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Oil on rear wheel - Rear Axle leak?


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Hi,

 

Looking for confirmation/advice please.

Washing the TR2 (fitted with Girling rear axle) this morning ready to set off for Silverstone tomorrow I noticed some greasy/oily deposit on the rear nearside (steel) wheel.

Looking a bit further, the inside of the hubcap is also oily - not dripping/full, but certainly a light coating.

This must be fairly new as it's not something I've seen before.

 

I imagine it's the rear axle housing oil seal letting by. I was wondering if could confirm this is the most likely cause or whether it might be something else?

If it is the seal, how easy is this to replace? Are any special tools needed?

 

Thanks

Rod

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Thanks Mike for your comment. I was removing the drum as you replied - it's not the slave cylinder, I'm pretty certain it's a weep from the axle seal.

Brake fluid has a very distinctive smell, and the level in the master cylinder hasn't dropped.

The contamination in the drum is pretty minimal at present, I've degreased and replace the drum. I think it's safe to use this weekend as it has only just started to leak and it is small, but then I think I've got a job to do on my return.

Edited by Rod1883
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It's an easy job to replace the seal, wheel off, drum off, at rear of backplate knock back the lock tabs and undo the six bolts then take hold of the hub and pull the shaft out, be prepared for some oil loss and make sure you keep any shims that are present behind the hub, check shaft for any grooves that might be present where the seal runs on it, prise out old seal, tap in new one (evenly) then reasemble. Check/top up oil level. If there is a groove on the shaft fit a speedy sleeve, again easily tapped into position. Simples. Cheers Bill.

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You could also check to see if the axle case breather is blocked....its on top of the diff. casing.

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Beware!

If the seal is leaking, it could be because the bearing is starting to fail, so check that the bearing is OK.

If the bearing is on its way out, you will need to find someone with the correct tool for splitting the hub from the half shaft (normal 3-legged pullers will not suffice and will damage the hub), or with a press capable of applying up to 20 tons force!

Good luck.

Ian Cornish

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