Birty Dastards Jeep Club

Tech Forum => Workshop => Topic started by: pafc11 on April 16, 2009, 07:45:43 PM

Title: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: pafc11 on April 16, 2009, 07:45:43 PM
1997 Cherokee 2.5td Facelift.

Just got a new MOT :-(

O/S/F Half Shaft Leaking.  Now being one of them people that just drives and doesnt have a clue about tinkering with mechanical stuff :-?


Have been told it is the seal that is leaking and that my fluid level is still good in the thingybob where the other end of shaft goes into :lol:
Many Thanks for any help
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: PtP on April 16, 2009, 08:05:48 PM
I've never done one, but I don't think its an easy quick job. Have a look here: http://www.stu-offroad.com/axle/d30seals/seal-1.htm (http://www.stu-offroad.com/axle/d30seals/seal-1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: Bubba on April 16, 2009, 08:08:46 PM
diff out
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: tim_aka_tim on April 16, 2009, 08:15:56 PM
Dude. If you have no mechanical experience, this is a bastard of a job. Probably
best to find a competant mechanic who doesn't charge an arm and a leg.
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: Mike Pavelin on April 16, 2009, 09:05:47 PM
Diff out, do both sides at once.
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: pafc11 on April 16, 2009, 09:12:34 PM
just had the knuckle. hub assembly,caliper replaced then leak appeared  isnt it a case of just working this  end of shaft to replace seal? or it all got come right out? :shock:
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: tim_aka_tim on April 16, 2009, 09:20:07 PM
You need to remove the diff and then remove the shaft. That means removing the wheel, brake caliper,
disc, then the shaft. Then remove the diff so you can change the seal. The seal is at the diff end, not
the wheel end.
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: PtP on April 16, 2009, 09:27:16 PM
Quote from: "pafc11"
just had the knuckle. hub assembly,caliper replaced then leak appeared  isnt it a case of just working this  end of shaft to replace seal? or it all got come right out? :shock:
If you bothered to look at the above link, you'll see the seals are in the diff and it's a long job with the diff having to be removed which involves pulling both half-shafts. It's not a simple DIY job for someone without any mechanicing experience.

If you have just had some work done on that side, either some oil has leaked into the axle tube whilst the half-shaft was removed and has seeped along and is now showing or most likely, the mechanic who did the work damaged the seal when he refitted the half-shaft.

Bugger Tim our posts crossed!
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: pafc11 on April 16, 2009, 09:47:19 PM
ok cheers. did bother to look, but has the leak/well drip more like is just behind the wheel bit thought it might be just a case of having all that side stripped down and replacing a seal behind  wheel side where the leak seems to be. dry has a bone all the way up the shaft so it seem to be leaking near to wheel as opposed to next from diff.

on a sharp learning curve here,
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: Bubba on April 16, 2009, 09:53:57 PM
just wait and see there is a slim chance the oil dribbled over the seal when they did the work if they pulled the shaft out

see if the drip stops or continues you do have the choice to simply keep topping up till it needs doing for the next mot or feel brave emough to get it sorted

if its pouring out then it needs doing asap
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: tim_aka_tim on April 16, 2009, 09:54:58 PM
Smell the oil. Is it the most foul smelling shite you ever came across? If not, it's not diff oil.
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: gordy on April 17, 2009, 11:27:59 AM
The seals become hardened over time and when you had the knuckle etc replaced the technician would have to partially if not completely remove the halfshaft.  This has caused the hardend seal to start leaking.  Care needs to be taken when re-inserting the half shaft as you need to push it through the seal and align it with the splines in the carrier.
Title: Re: Half Shaft Leaking
Post by: JamesH on April 19, 2009, 04:17:50 PM
Even fairly new seals can be damaged when pulling shafts and replacing them. I've changed mine twice after damaging the first 'new' ones when doing other work that required shafts out. The parts are cheap and it isn't really, really complicated  -just a long job with quite a few things to take apart. Saying that, if you have no mechanical experience it wouldn't be a job for you to start with.