It is very common to replace the seal in conjunction with a differential service, replacing all the fluid. Usually, it will take half an hour of labor plus fluids; costing around $50 to $100.

Here’s how it goes:

1. Lift the rear of the truck to take the weight off the wheels.
2. Remove both rear wheels.
3. Remove the 8 bolts to take the axle out.
4. Remove the pin and retaining ring by hand.
5. Remove the axle nut.
6. At this point, the hub/drum assembly should slide right out.
7. Now the axle seal is exposed.

Most seals and bearings are relatively inexpensive on their own. Combined with the few hours of labor required for their replacement, the typical rear differential cost of repair is between $200 and $400.

Fixing an axle seal can cost anywhere from $150 to several hundred dollars, depending on the make and model of your car. If you detect a leak it’s better to fix it sooner rather than later, as ruining your transmission is an expensive repair.

After a rear differential fluid change, most vehicles will go 20,000 to 40,000 miles before it’s due again.

The pinion seal is located near the pinion shaft and is designed so that fluid does not leak out of the differential. Some vehicles have a rear pinion seal, where others have both a front and rear pinion seal, it just depends on the make and model of your vehicle and if the vehicle has rear or four wheel drive.

A whine during deceleration may mean there is a bad or loose pinion bearing. A howl during acceleration may indicate the same problem. Rumble or whining sounds only at speeds greater than 20 mph could be a sign of a worn carrier bearing. The sound may change while cornering.

Sometimes it just failed from normal wear and simply needs replaced. However, it is fairly common as well for the failure to be caused by too much runout of the pinion, caused by either incorrect preload on the pinion, or failure of the pinion bearing, the former often being caused by the latter.

Located near the pinion shaft in the differential of vehicles, the pinion seal is an integral component of the car that prevents fluid leakage out of the differential. It also prevents water, debris, or dirt from getting into the differential.

The most common cause of a leaking axle seal is it improper axle installation or removal. In addition, the axle seal can wear out over time, which can cause it to leak. A leaking axle seal may be covered by your vehicle’s Powertrain Warranty, so check your car’s brochure to see if this is the case.

In terms of lifespan, there’s no set duration for a pinion seal. Really, they last as long as they last. There are many different factors that come into play here. All seals will degrade with time and exposure to differential fluid, but your driving habits will have a significant impact on lifespan.

Step 1: Set up a drain pan. Place a drain pan underneath the pinion seal area. Step 2: Remove the seal. Take a seal puller, hook the inside of the seal and pry to remove the seal.

The differential output seals are the seals located at the output shafts of a vehicle’s differential. They usually seal the axle shafts against the differential and prevent fluid from leaking out of the differential as it operates.

Every front or rear axle is filled with a special oil (also called differential fluid, or gear oil) that takes care of this. The differential fluid lubricates the gears, bearings and other internal parts, and provides cooling to these components as well.

gear oil