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I have a leaky driver’s side axle on my 05 Tahoe. I could have done the work myself but I decided to have the dealer do it (big mistake). After five appointments and two failed attempts… I was wondering if this is a common problem and it there some king of special fix.
The dealer claims they replaced it twice with a brand new seal, but 200 miles later, the thing starts to leak again. I tried to clean out the vent, assuming it may be clogged. Could I remove the vent tube altogether to test or would it leak out?
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
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Replies
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2 or 4 wheel drive ? if 4 x4 front or rear axle ? some times the axle will end up with a slight wear area from the old seal. this will cause the new seal to fail early .in some instances you can install the new seal in a slightly different location ( either forward of behind the wear area ) and this will fix it. if not and the axle has a noticeable wear groove then the axle needs to be replaced in order for the new seal to be able to do its job.
I’m going to guess that it’s the front right seal that we’re talking about here. Either way, if you have a seal that continues to leak like that, it’s normally one of 2 things. The first is poor installation. If the seal is not installed correctly then it won’t seal correctly. The second possible cause is loose bearings inside the assembly. If the carrier bearings are bad in the front differential then the axle will move around and cause the seal to fail. You MIGHT be able to check for this by pushing up in the inner axle joint. If you see movement, this could be the problem. If you don’t it might be an installation issue.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Sorry guys, I should know better… it’s a 05 4×4 Tahoe. The leaky seal is the front driver’s side. The passenger’s side leaked but was replaced successfully.
I thought it was poor installation but the second time it was installed, the same thing happened. What is odd though, why does it takes seven days (~200 miles) before it begins to leak again and not right away? Once it leaks, it continues all of the time. I would have assumed, if it were poor installation, it should have leaked right away. This is why I was wondering if it were a blocked vent tube, which I’m waiting for a new one to arrive, or a bad batch of seals since it is a new part number from GM.
Any thoughts?
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