Toyota-Lexus-Subaru-Honda Axle Seals Rear

When the rear axle seals leak in vehicles with solid rear axle housings, it leaks gear oil from the rear differential, which leaks out into the rear brake area and fouls your brake shoes.
When the shoes get impregnated with gear oil, they can’t be effectively cleaned, so it’s best to replace the shoes.

When you try to clean them, they look dry for a short while until the oil come seeping to the surface from the within the braking material. In addition to the change in braking characteristics, the braking material that’s been soaked in oil is more likely to separate from the brake shoe and cause sudden brake failure.

In the case of the rear differential with independent rear suspension, leaky axle seals allow the rear differential to lose its gear oil. It’s inconvenient to have to continually check and recheck the differential fluid level, as to do so requires putting the car up in the air. Because of this, if it’s a leak of any consequence, it’s probably a good idea to simply replace the seals in order to avoid damage to the rear end.

When the rear axle seal fails, the gear oil flows past and through the rear axle bearing while making its way out to the brake shoes. This bearing is a sealed bearing that starts out packed with grease. The oil finds its way past the seals and tends to wash the grease out as if flows through. Because of this, when you’ve got a failed rear axle seal, we recommend replacing the rear axle bearing at the same time even though the bearing itself hasn’t failed yet in order to avoid having to repeat the labor when the bearing fails for lack of lubrication. In the case of the bearing failing for lack of lubrication, that can result in a failed seal, which can wind up fouling your brake shoes and ruining them all over again. Best to be thorough and just do it right the first time.

When the rear axle seal fails, the gear oil flows past and through the rear axle bearing while making its way out to the brake shoes.

This bearing is a sealed bearing that starts out packed with grease. The oil finds its way past the seals and tends to wash the grease out as if flows through.

Because of this, when you’ve got a failed rear axle seal, we recommend replacing the rear axle bearing at the same time even though the bearing itself hasn’t failed yet in order to avoid having to repeat the labor when the bearing fails for lack of lubrication.

In the case of the bearing failing for lack of lubrication, that can result in a failed seal, which can wind up fouling your brake shoes and ruining them all over again. Best to be thorough and just do it right the first time.