Rear Axle Seal replacement? - 3rd Gen
- Thread starter edough
- Start date
Wedgy
New member
How do you sort thru their filters ? It looks like the years are messed up ranging from 1995-2002 or 2001-2004
Is it better to know the part # you need then type that in ? I don't even see a place to enter a part number
4RUNNER | Toyota | Genuine Parts Catalogs | PartSouq Auto Parts Around the World
4Runner4Leon
Senior Member
Sorry, that was already filtered to the 3rd Gen 4Runners. If you want to enter the part number or find a specific vehicle (year and trim), go to their main page and enter it there:
Genuine Parts Catalogs | PartSouq Auto Parts Around the World
T4RTRDSFBay
New member
I apologize for the thread revival...
Still offering this service Tim [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION]? My driver's side just started leaking and would rather have someone that has the expertise and tools to do it...Rather than getting violated and risk getting it done incorrectly at the dealership or a shop that won't know what to properly do. Your videos made it tempting to do it myself, but with a 3 year old and a 7 month old, time is valuable....plus I dont have space for a press in the garage.
Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I searched and didn't really see an answer for what I was thinking. For the seal, because we all know it rides too far inboard, could we install some sort of spacer (washer maybe) behind the axle seal in order to push it out a few mm? Between doing this and replacing the breather, wouldn't that eliminate all of the shop press work associated with replacing all of these components?
In other words, we just need the seal to ride a few mm more outboard. So providing some sort of shim and pressing in the seal against that should provide a solution to this problem. I do understand that if the bearings are washed out from gear oil then you may as well do the entire thing. But if someone has just a small leak that hasn't penetrated that far, shimming out the seal could provide a solution? If so, how far out should the seal be from its existing location? 2mm outboard?
Thanks
In other words, we just need the seal to ride a few mm more outboard. So providing some sort of shim and pressing in the seal against that should provide a solution to this problem. I do understand that if the bearings are washed out from gear oil then you may as well do the entire thing. But if someone has just a small leak that hasn't penetrated that far, shimming out the seal could provide a solution? If so, how far out should the seal be from its existing location? 2mm outboard?
Thanks
chandaman_05
New member
Isn't this why may of us install the collar backwards so the beveled edge faces outwards from the car? This gives you about 2-3mm more bearing surface which should give you a better seal.
I've done this on 2nd and 3rd gen 4Runenrs and have good luck. My seals I just replaced were about 70k miles/7 years old and were still in great condition when I just re-built my rear end. When you're doing the install of the collars, its good to get some red grease and put a small layer on the bearing surface and then install the axle and spin it and then pull the axle back out. You can see where the seal is rubbing on the collar and you want it as centered as possible. If its close the edge, a small leak like you described will likely happen as the seals wear out a bit.
I've done this on 2nd and 3rd gen 4Runenrs and have good luck. My seals I just replaced were about 70k miles/7 years old and were still in great condition when I just re-built my rear end. When you're doing the install of the collars, its good to get some red grease and put a small layer on the bearing surface and then install the axle and spin it and then pull the axle back out. You can see where the seal is rubbing on the collar and you want it as centered as possible. If its close the edge, a small leak like you described will likely happen as the seals wear out a bit.
Thank you for the repsonse. You're talking about the utilizing a press and installing the collar backwards, which is the absolute correct way of doing it. I was refering to not doing this, leaving everything on the axle as-is, but putting something inside (inboard) of where the rear axle seal rides so that when you press in that seal, it sits proud (outboard) a few mm. So with this method, everything is left in position on the axle that is removed and nothing is moved or replaced. The old seal is removed, washers or a spacer of some sort is put placed into the space where the real axle seal will be installed, and then a new rear axle seal is installed. In essence, you shim the rear axle seal to have it sit where it needs to on the collar. Let me know if that makes sense?
chandaman_05
New member
You'd reduce the surface the oil seal rides in by doing that and IDK if that would affect the longevity of the seal not having a full shoulder to support it. You'd also have to fabricate or find a perfect sized washer/spacer/shim piece that is bigger than the axle shaft but also sits near perfectly inside of the axle housing bore. I'd be worried about any slop and would want a pretty near perfect fit there.
Just going through it in my head I wonder if it would just do the collar mod and be done with it! I've done this job about 3x now so maybe I'm just a bit biased.
Just going through it in my head I wonder if it would just do the collar mod and be done with it! I've done this job about 3x now so maybe I'm just a bit biased.
phattyduck
Elite Member
If you axle seal is leaking, you should probably replace the wheel bearing too (since the gear oil washes out the bearing grease). Once you are doing the press work to replace the bearing (those retainers have to come off), you can just re-install them with the updated orientation...
-Charlie
I agree. That's what I said in my initial post. I was just wondering if there wasn't a severe leak where the bearings were impacted, then this may be a viable alternative. I'll inspect when I take the axle out and report back what I end up doing.
