and this is how things drain? Should I do anything or is it safe to just let this go?

 

Either you overfilled it or, by a very strange coincidence, your axle seal decided to give up at the very moment you changed the fluid.

 

Thanks. I’ve been doing a lot of Googling since I posted and I’m hopeful it’s just overfilled. Seems like the most likely explanation. If not, time to upgrade!

 

When mine was overfilled, oil spewed from the vent tube up top and flowed down along the shock tower. Your oil is not dripping down, but is only coming from right there at the axle seal?



Found a pic online showing the end of the breather.

 

Diff axle seals gone. Big job - remove brakes/hub, remove axles, open diff, identify all retainers with centerpunch dots (so that the bearing retainers go back same), remove diff and keep shims in place, remove old seals, thoroughly clean the axle housing tubes of all debris, install new seals, reverse install the diff, when installing axles, check u-joints and replace if necessary and ensure you install the plastic guide washer on the spline as that keeps the axle off the crap in the bottom of the axle tube. Reassemble brakes and hub.

 

That to me = time to visit a shop. No chance I could pull that off myself. Seems awfully weird though that it happened at the exact same time I replaced the diff cover and filled it up with new lube. Maybe it was leaking before and was ignored; I did just buy this Jeep 2 weeks ago.

 

Yeah not dripping down that I can see, looks to only be coming out of the axle.

 

Let's assume it is the seals. Any advice on these questions would be greatly appreciated.

1. Is there an aftermarket upgrade or is MOPAR the way to go?
2. Any harm in driving like this for a week or two while I get estimates from various shops?
3. Should I have the shop replace anything else while they're in there doing the seals?

 

As long as it is a very slow leak.... you have time to think about it. There is a chance that it will seal back up itself... Maybe the new fluid was enough thinner that it came through the seal. Do keep an eye on it... if oil gets out ...water and dirt can get in. I had one leaking one time... and then it just stopped...3 years ago now- it just slopped leaking and yes the diff is full... it was like the seal got something caught in it, and then it was done leaking. Be careful going in deep water until it is repaired!

 

Time to take it off road, get enough dirt and dried mud in there to work as a secondary seal, what does leak past the seal gets stopped by the natural earth barrier, over time that oil and dirt will make a solid seal to where even if the seal goes out, it still won’t leak bad
🍺

ok, that was a joke,
just get thicker oil👍🏻