Anyone replace their rear diff axle seals? I'm doing my rear wheel bearings and one of them is leaking. The FSM calls for a slide hammer, but mine is too short. Wondering if anyone has any ideas, before I start using pry bars or trying to track down a longer threaded rod and rig something up.

FYI, if you do the the rears I recommend at least buying some new hubs just in case. Mine was so rusted, I couldn't used a separator and jaw puller to remove them. I then stuck it on my 12 ton press and it came off, but left the inner race on. I started using an angle grinder to cut it off, but decided to just buy some new ones. Mechanic wanted 440 a piece to do them, so I'm still saving hundreds of dollars.

 

In my 9 years on the forum I don't think I've read of anyone else having this issue. So I've got nothing for you, sorry....

 

Alright, I just popped out the axle flange shaft. I did it with a short and long pry bar and the seal has a lip on it, so I am going to have to install it gently. Basically you wedge the pry bar behind the tone ring and gently pry. Then it will pop out halfway and continue doing that until it comes all the way out and this on the driver side with VLSD. So, one side is longer than the other also.

 

Update:

My leak was definitely coming from the passenger side rear axle diff seal and that whole side was covered in grime, gear oil, and dirt. To remove the flange I used a long pry bar and gently pryed behind the tone ring (remove sensor first) to get it loose and then it will come out halfway. I used the pry bar again to get it fully and the seal behind it was pretty greasy and this side does not have a circlip holding it in place and it's longer than the other side (I have VLSD; I think open diff has same size shafts).

Driving the seal in place was kind of hard, because there isn't much room and it has a lip on it that interferes with a drift. The OEM tool has a cut out on their drift to make the installation easier and a protector that goes on the inside of the seal when you re-install the shaft. I ended up using a seal drive that was the same diameter of the diff hole and tapped it gently in with mini sledge hammer until it was flushed. Getting the flange shaft in was surprisingly difficult it would catch the first set of teeth and then just hang up. I kept fiddling around with it and then it went in half way and then finally all in.

Hopefully, I didn't mess the seal up when I put it in.

I tried again to separate the hub from the bearing on this side, but I was using a torch as I pressed it out. Same situation the inner race got stuck on the hub and I didn't feel like messing with it. My new hubs should be here by Thursday.

 

Pressing the bearings off was a 2 step process for me when I did them as well, first the main part of the bearing pressed off but left the inner race, then after resetting on the press with a different plate I was able to press the inner race off the hub.

It REQUIRES the use of a "bearing splitter" to get that inner race off, that's probably what's hanging you up.

 

I do have a bearing spliter and used it both times. I kept it pretty secure, but enough wiggle room to slide up and down with ease. I also used two 4x4's on each side and some plates stood upright. My bearing separator ended up warping, due to how fused they were on. I was going to cut the race off with an angle grinder, but I didn't want any gouges on the hub. I pressed the replacement bearings on my new hub with ease. I also used some grease, so if I ever have to do it again, I hope they come of easy.

 

Well that's crappy normally you only have problems like that with junk yard parts that have sat for years.