Regear - So I created more work

[SAC-CA-Runner]

So I'm in the process of re-gearing my truck to 4.56 and rear ARB Locker. Shop said "bring me front diff and 3rd member". Silly me for some reason thought the WHOLE rear axle. Sooooo, I pulled it completely out! Turns out...remove some bolts and the 3rd drops right out! Ooops!!! Sure would have saved me a lot of time.

With that said...it doesn't hurt too much because I had to drop the axle anyway to put in the Icon Hydraulic Bump Stops I got a while back. So my question is...I have 180K on the rig and since I have the axles out should I go ahead and replace all the inner and outer seals on the rear? Should I have new bearings pressed on? On the front I just took the axles out but left the ends in the diff. Should I pop those out and get new seals for them as well? They weren't leaking but he is going to have to take them out to do the re-gear I'm thinking? I'm going on a long expedition trip this June...soooo...do it now even tho they are still good and not leaking? Or leave them be and wait? Tho my luck they would go out while on the trails of the Yukon Territory.

 

[AuSeeker]

So I'm in the process of re-gearing my truck to 4.56 and rear ARB Locker. Shop said "bring me front diff and 3rd member". Silly me for some reason thought the WHOLE rear axle. Sooooo, I pulled it completely out! Turns out...remove some bolts and the 3rd drops right out! Ooops!!! Sure would have saved me a lot of time.

With that said...it doesn't hurt too much because I had to drop the axle anyway to put in the Icon Hydraulic Bump Stops I got a while back. So my question is...I have 180K on the rig and since I have the axles out should I go ahead and replace all the inner and outer seals on the rear? Should I have new bearings pressed on? On the front I just took the axles out but left the ends in the diff. Should I pop those out and get new seals for them as well? They weren't leaking but he is going to have to take them out to do the re-gear I'm thinking? I'm going on a long expedition trip this June...soooo...do it now even tho they are still good and not leaking? Or leave them be and wait? Tho my luck they would go out while on the trails of the Yukon Territory.

Well being that you included "long expedition trip" and "Yukon Territory" in your description of this trip, I would say to do ALL that you can do while you have the chance, it's not like you going to be just a couple of hours from help on a lot of this "expedition" and I for one wouldn't want something you put off to go south during the fun!!

 

[Inv4drZm]

Seals are sometimes tricky to put in, can be damaged or seated wrong which could lead to leaking. It might be one of those "if it's not broke don't fix it" kind of things. I'm not sure I would replace mine or not in your situation but you do have 180k miles...

 

[Drunner97]

I'd say replace all the seals at a minimum. Since you're regearing the front they're going to have to crack the diff anyway which likely means new bearings and seals in the front. You already pulled the whole axle, which means you've already disconnected the e-brake drums, which means super pain in the ass. Do what you can now so you don't have to deal with those stupid drums again for awhile.

 

[SAC-CA-Runner]

Seals are sometimes tricky to put in, can be damaged or seated wrong which could lead to leaking. It might be one of those "if it's not broke don't fix it" kind of things. I'm not sure I would replace mine or not in your situation but you do have 180k miles...

Yeah, I get what you're saying. But sometimes when things have that much age on them they get "settled in" and then when you move or break that seal it's a pain to get to reseal unless you replace with new seals/gaskets/etc correctly. And as Danny says below...since I got it apart...I might as well do the front and rear gaskets as she is going to take a beating this year.

 

[SAC-CA-Runner]

Well....tore apart the rear axles. The drivers side looks A-OK and the bearing feels great. Passenger side, well...looks like a leak from the gasket as it looks like the grease has mixed with the diff fluid. However it wasn't leaking on the brakes or hub or anything like that. The bearing feels good, but my worry is seepage into the bearing even if they are sealed. They are sealed right? I was hoping to have my new bearings by tomorrow so I could take the axles with me to Sacramento and have them pressed on there as the labor rates are quite a bit cheaper than the Bay Area. But nope.

On the front I could only get the pass side axle end out and the seal looks good but may still replace it now that I've pulled it out. So exactly what did y'all use to pry in to get that axle end out of the front diff?

Pics!!!

 

[Drunner97]

Well....tore apart the rear axles. The drivers side looks A-OK and the bearing feels great. Passenger side, well...looks like a leak from the gasket as it looks like the grease has mixed with the diff fluid. However it wasn't leaking on the brakes or hub or anything like that. The bearing feels good, but my worry is seepage into the bearing even if they are sealed. They are sealed right? I was hoping to have my new bearings by tomorrow so I could take the axles with me to Sacramento and have them pressed on there as the labor rates are quite a bit cheaper than the Bay Area. But nope.

On the front I could only get the pass side axle end out and the seal looks good but may still replace it now that I've pulled it out. So exactly what did y'all use to pry in to get that axle end out of the front diff?

Pics!!!

Crow bar and a 5lb sledge for the front axles usually does it. Definitely looks like a leak there. One of mine looks like that. Shit I should probably do it while I have the 3rd member pulled, I just didn't want to hassle with the brakes.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[SAC-CA-Runner]

Crow bar and a 5lb sledge for the front axles usually does it. Definitely looks like a leak there. One of mine looks like that. Shit I should probably do it while I have the 3rd member pulled, I just didn't want to hassle with the brakes.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Yeah...I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and do them even tho the bearings feel great. 180K and me adding full steel armor, sliders, RTT, rear bumper, front bumper, drawer system, etc will put some stress on them I'm sure so may as well go new. Just hope these Timken ones on Amazon will last.

 

[Inv4drZm]

Crow bar and a 5lb sledge for the front axles usually does it. Definitely looks like a leak there. One of mine looks like that. Shit I should probably do it while I have the 3rd member pulled, I just didn't want to hassle with the brakes.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

You don't have to touch the brake lines, just slot the mounts the brake lines run through and slide the lines out of the way. When I changed my 3rd is was real easy to do it this way. No bleeding brakes.

 

[Drunner97]

You don't have to touch the brake lines, just slot the mounts the brake lines run through and slide the lines out of the way. When I changed my 3rd is was real easy to do it this way. No bleeding brakes.

You have to disconnect the brake lines to get the axle shaft out in order to change bearings and seals. You also have to disconnect the e-brake cable, which means disassembling the e-brake setup as well.

 

[bob3dsf]

The wheel bearings are sealed, however, fluids can seep into them. After I changed my front wheel bearings, I went to press the old ones out of the hubs and wound up cracking them apart at the races. There was an orange/brown color goop all over which I took to be some rust mixed with the grease. I'm fairly sure water intrusion killed my bearings. Maybe the prior owner took it wheeling a little, who knows. It was i good shape and came from Az. Anyway, they are sealed but not impervious.

 

[TheFauxFox]

Yeah...I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and do them even tho the bearings feel great. 180K and me adding full steel armor, sliders, RTT, rear bumper, front bumper, drawer system, etc will put some stress on them I'm sure so may as well go new. Just hope these Timken ones on Amazon will last.

Timken a good brand? If I went through all that hassle I'd get OEM... only two bearings right? One on each side? Or total of 4? Either way it's not one of those $100 vs $800 oem parts right? $50 ea?

 

[SAC-CA-Runner]

Timken a good brand? If I went through all that hassle I'd get OEM... only two bearings right? One on each side? Or total of 4? Either way it's not one of those $100 vs $800 oem parts right? $50 ea?

Well I know Timken and Koyo are good. I know guys that make bearings for our fronts use Timken. And yes...it's $100 vs $300 per side. So quite a difference. I'm actually more worried about getting the seals seated right without damaging them.

 

[TheFauxFox]

Well I know Timken and Koyo are good. I know guys that make bearings for our fronts use Timken. And yes...it's $100 vs $300 per side. So quite a difference. I'm actually more worried about getting the seals seated right without damaging them.

Cool. Glad your going in the right direction. Carry on :hatsoff: