Diff oil leaking from my swivel's??????

Not had chance to fit it yet!!!! I only got back off holiday on sat night
Then I was working at tong yesterday, I'm hoping to do it this week, I shall keep you updated!!

No probs, keen to find out what the cause is. Might have the same prob, but just changed the wheel bearing, so hoping that solves it for me, done the kingpins already.

I wanna move on and do my rear disc conversion but gotta stop one of my swvels leaking first too!

Kirkynut

I think a new wheel bearing has solved mine. My steering wheel wobble at 36mph has gone now too so it drives nice again also. You solved yours yet?

Has yours leaked on road or only off road. Mine was fine until I took it off road when I assume I put more pressure on the wheel bearing. Couldn't really see much wrong with the wheel bearing though when out.

Kirkynut

I've had a thought on this Jamie. Well as I'm suffering with the same problem I've had a fair few thoughts!!!

What make of Kingpin bearing are you running?

I'm running Koyos, so they should be as good as original - as they are original!!!

But, have you felt the pre-load on them?

My hubs don't leak after I replace the oil seal and drive it on the road with the hubs locked, so the shaft is spinning in the seal. So my shaft must be running true and straight.

If I go a little off road they leak. The worst side has new Kingpin and wheel bearings all definately fitted correctly.

I have just bought some of Martin's shims and will check the pre-load and shim up accordingly. I hope this will solve my problem.

Just remember to set it without the swivel seal on as that creates it's own drag.

Kirkynut

Just to add to the above - I have in my mind that it is the kingpins still because I think that the extra pressure from being off road is making any extra freeplay in the bearing to be taken up and thus allowing the shaft to press on the seal a little, allowing it to leak.

If I shim them up properly this will take up that play I hope to solve the problem.

Kirkynut

If you are running with the hubs locked on the road and off-road and they only leak off-road then I would guess that the difference is the depth of oil around the back of the seal. Off-road the angles that you are driving at would mean that the diff-oil fills up the end of the axle. If there is then any pressure in the axle itself this will push oil through the seal.

I would look around whether the breather is completely clear, whether the oil is contaminated with water and the oil is the correct grade. Dirt or grit within the seal or on the shaft, or scoring of the seal bed on the shaft might also not help. It is also possible that the actual Kingpins are worn or damaged, I have not seen a "bent" one but I have seen broken ones so it is conceivable that they bend or at least go out of tolerance.

Whilst I am happy to send you the shims, I would doubt that pre-load would affect leakage.

One the subject you raised elsewhere about getting just the oil seals then I can easily and quickly do that, I just normally only bother to match them into the kits rather than sell them individually.

If anyone is an expert on things like oil seals and knows of a different specification that improves sealing then let me know and I will get some. For example different material or construction)

martin

Hi Jamie,

Is it clean oil, or the lovely brown crud waterey stuff?

Also how long do you jet wash around the seals, do you just flash over or go to town getting all the crap off?

Because you could be filling them up with water passing the seals.

But if it's clean oil, mmm. Did you manage to put the big rubber over the knuckle in one, or cut it then put it on, did you put the cut to the top or other position? did use some sealant around the seal.

sorry if it sounds daft, but just fishing here Jamie.

ps....... have you done the back door storeage yet :laugh:

Andy

I only ran them with the hubs locked on the road to see if they would leak as they are most likely to leak with them locked than not.

The oil level is correct, the oil is new and good quality of the right type and I have tipped it up at an angle to get more oil to the seal, which did also cause it to leak.

The shaft has no marks or scoring where the seal goes and I have been using a new seal each time I try to fix it, so the seals are good - hence I need some, I still have a couple but want to stock up.

I have heard that the bearings can be slightly different and that on SJ's people have experienced issues and they are the same bearing, hence I thought about shimming them.

I have checked my breather nd with the filler plug removed it blows straight through.

I have thought about the kingpins being bent and if shimming it up to the correct pre-load does not solve the problem, I think that could be the issue.

The only thing is, if it is the kingpins being bent, why only effect it off road - is it just the quantity of oil around the seal or the extra pressure of being off road. But then the last time I made it leak after replacing the seal I only drove across a farmers field that was not particularly bumpy, so it wasn't that much pressure.

I'll shim it up and then see.

Cheers Martin.

Kirkynut

andyw wrote:

Hi Jamie,

Is it clean oil, or the lovely brown crud waterey stuff?

Also how long do you jet wash around the seals, do you just flash over or go to town getting all the crap off?

Because you could be filling them up with water passing the seals.

But if it's clean oil, mmm. Did you manage to put the big rubber over the knuckle in one, or cut it then put it on, did you put the cut to the top or other position? did use some sealant around the seal.

sorry if it sounds daft, but just fishing here Jamie.

ps....... have you done the back door storeage yet :laugh:

Andy

The big rubber over the knuckle stops water and such like getting in, rather than anything getting out, so water from a jet wash could get in but as you say, you'd really have to go to town.

Mine is leaking when there has been no water and it is new fresh oil with no contaminant.

Just as a note I have checked my kingpins visually and can't see a bend or it rotate off centre but it's hard to tell visually though.

Kirkynut

Hi Kirkynut,

Sorry, so where's your oil leaking out from then, is it the bottom of the knuckle?

Since the last time I changed mine I always clean the surface rust off now ( only gets driven about 20 times a year if it's lucky )and smear grease on, then wipe off before use.

Mine lost it's teflon looking coating years ago :ohmy:

Be nice to get to the bottom this

Andy

The axle tube oil seal, inside the swivel housing is leaking, allowing diff oil to escape the axle, run down inside the swivel and then out of the rubber swivel seal.

I am trying to establish what keeps causing the seal to leak and Jamie has the same problem.

I think for Jamie it leaks straight away, for me it's only when I go off road, but once it starts to leak it continues to do so.

Effectively, as the seal and shaft are clean with nothing on the shaft to damage the seal, the shaft has to be put at an angle which is enough to cause the seal to fail.

What is causing this to my mind could be a number of things:

Kinping bearings - replaced now

Wheel Bearing - replaced now

Damage to shaft where is spins in seal - checked and ok

PLay in Kingpins still - to be shimmed to see if solves it - unlikely as Martin has said - but I've got some straws held tightly in my hand!

Bent Kingpins - checked and can't see anything - if the shimming doesn't work trying to get some from KAP - Darrens having a look to see if he has some. £35 each from a dealer!

Bent shaft or damaged CV - checked and can't see anything

Bent axle! Scary and expensive!

What I can't understand is why is it only when I go off road? It suggests to me that there is some play in something - bearings? and there is only enough pressure on them to make the shaft go at an angle enough to stop the seal from doing it's job. That's why I'm looking at shimming up my Kingpin bearings - they are TIMKEN - not KOYO as I thought, so maybe there is a tolerance issue?

It is going to be a suck it and see exercise. I'll start by shimming the Kingpin bearings, then change the kingpins - after that it can only be the axle or shaft bent as I've replaced everything then!

Have you progressed yet Jamie?

Kirkynut

Ive not had chance to do anything yet, Im moving house this friday
so this last week or so has been manic!!!!
Andy, Nope not had chance to scratch my arse for a while lol.....
Im enjoying reading about everyone else's misery for a while, but i
will be getting going in another week or so!!