Typical cost for replacing front inner axle seals?

Every time I go through deep water or mud I'm glad that I have outer seals on my front end. They won't keep all of the water out but they keep it from rushing in.

I feel like if you are the type of person that pays attention to your Jeep, there's no reason to NOT use outer axle seals. I had a lower balljoint go bad which led to the inner seal failing, and the outer seal didn't hide the leak at all. If your axles are articulating much then the oil is going to get past the lower edge of the outer seal pretty easily. I can see it being a problem if your inner seals fail due to time and age, and if you're on the highway all the time or just driving through town maybe the oil level wouldn't get past the outer seal.
 
They won't keep all of the water out but they keep it from rushing in.

How is this "rushing" a problem?

I've never noticed a build up of junk, mud, leaves, rocks, etc in my axle tubes. If you're worried, hose them out every so often.

The real problem is when a small pebble finds its way on top of the rotor and rides against the brake caliper making a horrible sound until you go in reverse to get rid of the pebble. Can we get a chinsy product to make that stop?
 
The real problem is when a small pebble finds its way on top of the rotor and rides against the brake caliper making a horrible sound until you go in reverse to get rid of the pebble. Can we get a chinsy product to make that stop?
I'm door handle deep in mud as often as I can. Never had that pebble problem. Wouldn't be surprised if Shittybilt makes a rotor wipe (copyright?) I've had debris in the axle tubes, though. And well.... :)

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Sure about that? The bottom of the outer shaft seal is higher than the bottom of the tube. That's plenty of space to retain water and rot everything in there, or worse yet leak water into the diff if the inner seals are bad. I'd rather use the factory plastic slinger to keep small debris out and still let it drain/evaporate, and periodically spray some fluid film in the tubes.
 
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I never did anything prior to having my outer seals installed. Was dry as a bone for six months prior. (Weather) Tubes were full of mud, gear oil, water, rocks, debris in general. Nothing really evaporated on it's own as I see it. Fact is, I'd rather have some water in there than water...and dirt, and rocks, and leaves. Can't have those rabble rousing leaves in there stirring things up.

All levity aside, I doubt potential rust is a bigger issue than abrasion. That's just my opinion.
 
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Debris man...debris. Aside from leaves, it's a broad term. Now...no debris. :) I'm happy with them and I whole heartedly recommend them despite your low brow expression of your opinion on them. Nothing you (or Jerry) has said yet has proved that they are in any way, shape, or form harmful. Am I wrong?

Again, I refer you to my oft repeated mantra. Knowledge does not equal understanding.

You're very knowledgeable in many respects which is reflected in many well written posts on this forum. Sadly it would seem that knowledgebase doesn't include manners.
I always have manners. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. I'm usually perceived as having bad manners by those who are wrong and dig in to continue deliberate ignorance.
 
Every time I go through deep water or mud I'm glad that I have outer seals on my front end. They won't keep all of the water out but they keep it from rushing in.

I feel like if you are the type of person that pays attention to your Jeep, there's no reason to NOT use outer axle seals. I had a lower balljoint go bad which led to the inner seal failing, and the outer seal didn't hide the leak at all. If your axles are articulating much then the oil is going to get past the lower edge of the outer seal pretty easily. I can see it being a problem if your inner seals fail due to time and age, and if you're on the highway all the time or just driving through town maybe the oil level wouldn't get past the outer seal.
The lower balljoint failure would not have lead to the inner axle seal failure had it not been able to push the end of the inner down by pivoting off of the seal housing at the outer end of the tube.
 
How is this "rushing" a problem?

I've never noticed a build up of junk, mud, leaves, rocks, etc in my axle tubes. If you're worried, hose them out every so often.

The real problem is when a small pebble finds its way on top of the rotor and rides against the brake caliper making a horrible sound until you go in reverse to get rid of the pebble. Can we get a chinsy product to make that stop?
Cheapest way is to remove the dust shield, cut away all but the small circle that spaces the unitbearing out, and put that back on. Lots of other Jeeps don't even have them.
 
Again, I refer you to my oft repeated mantra. Knowledge does not equal understanding.


I always have manners. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. I'm usually perceived as having bad manners by those who are wrong and dig in to continue deliberate ignorance.

What an arrogant thing to say....
 
Cheapest way is to remove the dust shield, cut away all but the small circle that spaces the unitbearing out, and put that back on. Lots of other Jeeps don't even have them.

I think I'm going to go with the smittybilt rotor wipe mentioned earlier. I'd rather not take my Jeep apart and that one clips on.

Edit after researching, Rustys version is better according to YouTube.

/s
 
You are the anomaly. I've had this conversation at least 10 times when owners have shown up to have me install a big brake kit. I explain that you want to know when the inners die since the diff can pump the long side axle tube full of oil which is low enough to damage the gear set and bearings and you never know it.

They give me about the same amount of grief I'm getting from you until we pull the long side axle and oil runs out. Oddly, they have never offered to take the seals they ask us to remove home with them.

Other than that, Oh My GOD!!!!! leaves are in my axle tube. Whatever will I do???????

I had a leaking front axle seal I would have never known about if I had those seals. Personally I want a 'tell tale' if there is a leak. Would have never known how useless these after market outer seals really are if I had not read threads on this site.
 
I had a leaking front axle seal I would have never known about if I had those seals. Personally I want a 'tell tale' if there is a leak. Would have never known how useless these after market outer seals really are if I had not read threads on this site.
Please see previous post. Both myself and another forum member had leaking inner seals with the outer seal installed. Still leaked past the outer seals.
 
I had a leaking front axle seal I would have never known about if I had those seals. Personally I want a 'tell tale' if there is a leak. Would have never known how useless these after market outer seals really are if I had not read threads on this site.
In the vast majority of these type discussions, it is hard for folks to get out of their own skin for a moment. The advantage we have is we work on a vast array of TJs. We also do a wide variety of work on them. I didn't wake up one day and decide I didn't like outer tube seals because I had a hard on for the company that developed them. We saw a series of the same issues, contemplated them with an eye toward risk and reward and arrived at the sound conclusion that whatever perceived harm they may prevent was highly overshadowed by actual issues we found consistently. No one should ever want to drive around at any point in time with the long side axle tube full of oil that was pumped out of the diff. If you are one that does, that is deliberate ignorance.