Rear axle oil leak????

2008 Tacoma rear axle ....

I have oil leaking out the outer seal (dust seal on a sealed bearing according to parts book)
Is the outer seal just a dust seal and there should be no oil inside. So the oil is coming from the inner axle seal?

 

There is an axle seal behind each drum brake backing plate. There are four nuts behind the backing plates, remove those and I believe an anti-lock brake fitting (it's all in a repair manual) and the entire axle shaft will pull out. Right inside the axle tube is the axle seal. Seeing as you have a 2008 the mileage might be high?? Anyway, those seals are a "wear item" and don't last forever.
If the rear wheel bearing is going bad, which will cause the axle to wobble, it will also cause that seal to go bad. The seal is about $2-3. The labor at a dealership will be somewhere around $600..... to to replace the axle seal. Not a hard job to do, removing all the drum brake hardware and putting it back on are the hardest past (more like PIA).
Having to get the bearing replaced is another story and more expensive to boot.

Hope that helps, good luck

 

I'm replacing the rear axle seals does anyone have a link to a good tutorial