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Front Axle Seal On A Dana 27

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by jeepstar, Jun 5, 2019.

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  1. jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    so....i have an axle seal on my dana 27 that needs to be replaced. we are going to be finishing up the disk brake conversion tonight, so i can take the caliper off to take the wheel junk off, and i can replace the axle seal.
    i don't want to pull the carrier out to pull the axle shaft for the inner seal....but will if i have to.
    any way to tell if its the inner or outer axle seal that's leaking?
    obviously, the outer one is, because its leaking oil out the knuckle, but does that mean both are leaking?

    I don't remember where the outer seal is. I think that one just protect the bearing on the hub?
     
    jeepstar, Jun 5, 2019
    #1
  2. Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    The inner seal (15 bottm pic) keeps gear oil out of the knuckle, the outer seal (4 top pic) keeps bearing grease out of the brakes. Apart from the sleeve bearing (7 top pic) in the spindle there's nothing keeping knuckle pudding out of the wheel bearings.

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
    Howard Eisenhauer, Jun 5, 2019
    #2
  3. jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    thanks for confirming my worst fears. :cry:

    im driving this sumbitch after im done with the brakes. just fill the diff and going for a spin! worry about the leak in a month.
     
    jeepstar, Jun 5, 2019
    #3
    Ol Fogie likes this.
  4. Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Actually as long as you aren't replacing the bearings pulling the carrier out & replacing it is not a big operation- pull the axle shafts, remove the bearing caps & with a couple of prybars it should easily pop right out. Make sure you get the bearing caps back the right way & the races on the correct sides & a few taps from a hammer & block of wood & it'll be back in like it never left. Should not kill more than an hour or so to complete & a lot of that will be taken up with the cover bolts.
     
    Howard Eisenhauer, Jun 5, 2019
    #4
  5. jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    i know. but my "weekend disk break job" is going on week 7.....
     
    jeepstar, Jun 5, 2019
    #5
    Twin2 and FinoCJ like this.
  6. colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

    That's AFTER you pull the hubs, bearings, drums, and spindles from both sides so you can get the axle shafts out. :(
     
    colojeepguy, Jun 5, 2019
    #6
    Ol Fogie likes this.
  7. Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    I'm assuming they're half ways apart anyhow for the brake work.
     
    Howard Eisenhauer, Jun 5, 2019
    #7
    Ol Fogie likes this.
  8. jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    nope. everything was bolted back up, and ready to bleed. then i walked away for a day and came back to the drips.
     
    jeepstar, Jun 5, 2019
    #8
    Ol Fogie likes this.
  9. Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    OK, two hours. :D
     
    Howard Eisenhauer, Jun 5, 2019
    #9
    Ol Fogie and ITLKSEZ like this.
  10. ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Where exactly are the drops coming from?

    In my experience, the inner seals only are problematic when parking off-camber for an hour or more, allowing the gear oil to really drain into the tube.

    Are you sure it's not the knuckle pudding (or whatever you used) separating, and the liquids are seeping through the knuckle seal or down through the kingpin bearing cap?
     
    ITLKSEZ, Jun 5, 2019
    #10
    Ol Fogie and FinoCJ like this.
  11. FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    this is what is happens to mine
     
    FinoCJ, Jun 5, 2019
    #11
    Ol Fogie likes this.
  12. duffer

    duffer Rodent Power

    At least with the disc brake conversion any seepage should just end up on the ground rather than soaking down the brake shoes. The main problem with bad inner seals is the dilution of your knuckle lube of choice. As noted above, off camber trail use exacerbates the problem. You can partially mitigate it by leaving the differential lube down about 3/4" from the bottom of the fill plug. Did that for years------
     
    duffer, Jun 5, 2019
    #12
    Cowboyjeeper likes this.
  13. Steve Billings

    Steve Billings New Member

    I've replaced everything from and including the inner axle seals out. With lockouts do I need to have fluid in the differential? This jeep will never be in 4 wheel drive.
     
    Steve Billings, Sep 20, 2020
    #13
  14. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Yes, you need fluid. Without lockouts the axles will spin and turn the differential.
     
    Glenn, Sep 20, 2020
    #14
    Ol Fogie likes this.
  15. Steve Billings

    Steve Billings New Member

    No fluid, no leaks.
     
    Steve Billings, Sep 20, 2020
    #15
  16. Steve Billings

    Steve Billings New Member

     
    Steve Billings, Sep 20, 2020
    #16
  17. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    That's what the seals are for.....no leaks. :)
     
    Glenn, Sep 20, 2020
    #17
  18. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Actually I read that as without lockouts originally. All it would take would be someone twisting the dials and you not knowing it and ooops!
     
    Glenn, Sep 20, 2020
    #18
    Ol Fogie likes this.
  19. Steve Billings

    Steve Billings New Member

    Good point. What is the recommended knuckle lubricant?
     
    Steve Billings, Sep 20, 2020
    #19
  20. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Most preferred is knuckle pudding, a mixture of gear oil and grease. Too thick to leak out but thin enough to slowly flow and fling around.
     
    Glenn, Sep 20, 2020
    #20
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