Black1990jeep
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- california
Rebuilt my Dana 30 front end last year, brand new axles, and seals of course. after last weeks trip, found a puddle of gear oil under the axle disconnect housing, Note this XJ has the factory disconnect removed, it has a one piece passenger side axle, and thus only one seal on that side, at the diff housing. I have manual hubs. 5.5 inch lift
So the new seal on the new axle is leaking
prior to this trip I replaced the stock breather hose with 3/8 inch ID hose, added a brass threaded nipple and ran the hose about a foot or so longer to accommodate the breater axle movement of the lifted springs. This did result in a kink in the hose at a bend but not totally blocking it off. although with heat, perhaps the hose could have softened and kinked a bit more.
My hope is the leak is not a damaged seal, rather an over pressure issue from a breather hose.
How sensitive are these axles seals to pressure? how much restriction in a hose before trouble? Is a completely unkinked, 3/8 hose required for correct breathing, any less resulting in seal issues? I know a kink is not good, but what would be for example be the minimum diameter to prevent a pressure build enough to blow past an axle seal?
Was adding length to the hose and some extra bends enough to cause too much restriction?
How do you all handle the breather?
note I did not run with the fuel filters on the breather tube as I intended too in another
post as per some advice I removed them before running. Used the factory top hat breather caps.
I intend to clean up the oil, and reroute the hose with zero kinks, I will test on street so as to not have axle articulation issues which could yank the hose , and see if the leak returns. maybe get a stiffer kink free hose if it works out
So the new seal on the new axle is leaking
prior to this trip I replaced the stock breather hose with 3/8 inch ID hose, added a brass threaded nipple and ran the hose about a foot or so longer to accommodate the breater axle movement of the lifted springs. This did result in a kink in the hose at a bend but not totally blocking it off. although with heat, perhaps the hose could have softened and kinked a bit more.
My hope is the leak is not a damaged seal, rather an over pressure issue from a breather hose.
How sensitive are these axles seals to pressure? how much restriction in a hose before trouble? Is a completely unkinked, 3/8 hose required for correct breathing, any less resulting in seal issues? I know a kink is not good, but what would be for example be the minimum diameter to prevent a pressure build enough to blow past an axle seal?
Was adding length to the hose and some extra bends enough to cause too much restriction?
How do you all handle the breather?
note I did not run with the fuel filters on the breather tube as I intended too in another
post as per some advice I removed them before running. Used the factory top hat breather caps.
I intend to clean up the oil, and reroute the hose with zero kinks, I will test on street so as to not have axle articulation issues which could yank the hose , and see if the leak returns. maybe get a stiffer kink free hose if it works out
