quick question about diff. seal

I had a mechanic replace my cv axles and diff seals.

The passenger's side has had a leak since then.

I'm going to replace the seal myself. I should have done it myself in the first place. I have the Toyota part. One side of it has a copper colored metal ring. The other is all black rubber. My question:

Which side faces into the diff and which side faces the axle?

The reason I ask: I'm not confident the dingbat who changed this last even put it in the right way. Therefor, I can't just look at how the current one is installed and just repeat, but seat the new one more properly.

I've read all the tutorials about seating it, but most everyone is replacing a properly installed seal that is either broken or just poorly seated.

Maybe the seal can only work one way, and will be self evident, but I figured I'd ask before I take the axle apart.

Thanks.

 

If the seal looks like this:

 

I'd have the shop fix the leak. They were the last ones to touch it, and you paid for a proper seal replacement.

 

Yeah, its the same seal, and that's the info I was looking for. Thanks.

 

My first mistake was paying someone who has half my intelligence, to do something I can do myself. I have no more time or money for such 'experiments'.

My truck is not (anymore) a training platform.

If you went to a surgeon and received a botched operation, say, on your heart, would you go back to the same guy, and demand he perform it again?

 

Slight thread hijack, but might be helpful for the OP also. How far does this seal need to be driven in? There isn't a stop grove on the passenger side.

 

Well put. Point taken.

 

Flush with the outside of differential housing.

 

Thanks, I am headed out to put it in now.

 

probably needs a speedy sleeve on the axle shaft

 

THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO ME.


he drove the seal in too far
make sure it is not in past the lip of the diff. that is 99% gaurenteed your proboem

 

Seal shouldn't go in too far if it's the right way. If it's backwards it'll go to far. I did this myself just recently. Seal held for about a weak backwards actually. Then gave out.

If you just tap it in about 1/2" into the tube. The cv shaft will push it in the rest of the way.

 

you can put it in too far..
you can tap it further into the diff tube, but it should be flush.
mine wasnt backwards and the passenger side you can push further into the diff, the driver side is different.

 

Huh mine wasn't like that.

 

Those metal clad seals are soft in comparison to GM ford and dodge . Yes , you can pound them in too far with ease . Going too far causes the seal to buckle .
Pack the garter spring with a quality grease and gently tap it into place . You will feel the seal flush up with the housing .

 

and this was on your first gen?

i could drive the seal a good half inch into the front diff, so thats what i did... then i found in the FSM it needs to be flush, or sticking a little out so the cv axle pushes it in as far as its supposed to be.
idk... but pull that seal and make sure its not backwards, or drove in too far!

 

It's not backwards..already did that. Found out after leg 1 of my big trip. Replaced it the morning of leg 2. Didn't put it in as far but when it was in backwards it's stopped at a certain point.

On my 96.

 

dont go till it bottoms out, thats what i did and that is too far in......
it needs to be flush, not till it bottoms out
unless i am going crazy..........., but i had this issue for 2 months on my truck and i finally figured it out, i was just seating it too far, but not far enough to buckle..

 

Yah , i changed my post . FLush it up , dont bottom it out