Rear Half Shaft seals question
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 118
Likes: 12
From: Concord, NC
Rear Half Shaft seals question
Hi all,
I've been digging into past threads and found a bunch of great info, but have a simple question that I can't seem to find a specific answer for: Can you replace the half shaft differential seals with the diff still on the car? It looks like you can, basically just disassemble the hub/spindle enough to pull the half shaft out - then pry the seal off and press a new one in.
Am I missing something in the equation for this? All the write ups I see have the diff/drivetrain out and people taking the diff covers off, but a couple YouTube vids show prying the seals (carefully!) off with a flat screwdriver and putting new ones in - granted, they had the diff out, but didn't open the side covers.
Mine are starting to leak and I need to replace...I'm crippled though with a tighter garage space and no extra hands. So dropping the rear cradle and pulling the diff are a steep challenge alone (done it before to re-build diff so familiar with the process). Starting a 'winter' rebuild of my suspension so will be pulling the four corners to do bushing, coilovers, ball joints, hubs, etc so will have it pulled down pretty good, just not sure how to tackle the diff seals...hoping it is as simple as described above.
Thanks all, appreciate your knowledge and help!!
I've been digging into past threads and found a bunch of great info, but have a simple question that I can't seem to find a specific answer for: Can you replace the half shaft differential seals with the diff still on the car? It looks like you can, basically just disassemble the hub/spindle enough to pull the half shaft out - then pry the seal off and press a new one in.
Am I missing something in the equation for this? All the write ups I see have the diff/drivetrain out and people taking the diff covers off, but a couple YouTube vids show prying the seals (carefully!) off with a flat screwdriver and putting new ones in - granted, they had the diff out, but didn't open the side covers.
Mine are starting to leak and I need to replace...I'm crippled though with a tighter garage space and no extra hands. So dropping the rear cradle and pulling the diff are a steep challenge alone (done it before to re-build diff so familiar with the process). Starting a 'winter' rebuild of my suspension so will be pulling the four corners to do bushing, coilovers, ball joints, hubs, etc so will have it pulled down pretty good, just not sure how to tackle the diff seals...hoping it is as simple as described above.
Thanks all, appreciate your knowledge and help!!
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,486
Likes: 343
From: Long Island New York
I did this and the cover O-ring seal a few months ago on my back.
I took off the driver side axle back and that gave much more work area.
I used a seal removal tool but you can use a thin flat blade to do it.
Installing the new seal is where you need to be careful, that seal needs to be installed correctly and by taking the exhaust off, it gives you great access to this to tap it in properly & evenly.
I took off the driver side axle back and that gave much more work area.
I used a seal removal tool but you can use a thin flat blade to do it.
Installing the new seal is where you need to be careful, that seal needs to be installed correctly and by taking the exhaust off, it gives you great access to this to tap it in properly & evenly.
Last edited by pjdbm; Oct 26, 2020 at 09:18 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 118
Likes: 12
From: Concord, NC
Awesome...thank you all!! The whole suspension gut/rebuild project just got a LOT more fun now that I don't have to drop the diff. Still not looking forward to the O2 sensor part - I have Kooks headers and the front drivers side bank is literally vertical on top of the collector. There is ZERO room to get to the plug, can probably get a wrench on the sensor to remove, but no way to reach plug without dropping the header.
Oh well, is what it is. Thanks guys, as always hugely appreciate your help!!
Oh well, is what it is. Thanks guys, as always hugely appreciate your help!!
