Axle Seals

The primary seals in your transmission and drivetrain, axle seals keep your transmission fluid where it belongs. When your axle seals begin to leak or crack over time due to age, the transmission fluid or gear oil can leak leaving the transmission vulnerable to failure. Not only that but the oil that’s leaking from axle seals will leak down and back, getting everything and anything in it’s way oily and dirty.

This leakage can cause other important parts of your vehicle to become comprimised. Things like brake calipers and exhaust piping can become damaged or overheat, which can cause other issues for you.

Axle Seals often have springs behind the inner pliable seal

Axle seals are typically made from a variety of different materials and use layers to improve strength. Typically these layers also include a metal outer ring that helps protect and keep the axle seal from failing.

WHERE IS MY AXLE SEAL?
These seals will exist where your driveline calls for a CV axle or shaft, regardless of the drive type. Pressed into place in either your transmission for front-wheel drive vehicles, or all-wheel drive vehicles, or your rear end like rear-wheel drive vehicles. These axle seals should not be confused with transmission seals or yoke seals, which are needed for the driveshaft and present in all-wheel-drive transfer cases.

HOW HARD IS IT TO REPLACE AXLE SEAL?

If you have a leaking axle seal, replacing it is a fairly easy job that can be performed by any shade tree mechanic. When working on your vehicle, make sure to take the proper precautions and operate as safely as possible. Because you’ll be dealing with transmission fluid, ensure that you properly dispose of the fluid, obeying all your local legal guidelines regarding disposal.

axle seals

If you’ve already replaced your axle seal and the leak returns, there could be damage to your axle that’s causing the leaks. Inspect your axle shaft to make sure there are no abnormalities or gouges in the metal of the axle cup. These can rotate and dig into the outer ring of the axle shaft, eventually breaking down the metal and causing a transmission threatening leak.

Always check your transmission or gear oil levels frequently, and make sure you don’t run the risk of them running dry.