Leaking Front Pinion

BaddestCross · May 30, 2017

This one is new to me... How does one go about repairing this? Saw oil drops on the driveway, crawled under the Jeep and saw this:

Any help would be appreciated.

Desert Crawler · May 30, 2017

I just did this repair last week. It is pretty easy as long as you have the tools. Google search it and you will find a few videos that walk you through the process.

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Jeepfan30 · May 30, 2017

Pretty easy fix. You just drop the shaft, remove the pinion nut, pry the seal out, tap the new one in and re-torque the pinion nut back to 160 ft/lbs, attach the shaft (if you want to get fancy you can rent a inch/lb torque wrench and check the rotating in/lb pressure before removing the nut). Get the Mopar seal from the dealership, I did this twice because I tried a cheap aftermarket seal and it leaked after I installed it due to crappy orange seal material.

BaddestCross · May 30, 2017

Desert Crawler said:
I just did this repair last week. It is pretty easy as long as you have the tools. Google search it and you will find a few videos that walk you through the process.

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Most of the videos I'm finding are for the rear or for d30s. Are the 44s the same procedure? I've read a couple things regarding checking torque specs, replacing the pinion nut, using extra lube or silicon... Internet tech pros frustrate me sometimes because they all jump in and tell each other they're full of shit.

How did you do it?

BaddestCross · May 30, 2017

Jeepfan30 said:
Pretty easy fix. You just drop the shaft, remove the pinion nut, pry the seal out, tap the new one in and re-torque the pinion nut back to 160 ft/lbs, attach the shaft (if you want to get fancy you can rent a inch/lb torque wrench and check the rotating in/lb pressure before removing the nut). Get the Mopar seal from the dealership, I did this twice because I tried a cheap aftermarket seal and it leaked after I installed it due to crappy orange seal material.

Thanks for that info. Is there anything I need to be aware of when dropping the shaft? Do I have to remove the back of it too or can I just unbolt the front and let it fall? (Gently, of course

)

Exodus 4x4 · May 30, 2017

BaddestCross said:
Most of the videos I'm finding are for the rear or for d30s. Are the 44s the same procedure? I've read a couple things regarding checking torque specs, replacing the pinion nut, using extra lube or silicon... Internet tech pros frustrate me sometimes because they all jump in and tell each other they're full of shit.

How did you do it?

Add red rtv to the outside of the seal. The stuff they put on there seldom works and you'll end up changing it out again, as mentioned before. Watch the Adams driveshaft videos and they'll give you a pretty good idea about what to do when removing and reinstalling the yoke/flange.

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Desert Crawler · May 30, 2017

You should be able to remove just the front of the shaft leaving the rear connected. I also got a new pinion nut which may not always be necessary. But why chance future troubles over a few dollars?

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BaddestCross · May 30, 2017

Desert Crawler said:
You should be able to remove just the front of the shaft leaving the rear connected. I also got a new pinion nut which may not always be necessary. But why chance future troubles over a few dollars?

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Did you do the torque test I've read about before disassembly or did you just torque to 160lbs and forget about it?

Also, did you use Loktite on the new pinion nut?

BaddestCross · May 30, 2017

Granite_head said:
Add red rtv to the outside of the seal. The stuff they put on there seldom works and you'll end up changing it out again, as mentioned before. Watch the Adams driveshaft videos and they'll give you a pretty good idea about what to do when removing and reinstalling the yoke/flange.

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Thanks. I'll look up that video. Red RTV as in high temp RTV?

austin160 · May 30, 2017

Mine is doing the same thing front and rear after a complete axle rebuild and swap. So, the aftermarket seals suck?

Exodus 4x4 · May 30, 2017

BaddestCross said:
Thanks. I'll look up that video. Red RTV as in high temp RTV?

Yep

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codyzx7 · May 30, 2017

austin160 said:
Mine is doing the same thing front and rear after a complete axle rebuild and swap. So, the aftermarket seals suck?

Good question.
My front and rear are leaking as well after a gear swap.

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Exodus 4x4 · May 30, 2017

codyzx7 said:
Good question.
My front and rear are leaking as well after a gear swap.

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Look and see if they're actually leaking from the inner part of the seal or the outer. Either way they have to be changed but I bet it's more about the quality of installation and not the quality of the seal.

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Jeepfan30 · May 31, 2017

Granite_head said:
Look and see if they're actually leaking from the inner part of the seal or the outer. Either way they have to be changed but I bet it's more about the quality of installation and not the quality of the seal.

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There is a clear difference in the quality of the seals, specifically the orange bead of sealant that fills the gap when you pound the seal in. The Yukon one I got on Amazon leaked, so I got one from Jeep dealer and very different build and seal quality.

Exodus 4x4 · May 31, 2017

Jeepfan30 said:
There is a clear difference in the quality of the seals, specifically the orange bead of sealant that fills the gap when you pound the seal in. The Yukon one I got on Amazon leaked, so I got one from Jeep dealer and very different build and seal quality.

I don't doubt it, but I've also bought "Mopar" parts that lacked the quality of some aftermarket products. I know they're inner axle seals leave a lot to be desired. In any case you should always apply some rtv to the outside of a pinion seal. It's cheap insurance.

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codyzx7 · May 31, 2017

Mine that are leaking are Yukon & they are leaking from the outer part. I'll be replacing them with mopar seals and see how that goes. I'll also add a light coat of RTV.

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WJCO · May 31, 2017

codyzx7 said:
Mine that are leaking are Yukon & they are leaking from the outer part. I'll be replacing them with mopar seals and see how that goes. I'll also add a light coat of RTV.

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This is not the RIGHT way to do it, but if it's leaking at the outer area, you could clean it really good with brakeclean and wipe some RTV on that area with your finger and give it a shot to see if it seals. There's no pressure there, it's just gravity. I've had a few transfer case hairline cracks that I've fixed this way with luck. Just an idea.

codyzx7 · May 31, 2017

WJCO said:
This is not the RIGHT way to do it, but if it's leaking at the outer area, you could clean it really good with brakeclean and wipe some RTV on that area with your finger and give it a shot to see if it seals. There's no pressure there, it's just gravity. I've had a few transfer case hairline cracks that I've fixed this way with luck. Just an idea.

What would be the "RIGHT" way to fix it?

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WJCO · May 31, 2017

codyzx7 said:
What would be the "RIGHT" way to fix it?

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Replace the seal and add RTV to outer diameter when you do it. The method I suggested would possibly save you time and money.

codyzx7 · May 31, 2017

[emoji1303]
Gotcha!!

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