Leaking around new u joints??

So I had some steering problems, squealing, brought into mechanic and ended up getting two front u joints, new right wheel bearing and stub yoke.

It's been about 2 weeks of light driving and I noticed around the u joints and yokes there is some oil very slowly dripping, maybe 2ml a day. Is this normal or should I take back to mechanic? The new stub yoke looks rusted to hell already, it's been snowy and icy lately though

Leaking oil isn't a good sign. Are you sure its actively leaking? Or could it just be leftover mess from when the axle was disassembled.

Rust is common if water and salt are present, short of painting the part, there is no way to stop it from rusting. The yoke will rust on the surface, some higher quality parts have coatings on them, but many do not.

If you want to check to see if the axle is actively leaking, take some brake clean and spray down the affected area and wipe clean with a rag. Check back a day or so later for oil.

If it is leaking, taking it back for more work is really the only solution, whoever did the work really should have replaced the axle shaft seals if they removed the axle shaft to replace the spindle or stub yoke.

the answer to me is as simple as the mechanic wasnt careful when pulling/installing axle shaft after ujoint install,jogged the seal and now you have a leaking axle,
dudeman is right it could very well be residual so go about his directions first,
hope you dont need to replace the seals as they are a pain in ass to seat properly,

What is involved in replacing those axle seals. Is there a special tool that you must have as they are deep into the axle.
Thanks Rod

dudeman2009 said:

Leaking oil isn't a good sign. Are you sure its actively leaking? Or could it just be leftover mess from when the axle was disassembled.

Rust is common if water and salt are present, short of painting the part, there is no way to stop it from rusting. The yoke will rust on the surface, some higher quality parts have coatings on them, but many do not.

If you want to check to see if the axle is actively leaking, take some brake clean and spray down the affected area and wipe clean with a rag. Check back a day or so later for oil.

If it is leaking, taking it back for more work is really the only solution, whoever did the work really should have replaced the axle shaft seals if they removed the axle shaft to replace the spindle or stub yoke.

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I disagree about whoever did the u-joints should have done the seals at the same time. Doing the seals is much more involved than doing the u-joints only. I f the seals are not leaking I leave them alone or give the customer the choice, and warn the customer of the possibility of seals leaking after removing the axle.
It doesn't happen often, but it happens, no matter how careful you are pulling the axles and reinstalling them.

ramburger said:

the answer to me is as simple as the mechanic wasnt careful when pulling/installing axle shaft after ujoint install,jogged the seal and now you have a leaking axle,
dudeman is right it could very well be residual so go about his directions first,
hope you dont need to replace the seals as they are a pain in ass to seat properly,

Click to expand...

Not always the case, it could be he wasn't careful, but it happens sometimes no matter how careful you are.

Yoda, you answered what I was going to follow up with later. Ive done many u-joint replacements on many and many customers dodge trucks. Ive only ever had one time a seal leaked after doing them. Those seals are old and dry and pulling and putting the axle in and out can sometimes mark them enough that they leak no matter how careful you are. I dont have a tool to put new ones in but I usually warn them ahead of time. But when they do leak it is not the fault of the mechanic most times but the fact that the seals have age and you have to drag the heavy axle out over them. I usually try to clean the axle up and put some grease on them before I slide them back in. Most ones I see that are leaking or are wet are also on the Passenger side as well.
Rod

rod7515 said:

What is involved in replacing those axle seals. Is there a special tool that you must have as they are deep into the axle.
Thanks Rod

Click to expand...

There are special tools you need.

5041A Axle Seal Installer 5041

Thats really the only tool you need to get them in there. For the home gamer its great if you have Dana axles on both the front and back and need to replace front U-joints or want to overhaul the rear.

For a shop its not required to have, but if your area has lots of pickups or if you have some master techs, its not uncommon for someone in a shop with 5+ techs to have one. As the Dana axles were the most common for a time and are still common in fords, and dodges up to 2002.

As for axle seals on a 20 year old truck, i'd call that pretty much required as its an almost sure thing they will leak after being disturbed. Even if they don't appear horrible, the chance of damaging an old seal when reinstalling the axle, then having a come back because their axle is leaking, and having to take everything apart again is just too great for me. I consider it a disservice to not at least warn the customer of the possibility, if they choose not to replace them, then its on them, not on me as they tech who worked on your vehicle and 'broke it'.

I'm not saying the tech did anything malicious to try and get more money out of Mitty or didn't know what he was doing. I just think he made a mistake by not warning the customer about what happens to 20 year old seals.