Why Replacing Axle Seals Can Be Difficult
Replacing an axle seal on a vehicle can be a daunting task as work on the engine and transmission may be required to complete the service.
All cars today are front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Every car has an axle that sends power to the wheels. Each axle is different in every way and has two to three seals.
There are three types of axle seals on rear and XNUMXWD front axles:
- Gear seal (most common leak)
- Axle oil seal
- axle cover seal
Axle seals are designed in two categories
- Static seal
- Dynamic seal
A static seal is designed to seal two surfaces together without any leakage. These two surfaces are stationary at all times. As with the axle, the static seal will be the axle cover seal.
A dynamic seal is designed to seal a cover or housing around a moving part or shaft. The seal has two functions: it keeps the liquid inside and prevents dirt or contaminants from entering. As with the axle, the dynamic seal can be a half shaft seal or a gear seal.
Replacing the axle oil seal on cars can be tricky. First of all, you need to know where the leak is coming from. Be aware that on transverse (or front wheel drive) vehicles, the valve cover tends to leak from the engine and flow down to the transmission and then to the axle shaft. Most repairs consist of replacing the axle oil seal, but this process is not the right solution in this situation.
Transverse or front wheel drive
Replacing axial seals on transversely mounted units can be a difficult task. Some vehicles have engine guards that cover the underside of the engine and the entire transmission. It can be difficult to remove, but not impossible. Most front wheel drive systems require you to remove the lower control arm and leave the strut hanging, thus leaving enough room to remove the CV shaft from the transmission. Once the CV shafts have been removed, it can be fairly easy to remove the axle shaft, however, if there is a cross member directly under the axle, the seal may be difficult to remove. It is best to use a seal removal tool that can be used in any direction. This helps to remove the axle seal.
Seal installation will require some strategy for proper alignment. This can be done with the appropriate seal installation tools. Once the new seal is in place, reassembling the suspension components can sometimes be problematic, but not difficult.
Rear drive
When replacing the oil seal on a rear wheel drive vehicle, difficult situations can arise when something may be at or near the oil seal location and interfere with quick removal. For example, a spare tire can interfere with the axle housing seal, making it difficult to remove mounting hardware.
For the most part, access to and removal of seals can be difficult depending on the type of seal and the nature of the condition of the seals. Each vehicle is unique and many different obstacles must be overcome before an axle seal can be replaced. AvtoTachki auto specialists will be happy to help you with this service.
