Drive flange/hub oil leak

So I noticed another new oil leak:



Sorry, not a particularly good angle on that pic but I think you can see what I'm talking about.

Appears to be coming from where the drive flange bolts to the hub (Correct me if I've identified the part names wrong).

I changed the diff oil about 800 miles ago. No idea how long the previous oil was in there for, it had a dark grey milkyness too it but didn't seem too bad, oil level seemed higher than expected, over half a pint came out the filler hole. I refilled it up to the correct level with Millers EP 80w90 GL4.

Is this a coincidence?

oil shouldnt reach that far as oil seal in stub axle should prevent it ,worth checking breather too ,drive member can be sealed with rtv silicone

Thanks for the reply. Will have look at sealing it, want to check the shaft for wear also.

But where else could the oil have come from other than the diff? I've been looking at this diagram, assumed that there was a problem with the shaft seal.



1. Axle casing
2. Ventilation pipe
3. Axle shaft
4. Wheel studs and hub
5. Wheel bearing stub axle
6. Wheel bearings
7. Inner hub seal
8. Outer hub/axle shaft seal
9. Hub lock plate, thrust washer and nuts
10. Brake disc
11. Drive flange
12. Drive shaft circlip
13. Dust cap

srod said:

So I noticed another new oil leak:

Sorry, not a particularly good angle on that pic but I think you can see what I'm talking about.

Appears to be coming from where the drive flange bolts to the hub (Correct me if I've identified the part names wrong).

I changed the diff oil about 800 miles ago. No idea how long the previous oil was in there for, it had a dark grey milkyness too it but didn't seem too bad, oil level seemed higher than expected, over half a pint came out the filler hole. I refilled it up to the correct level with Millers EP 80w90 GL4.

Is this a coincidence?

Click to expand...

Is that a front wheel?

also some people remove or damage the seal to allow oil into the bearings - like the old defenders used to be.

As JM says, a little sealant on the gasket between the drive flange and the hub can work wonders. On the diagram no 8 is the seal that keeps the oil in the axle and the grease in the hub separate. I had one deteriorate on one of my rear hubs and a lot of oil was getting in the hub. I changed the seals just before Christmas and it seems to have cured that - oil stays in the axles and the hubs stay greasy. Not to hard to replace once you've got the stub axle off. I don't think it matters if oil goes in the hubs. The problem would be if there was no lubrication at all. A roller bearing isn't too fussy about whether it's rolling in grease or thick oil.