Help: Rear axle grease on the inside RR rim and calipers.

[mick_s3]

Help: Rear axle grease on the inside LR (Driver side) rim and calipers.

I took the LR tire off to attempt to change the fuel filter and found a big grease spot on the inside of the rim and found very thin lines of grease flung all over the wheel well. There were thin strands of grease on the shock tower and caliper.

I assume this was flung out of the boot on the axle? What am I looking at to address this? Is it possible to have them replace the boot or does the axle have to be replaced?

Should I do both sides while I am at it? I didn't notice any on the passenger side......

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


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[wishuwerehere82]

Mick,

First, don't assume anything.
Second, if you hang a plumb line from your grease stripes on the wheelwell, if should hang down to pinpoint the exact point the grease is coming from. If is is indeed the boot on the CV joint, the boot can be replaced. Stretch it out real good to see where the tear is.

 

[mick_s3]

Mick,

First, don't assume anything.
Second, if you hang a plumb line from your grease stripes on the wheelwell, if should hang down to pinpoint the exact point the grease is coming from. If is is indeed the boot on the CV joint, the boot can be replaced. Stretch it out real good to see where the tear is.

Yea we sorta did that and it definitly looks like the grease came from the boot. But we stretched it out and could not find the source (meaning an obvious hole in the boot).

very odd that the stain in the rim was not a complete 360 but rather isolated, which tells me this happened while the car was not moving originally and that driving subsequent to springing the leak has forced more grease out, in smaller quantities.

I have been informed that just the boot is replaceable. I could not figure out how I would get the boot off and re-attach a new one without some special tools, does anyone have any DIY experience replacing one of these?

Thanks!!

 

[LLC5]

If you didn't loose a lot of grease, you could try an aftermarket band on the big end, clean everthing up, and see if it leaks again. If you had a hole or a tear in the boot, you would have joint grease flung everywhere. It looks like you might have just lost the seal between the boot and the joint.

 

[mick_s3]

If you didn't loose a lot of grease, you could try an aftermarket band on the big end, clean everthing up, and see if it leaks again. If you had a hole or a tear in the boot, you would have joint grease flung everywhere. It looks like you might have just lost the seal between the boot and the joint.

Thanks for the info. Is there a special tool I would need to install the new band?

How would I replace the grease that has already been flung from the seal? Just fill the boot back up or is there a fitting to pump the grease back in? My car is not where I can go look right at the moment.

Thanks again!

 

[LLC5]

There is an inexpesive tool to pull the band tight on the boot. Your original band isn't bad, it's the boot that has deformed to the joint through age and heat. The universal band can be pulled tighter around the boot. If you are going to add grease, make sure it is CV joint grease. You will have to force it in through the open end of the boot with the band off. There is a lot of grease in there from the factory, if you haven't lost a lot of it you can just do the re-band.

 

[gmjunkie]

You have to take the joint off the shaft to replace the Boot!! Some times this can be a Bit*h!! If you have not done it before,I sigjest you have someone that has and watch carefully!! junk!!