A front cv axle leaky seal critique please?

Both. I just took it out. I wonder if it’s only good for the left seal. Seems a little small for the right. Goes right through the center hole of the seal.

 

I don’t know. Never had to pull right side CV yet. I leave them in doing hub assemblies.

I’m a firm believer of leaving things alone that don’t have a problem.

 

5.5mm seating depth

If you install it and it's leaking, chances are that pulling it out to reseat again will mess with the integrity of the seal requiring replacement

If you're messing around this much with the same seal, chances are it will leak again and you should just replace it now with a new one

 

Ideally, I like to replace the seal each time I remove the axle. But, I don’t remove my axles unless I have to.
Which is once ever 5-10 years. Only when needed.

 

lucky haha

I've done the axles many times over the last several years but only in the past year did the seal start to have issues, normally I wouldn't touch it unless needed. As evidenced in this thread they are very finicky little buggers

 

Yeah. I wasn’t going to pull & reseat. Just wondering if driving it in further vs starting off with a new one would matter.

 

This is the second or third thread regarding said seal

Unless this thread started with a brand new seal, it will leak again if pulled, reseated, and CV axle installed

 

It’s already leaking. I guess you don’t have anything to loose by trying. It comes down to whether or not you want pull the axle back out of that doesn’t fix it.

Your CV has a groove in it. Maybe try to seat the seal just past the groove. You’ll have to look and see.

 

Replace it, or just reinstall your axle and top off your diff periodically

 

I agree. It will probably continue to leak.

You have to take care when installing the CV. I try to get it started straight. Then give it a good shove. It usually pops right in for me.

I sure wish I was there to examine the CV.

 

Axle looks new, I'd probably ask to get it replaced under warranty while it's out

 

Yeah it’s the 3rd time.
Each time has been a new seal. Never occurred to me to pull & attempt to reseat.

 

I did just that

 

Yeah. That groove has me concerned.
It may or may not be contributing to the problem. But I’d prefer it not be there.

 

Good

And sorry to hear it's been a new seal each time

Really I'd just live with it for now, I did for over a year

But it's worth investing in that Wit's End seal driver tool as it was what, under $100 or so total?

 

ECGS sells the seal puck adapter.
But I don’t see it listed separately from the install tool.
The whole setup for 7.5” front axle is $45. That’s a deal.

I paid like $60 for mine.

https://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-23994071-t7-5-t7-5-clamshell-bushing-installer-tool.html

 

That's cheap, I don't even have a Tacoma and I might just buy it just to have

 

So the seal’s in. It actually seemed easier this time?

Wondering if where I went wrong was measuring right as I was driving it in. Not sure how much the neoprene? depresses, but I did notice if I checked the depth, walked away & then checked again it was slightly different.

Also, some seemingly random spot would be 4.5 whilst an inch to the left or right was more.

Both of those are good reasons to use a driver like the wits end one. Drives it in evenly & of course, to the correct depth.

Ha-ha! So ALL those observations & I don’t know if it’s going to leak. I got all pissy trying to seat the axle (splines to splines) so I figured it’d be smarter to finish tomorrow. Mistakes start being made….

 

This is the one I have. I bought the uninstaller. Another TW member bought the installer & donated it to the loaner kit.

 

Course if I had opened the link 1st I’d’a seen the one I posted was partly what you were referring to….