Front Diff Leaking

MoladoGuy · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:03 pm

I've seen some leaking spots on the ground left from the KJ after I park her. Today I took some pictures. Is this the diff leaking? I was told to check the fluid level and then get a new seal. Anything to do with the Diff Collar???

LEAKAGE ON THE GROUND:

VIEW FROM FRONT DIFFERENTIAL. THAT IS THE STUFF LEAKING THAT IS ALL OVER MY DIFF RING AND IT ALSO IS SITTING ON TOP OF THE SKID. I WILL REMOVE SKID ON LABOR DAY.

itsajeepthing · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:13 pm

looks like pinion seal?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:38 pm

I'd say the pinion seal,does the fluid smell like gear oil? If it does it's the pinion seal,you may have over tightened the collar and deformed the housing in that area causing the seal to leak.Those things are so bad if you don't get them on correctly,really should weld them and not bolt them on.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:13 pm

Weld them on? Aluminum, pinion seal, oil, better find someone that knows what their doing if you ever had that done. :shock:

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 10:00 pm

ItsAJeepThing....Just marking its territory. :wink:

Guest · **Posted:** Sun Sep 02, 2007 10:43 pm

I had a leak that I thought was the pinion seal, but it was the o-ring on the drain plug. the oil was "climbing" the sides as the dirt on the diff was absorbing it. Or it could be a bad pinion seal.

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:00 pm

I just had to replace my driver's side CV shaft seal because it was leaking. What a pain! Good luck, MoladoGuy, hopefully the pinion seal isn't as difficult to replace.

Big D · **Joined:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:08 pm **Posts:** 349

Had mine replaced under warranty. Just a leaky pinion seal.

MoladoGuy · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:11 am

UPDATE

I dropped the Skid today. Man was it all gunked up under there!! I don't think I have a seal problem in the diff because the fluid is dripping down. I now think it has something to do with the Coolant. The fluid color is brighter red which directly relates to whats in the coolant bottle. I used brake cleaner and wiped everything down. Got all the greasy mess off the diff, diff collar, and even oil filter. I started her up and saw that the coolant bottle was basically empty!! I stopped and checked underneath. There was leakeage and it was the color of the coolant. Time to fill her up and figure out if A.) it's a pressure problem based on the low coolant, or B.) a coolant leak somewhere in the system.

SKID GUNK

GUNK ALL OVER DIFF AREA

SOME LEAKEAGE, THERE IS THE CULPRIT!! BUT ITS LEAKING DOWN FROM SOMETHING ABOVE

ANOTHER SHOT OF LEAKAGE SPRAY.

COOLANT IS LOW

Video Guy · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:11 am

Regardless of the red fluid (coolant?), your pinion seal still looks shot. I had that exact same problem. Mine was fixed under warranty along with the drive shaft (didn't know at the time that I even had a drive shaft problem). Definitely get the seal fixed and have your cooling system inspected.

SavageUrge · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 11:21 am

How much will it cost to replace the pinion seal at a dealer or mechanic? Is it an easy job that can be done in the driveway without air tools? After 72,000+ miles mine is starting to seep. There is no puddle or drops yet, but there is moisture coming from this area around the diff. Thanks for any info!

SavageUrge · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:47 pm

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:07 pm

It would cost around $150-200 to have shop do it.

The only thing you can screw up is getting the pinion nut to tight. Youve got to check the torque it takes to turn the pinion before you take the nut off. Thats how you judge how tight to get the nut when you put it back on.

A good torque wrench is a must.

SavageUrge · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:55 pm

Thanks for the reply. I have a torque wrench, but I think I'll let the pros handle this one, since I have a tendency to dive into something I have no knowledge of and screw it up.

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2007 8:29 pm

I did mine last year. An absolute nightmare on the ground. Definately need air tools to simplify things but its still a pain.

Front Diff Leaking

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