Leaking Dana 44 where the axle tube meets the pumpkin

ATTolan

ATTolan

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Joined
Jan 16, 2017
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83
Location
Boone, IA, United States
My buddy has an 03 TJR and sent me a photo and video of the factory Dana 44 in his Jeep leaking gear oil around the diff/axle tube mating surface. Since this axle doesn’t have inner axle seals what could be the problem? It’s trussed so I don’t think the tube separated from the housing. Maybe cracked? He has a receipt from the Previous owner of the Jeep for both rear axle shaft replacement, is it possible the tube cracked when the shaft broke?

As of right now it’s hard to tell if there’s anything else wrong with it because his axle is filthy and I’m deployed overseas so I can’t physically look at it. I told him to start looking for 1tons.

Any one have an idea what would have caused this or what he could do to fix it enough to drive it till he finds axles?
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Also his rear coil springs look really messed up they don’t meat the coil perch properly. I’m guessing the control arms aren’t properly adjusted?
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Rear coils first...springs will bow in or out with any lift of 3”+. As long as it’s not rubbing tire or anything it’s fine.
Front is a problem. There should be inner seals but even if not it should leak at the outer axle tube. I welded mine a long time ago, though that’s not the fix here it prevented any separating. Find machine shop that works on axles and maybe have new tubes pressed in
 
I forgot to say the leak is on the REAR axle tube. And pressing new tubes in isn’t really worth it with the truss already installed and what not. Welding being a bandaid to keep it from leaking could be a decent fix possibly? Would filling the diff “to full” cause that to happen? I’ve never had that type of problem before with filling them till fluid comes out of the fill hole. He filled both diffs when he got the Jeep 3-4 months ago.
 
Are we sure that the leak is coming from the tube at the center section? I see oil everywhere which makes me wonder if the diff was overfilled and is spitting out of the vent tube. The entire rear needs to be cleaned and then watch where the leak is really coming from.
 
ATTolan said:
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Also his rear coil springs look really messed up they don’t meat the coil perch properly. I’m guessing the control arms aren’t properly adjusted? View attachment 40773
Click to expand...

What is going on with the upper control arm at the mount? I"m not seeing enough stuff to be much of a joint in there.
 
jjvw said:
Are we sure that the leak is coming from the tube at the center section? I see oil everywhere which makes me wonder if the diff was overfilled and is spitting out of the vent tube. The entire rear needs to be cleaned and then watch where the leak is really coming from.
Click to expand...

I told him that it needs to be cleaned badly before we can further figure the problem out. The rtv around the axle tube wasn’t his doing so I’m guessing the previous owner?

My buddy did have the rear drive shaft blow up on the way home one night cracked his tcase at the trans side and destroyed the drive shaft.
 
If it’s rear axle, seals should be at the outer portion and checked. If at the diff, I agree with pre iOS post, the wrong viscosity oil will foam and overflow and so will being overfilled.
The linkage is similar to my Clayton. It’s a double triangulated that requires no track at when properly set up. The four point of connection can be adjusted to center the axle. Very nice.
Check your fluid viscosity and don’t fill higher than bottom of axle tubes.
 
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It's possible to leak around the tube but not likely. There is crap everywhere and that is a long term leak, not something new. He needs to thoroughly clean up the underside and go from there.
 
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