07 wolverine/Grizzly 350 Rear axle seal

[wolvychick]

Noticed a little seepage on the floor, on the left side of the diff where the axle shaft housing mounts to the diff ( Pic ). Looks like water and a little gear oil. Mainly water,about a Tbl. spoon worth on the garage floor, I can ride for hours and the fluid level never really changes, and never any water in the gear oil itself. Is there an O-ring where the axle shaft housing bolt to the gear housing? Could water be getting in at this joint when I wash her? Is this anything to worry about if i keep an eye on the fluid level? Thank you for your help

 

[Cameo]

Just did a servie on a 99 Wolverine, the diff was dull of water...a couple drops of oil too. The diff itself, (aluminum part shown in pic) is a sealed unit itself. If the oil level is up, and not milky, you are good to go. If the oil is brown and like a malt, its got water in it. The unit is easy to repair,If you haven't changed the gear oil in a while, drain it. the water will come out first and then oil. if no water, just change it and go riding. the water would be from either like you said, from washing, or it got in the tube from the wheel end. no worries...\Our problem was the RHS axel shaft was pouring water out, the breather hose or axel seall allowed the water in.

 

[wolvychick]

Thanks Cameo. My oil is always perfect. Never low or contaminated. Just sometimes leaks water,( maybe mixed with bearing grease ), from the joint between the axle housing and the diff/gear housing. I Asked the mechanic at the dealership about it. He said water could be getting in through the drum brake seals, or it could just be condensation building up in the axle shaft housing. He said some guys will drill holes in the bottom of the axle shaft housing to drain it out if water does gett in. Or they drill it and put a grease fitting there to pump the housing full of grease. So now my question is, if I do have water in the axle housing will it eventually enter the gear housing or is it totally sealed up? Thanks everyone for your repies!

 

[wolvychick]

Thanks everybody. I'm going to rip the drum apart and gave a look. Can someone tell me the torque on the rear hub nuts and lug nuts plz. 2007 350 SRA. Thank u again.

 

[Cameo]

the one we did had disc brakes, the lug nuts are 40 ftlbs, not sure of the hub, might be different with the disc/drum difference.