Scrambler rear axle seal leaking?

[94fordguy]

So, I have noticed a problem with my rear axle leaking grease out on both sides of the swing arm. I had the left side seal replaced about a month ago and it is starting to leak a very small amount again already, and now the right side is leaking a lot also. Is there anything that can be done except to have the dealer put in 2 new seals and hope they wont fail again?

Machine is my '08 Scrambler 500 4x4, 100% stock

Also, should I have the dealer check or replace the bearings while I have it in there? I don't want to take this thing back to them a 3rd time

Would there be any harm in just shooting some more grease in there and run it the rest of the summer.... I don't ride it a lot, once a week for 5-6 hours if I'm lucky. Wheels turn smooth and easy by hand, so I dont think I have any bearing issues, just a friggen leak.

Thanks

 

[jay007]

I have an 06 scrammy and have redone the rear bearings twice in 2 years, I would think it best that you have them look at the bearings while they are in there so you don't end up needing a new housing and/or axle.

I let mine go and ended up replacing seals, bearings, rear bearing housing, complete rear axle, brake hub and sprocket hub.

Might save alot of $$ to just get it checked out now.

just my 2

 

[Garryese]

I'll assume you haven't had small trees caught around the axle at the seals.

After every ride I check the axles seals on both of our scramblers. If there is no grease getting past either seal I give the hub one shot of grease. If there is a small amount of grease around one of the seal lips I do not give the hub any grease. If there is alot of grease and a seal has not popped out I check the axle bearings.

Make sure the axle bearings are tight. Jack the machine up and give the axle a good shake; if the axle moves at all take the machine back to the dealer and tell them the adjustments bearings and seals are on their dime.

There is such a thing as too much grease. With the seals in place and in good shape you should only need one shot of grease every 50 hours or so. If you over grease it or grease it too fast you will pop one of the seals out.... my cordless grease gun will pop a seal out every time. Because there is air trapped in the hub, the seal may pop out several hours later or during the next ride as the hub/bearings warms up.

I just read on article where another grease zerk was installed directly across the hub from the orginal zerk. Remove the highest zerk and grease from the lower one; this allows air to purge without dis-lodging a seal. I am going this route the next time I need to do axle bearings or sprockets.

Wipe the grease off and have a look to see if one or both of the seals have been dis-lodged. If not run it as it is and see if it quits leaking after another ten hours or so. If one or both seals are out of place you should be able use a screw driver to carefully pry them back into place.

On to the fact the dealer changed the seals a month ago:

From a mechanics point of view I cannot understand why one would change those seals and not the bearings; that is a come-back just waiting to happen.

From a dealers point of view you sell the two bearings and proudly stand behind the work.

From the customers point of view you have already paid all the labour to do the job why not spend the extra for two bearings and save the labour cost of cleaning the old ones.

 

[Garryese]

Twice in two years tells me you not getting enough grease in the hub or you are setting the chain too tight. Between both of our machines I have had to change one set of axle bearings/seals and that was due to a jump and casing the hub on a boulder.

I have an 06 scrammy and have redone the rear bearings twice in 2 years, I would think it best that you have them look at the bearings while they are in there so you don't end up needing a new housing and/or axle.

I let mine go and ended up replacing seals, bearings, rear bearing housing, complete rear axle, brake hub and sprocket hub.

Might save alot of $$ to just get it checked out now.

just my 2

 

[94fordguy]

Thanks for the info

No, nothing has been caught around the axles at all, there is no movement of the axle at all, everything is tight as can be and rotates smoothly and easily.

The left side seal has only let a very very small amount get by, barely worth mentioning, but the right side is leaking BIG time... nothing appears out of place as far as I can tell.

Is a seal something I can replace by myself with basic hand tools or are there special tools or techniques to getting everything apart on one of these things?

 

[94fordguy]

here's a few pics for reference.....

Right

Left

 

[Garryese]

Is it leaking between the sprocket hub and the bearing carrier/axle hub(second pic)? The left side looks normal.

The seepage in the first pic is not the bearing seal; there is an o-ring on the other end of that sprocket hub that is leaking. The dealer should have changed that o-ring when they did the other seals, however it needs to be noted that the o-ring slides over splines so it is easy to nick. Or, the o-ring didn't get re-installed.

No special tools required. On the top left of the third pic is a lock nut. Back the pinch bolt (allen screw) off on that nut and then turn the nut counter clockwise (left hand thread, so it will go in towards the hub). Remove the c-clip when it is fully exposed. Remove wheels, chain, chain guard, brake hub and left side o-ring. The axle will come out the right side of the machine. Find and replace the o-ring behind the sprocket hub. Re-assemble in reverse order using never seize on the splines. 10 ft/lbs on the axle nut and 50 in/lbs on the axle nut pinch bolt Looking at the first pic, I would not be surprised if you do not find an o-ring on the sprocket side.

If you do it yourself and get in trouble, pm me your email address and I will scan the rear axle section of the service manual.

 

[94fordguy]

Is it leaking between the sprocket hub and the bearing carrier/axle hub(second pic)? The left side looks normal.

The seepage in the first pic is not the bearing seal; there is an o-ring on the other end of that sprocket hub that is leaking. The dealer should have changed that o-ring when they did the other seals, however it needs to be noted that the o-ring slides over splines so it is easy to nick. Or, the o-ring didn't get re-installed.

No special tools required. On the top left of the third pic is a lock nut. Back the pinch bolt (allen screw) off on that nut and then turn the nut counter clockwise (left hand thread, so it will go in towards the hub). Remove the c-clip when it is fully exposed. Remove wheels, chain, chain guard, brake hub and left side o-ring. The axle will come out the right side of the machine. Find and replace the o-ring behind the sprocket hub. Re-assemble in reverse order using never seize on the splines. 10 ft/lbs on the axle nut and 50 in/lbs on the axle nut pinch bolt Looking at the first pic, I would not be surprised if you do not find an o-ring on the sprocket side.

If you do it yourself and get in trouble, pm me your email address and I will scan the rear axle section of the service manual.

Awesome info, Thanks a lot man:d

sounds pretty straight-forward