Step 6: Replace Differential Seal | Return to Steps
Replacing the differential seal is not required and could lead to further headache. If your seal is not leaking, not damaged on CV removal, or not original, I would leave it alone.

Take Pictures and Measurements
Before ripping this bad boy out, take a few pictures of the current seal. The most important thing to note is the depth of the seal, you want to get the new seal as close as possible, if not a tad shallower, than the old one. If a bit shallow, the CV insertion should help to set it fully. I measured my depth with a set of calipers, and it was just about 6mm. The caliper batteries ran out a bit ago, so unfortunately I don't have the exact depth down to the 0.000000000001 cm. Yes, frame crusties- working on that one.


I tried removing this seal with picks, a screwdriver, and a small pry bar, but was too worried about scratching the sealing surface. Like the knuckle seal, the easiest way to remove this seal is with a little destruction. I grabbed the seal with vice grips and bent them away from the seal center. This folded the seal center out and brought the edges inward, relieving the pressure of the seal fitment and allowing it to be removed.



Learn From My Seal Install Mistakes!!!
Now is when I made a few mistakes that you can learn from. This will be a brief overview with the 3 biggest takeaways:

1. Not Cleaning the Crusties- This was the main issue I ran into. The small amount of rust buildup made inserting the already tight fitting seal, much more complex. It was significantly hard to get the seal in, and once they passed through the rust sections, they tore the outer rubber. I made this mistake on 2 different seals before realizing my errors
   
   
   
2. Hammering in a Cramped Area- I started using a 2" PVC end cap to set the seal, but the area between the diff and the LCA was too close to work properly. I switched to a socket-type 65mm oil filter wrench on a 9"+ 6" extension, which allowed me to better hammer it in.
   
   
   
3. Hitting Directly on the Seal- To correct the angle of the seal as it went in, I used a 9"+ 6" socket extension directly on the seal. This created a stretch and tear area on one of my seals. I learned that tapping the old seal on top of the new seal could protect it, and still allow the angle correction.