Improved Rear Axle Seal from TG - Anyone Running This?

Anyone running this aftermarket rear axle seal from TrailGear (P/N 303836-1-KIT)? If so, what are your thoughts on it?

It has a rubber coating outer mating surface and a garter spring on the seal lips. The theory being the garter spring keeps constant contact pressure with the retainer even if the axle shifts around slightly due to flex or slightly bearing play.

The reason I ask: I recently replace the rear axle seal on a 3rd gen 4runner (same rear end setup). About 5k later in miles, I pulled the axle assembly for another job. There was not visible leak from the outside of the axle, so I had no reason to think it was leaking. I noticed that there a a bit of gear oil starting to collect of the other side of the seal. The ABS tone ring was starting to pick it up. The witness mark on the retainer was dead center and the breather was clear air could pass thru.


From the TrailGear Website:



Details
Trail Safe™ Rear Axle Seal
Tired of dealing with oil leaks from your rear axle seals? Trail-Gear has remedied that issue by offering our new Trail-Safe™ Rear Axle Seals. The Trail Safe™ inner seal lip is totally supported by a garter spring applying constant force over the full 360º circumference. This prevents any deflection gaps and stops oil from bypassing the seal lip. The outer seal lip acts as a secondary seal and keeps debris and other contaminants away from the inner seal lip.

The O.D. of the Trail Safe™ Seal is 100% rubber coated so that it forms a complete static surface seal resulting in zero leaks, and the outer flange prevents the seal from being pushed too far into the axle housing. This is by far the most effective rear axle seal on the market, and will help you keep your favorite trails free of oil.

 

They have been around for a long time, Marlin has/had them. They will not fit e-locker or ABS rears.

 

None of the sites I have seen on this mention this. I know the ABS rear ends have to tone ring, does that interfere with the seal? What is different about the e-locker rear end that would not allow it to fit?

 

With ABS/e-locker, the seal fits down inside the axle tube about an inch where the non ABS sits flush with the end of the tube. There is a "step" in the ABS axle tube but it's angled at about 45°. I can't imagine a perpendicular seal flange intended to be driven against the angled step.
The flange on the TG is intended to keep the seal from being driven further in than the end of the tube.

In general.
At install the retainer should be checked to be sure it is not cocked and running true. The act of pressing the retainer on is no guarantee that it's straight.
If one of these seals starts to go in crooked, then corrected, it can become distorted.
At the very get go on a seal job the axle shaft/flange should be checked for run-out.

The regular seals have the same spring, it's pretty much the standard seal design and not a "feature".
Below is an original seal (right) next to the new and superseded Toyota part (left) showing the different location of the "lip". The springs are also visible.


Adapter Marlin once fooled with to allow non ABS axles to be used in ABS housings. It relocates to seal to the end of the tube.

 

Thanks for the detailed response, very helpful! I had no idea there would be two different housings for ABS and Non-ABS, I assumed for production simplicity it would all be the same. However you can probably save money by not having the extra machining time and features for the wheel speed sensor on the tube end. Interesting stuff.

Have any tips for checking the runout of the axles and retainer? I don't have a lathe I can chuck it up in. Maybe some V-blocks and a dial indicator? Also how do you square up a retainer that does not press on square? Tapping the high side with a brass drift? Any idea of acceptable tolerance on the runout?

 

Marlins version, says "excluding ABS".
https://www.marlincrawler.com/axle/rear-axle-parts/heavy-duty-rear-axle-ecoseal

 

You could mimic a set of centers on the bench with 2 pointy things (intentionally vague) with appropriate consideration for accuracy. A drill press can be treated as a "vertical lathe".

Yes to the drift on correcting a crooked retainer. A slide hammer with a hook attachment can be used to pull the low side inward.

Here shows a quick gauge I made up from an old depth gauge. Lots of stuff could mimic this method. It at least will show if the seal retainer is running true to the bearing retainer and the high/low orientation. The bearing/bearing retainer are pressed up against a machined step and are as true as they are going to get.



These Toyota numbers seem to be on the conservative side, so the verdict can include a bit of a "judgement call".

 

Inverted retainer at 4.5mm depth. That's all you need.

 

The retainer is already inverted and seal lips running center on the retainer.

 

Yeah I just re-read and saw that. It took me 4 times or so to get it right, how many wacks did it take to set the seal? It went in flat? Pack it with grease or use sealant on the outside? Did you use a pvc pipe or a seal driver? Didn't let the axle rest on the seal? I set the seal right down the middle of the retainer once too and only had it last 5k, only to remove and realize I had forgot to flip the retainer.