Rear Differential Leaking

I changed the oil and rotated the tires and noticed a small leak on the rear dif. Should I be worried? How should I fix it?
Thank you!

 

I’d be more concerned when it start dripping gear oil.
Yeah, it’s technically leaking. But I’d call it a weep at this point.
I’d probably wait it out, and see if it gets worse.
It will probably get worse, but it might take a long time.
The leak might out last the truck?

That’s just my opinion. I will also say, I don’t always do what’s “right”.

 

If it makes you feel better you could just make sure the nuts are tight.

 

I wouldn't worry about that

 

Just a normal leak then
Thank you!

 

I second this.

 

Thank you! I will keep an eye on it

 

I'm pretty OCD about leaks but that's minor enough that, as others noted above, I'd be able to live with it. Just keep an eye on it and think of it as your "lower diff rust preventative"...

 

I'd check if your diff breather is stuck closed.

 

Might be this, my 4 wheeler vent tube was plugged up with mud and grass, made the diff fluid puke out the pinion seal. When the fluid heats up, it has no place to expand to, so it pressurizes the diff housing.

 

I'm convinced it even happens on brand new trucks. The reason is right after I bought my truck I did the relocation mod higher up in the bed with a two way open breather.

When I unscrewed the stock breather a ton of pressurized air came out and my truck was sitting for a week so the diff was stone cold.

 

That’s not bad but if you have some time one weekend, it’s super easy to take off and reseal with high temp RTV. When I installed my air locker, it took 3 hours after work one day

 

How would I do that? Just unscrew the tube?

 

Yes the stock one right on the diff. If it's older, I would spray the base with some penetrating lube, let it sit then take it off slow so you don't strip it.

Edit, I would do this if you're planning on doing the diff breather relocation mod. Whichever the case, really only way to see if it's stuck closed is take the stock one off. But, if you're taking it off you might as well do the relocation higher up in the bed. There's quite a few threads on here showing the mod.

Honestly, it's not that bad, not really leaking, just a very small weap.

 

Don't mess with it. Check it again in 10 years.

 

yeah, I might as well do the mod. I’m always down to work on the truck!
Thank you!

 

If you do the mod, don't use the old breather. I'd at least get a two way open breather and relocate it higher, I'll try to find the part number.

 

Judging by the grease pen marks, looks like that third member may have been a replacement from a junkyard at some point in that truck's life.

Which would explain why it would leak if its been disturbed before. I know when I swapped my third member out, I cleaned both surfaces surgically, put gear oil rated permatex gasket maker on both sides, then slid on the OEM paper gasket to sandwich it all together perfectly. *Knock on wood* -ZERO issues with mine. Lots of people do it that way, and never have issues.

 

Plus one on the diff breather mod. @Blais03 has a kit so you dont have to source the parts yourself. Its easy either way, but Nicks a good guy so I figured id mention it.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...kits-30-free-shipping-or-free-install.641193/

 

Thank you so much! I will take a look! I like helping out fellow TW members as well