Knuckle Oil In The Lock Out?

I took the front drivers side apart as I had gear oil on my brake shoes. I was surprised to see there was no seal between the axles and the inner spindle, just the bushing. I installed a new bushing, got the ID to a nice fit over the shaft and reassembled. I installed gaskets and sealer to the lock out to hub and the lock out cap to lock out body. Am I missing something or can the knuckle oil basically migrate through to the wheel bearings?

 

If it is just knuckle lube, it usually doesn't get into the hubs/brakes. The problem is almost always a worn inner axle seal that lets the differential lube run down the axle tubes and over fill the knuckle. The hub seals work fine for grease but only marginally slow down gear lube. The cure is to replace that axle seal (sort of a pain in the arse), and leave the levels in both the differential and knuckle down about 1/2". You will still have the problem doing any actual off road just leaving the levels lower. The real cure is open knuckles. With disc brakes, that lube usually ends up on the ground rather than lubricating brake components.

 

Yep sounds like the seal on the hub to spindle, and actual inner axle seal needs replaced. The knuckles and hubs don't have a true vent so that seal is the only other place to go
How is your front axle vent?

Vented Disk brakes also sort of help since the oil drains in the airway between friction surfaces.

 

Just to clarify, where is the vent? I also only see one seal on the back side of the axle, other side of the joint. I see outer axle, bushing, spindle. The first response made it sound like if 17 goes bad then oil from the diff can move through into the knuckle. This oil is thinner and also the leak will add fluid level to the knuckle causing it to leak past the bushing.

I really don't see how knuckle oil is prevented from migrating into the lock out. Maybe this is OK as long as it's seal is good.

I replaced the spindle bearing as it had a lot of play. Then honed it into a nice fit. Repacked the hub bearings with a fresh seal installed. Cleaned everything and installed new shoes. We'll see how this goes.

Thanks for the input!

 

As mentioned above, the inner axle inner seals, which are in the tubes each side of the carrier, are probably worn out letting gear lube migrate into the tubes. You have to pull the carrier out to replace them.

 

I think the first question is what is he running in the knuckles. If they are full of 90wt, then that is what is moving out into the hubs. That being said, the bushing is a slip fit. Wear around it and and/or overfill situation in the knuckle will allow oil to move out into the hubs.
Insure the vent is clear.
Insure the bushing is tight (already done)
Insure the knuckle oil level isn't too high.

Perhaps a change to a thicker knuckle lube may be the ticket.

 

I replaced 14 & 20 earlier in the winter. Drove it around some. When I pulled this apart the 85-140 was still "golden" so it would appear the 80-90 from the diff isn't in the knuckle. I think the loose bushing and the hub seal are hopefully the culprit. jeepdaddy2000, where is the vent for the knuckle? I don't see it, on the drawing or the knuckle. Again, thanks for the conversation.

 

There is no vent for the knuckle. There is a vent for the differential, usually in the cover.

 

That's what I thought. Both diffs and the t'case vents are operational.

 

Only on Dana 25’s. Everything else the vent is in the housing.

 

Should have been clearer