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Rear wheel seal leaking on 1998 K2500 Suburban Abused

J

jrsavoie

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Rural Clifton, Illinois
The rear wheel seal was leaking on 1998 K2500 Suburban.

I took it apart and found that whoever had changed it previously had drove a screwdriver in between the seal and the hub, half way around.

The hub is gouged up pretty good.

Is there some kind of miracle coating I can apply on that half the hub after I sand the humps down to seal the seal?

Do you think High Tack on the seal and hub would hold back the oil?

You can no believe how irritated I was when I pullred the seal out and saw that.

I have pictures but I do not know how to load them anymore. I clicked on manage attachments and it gave pe all the pictures I have previously posted. I couldn't figure out how to post the new pictures.

What are my options apart from getting different hubs?

I really regret selling the 2 trucks I had last year. They were even the correct gear ratios

Is there a way to click edit and add the pictures?
 
Last edited:
When you open manage attachments, click on the button at the top that says "add files" The a window will open to add the pics. The window showing files already uploaded is annoying but the new loading feature works much better and faster than before.
 
Upon closer inspection, I think the seal will leak forever unless the hub is replaced.

It seems after they abused it they removed some extra base metal while trying to make the next seal work.

So the opening is a little oblong. The seal seems to sit just a blondie off center with the bearing. Rear brakes 98 Suburban 013.jpgRear brakes 98 Suburban 011.jpgRear brakes 98 Suburban 012.jpg
 
Does anybody have a spare rear hub?

Now might be a good time to find a rear disc rear differential or go to 3.42 gears.

Does anybody know where I can find 3.42 geared front and rear differentials.
 
Thought about JB weld or something similar but I was worried about compatability with the sealer on the seal. & also about permanently glueing the seal in place if I cleaned the seal to bare metal.

I ended up using the High Tack and tapping the seal in. It seemed the seal went in a little to easy and that it was off center with the bearing do to the damage done.

What realy pisses me off is I paid somebody to do this to me. What a glutton for punishment. It was one of 2 shops, but the 2nd shop should have addressed the issue so that I could haVE GONE BACK ON THE FIRST SHOP BACK WHEN. Unless of course it was the 2nd shop that caused the issue.
 
Just go to a junkyard and buy another diff. There are heavy truck shops that can do axle restoration but the cost would exceed the value on something like this. Then take the old diff, cut it in half with a torch and throw half through the 2nd shops window and take the other half back to the first shop and beat the mechanic in the face with it until he dies. I REALLY HATE lowlife sh!%bag shops that screw people. It wasn't Lee's Auto Ranch of Ellington CT was it ?
 
Something like the Loctite 'The Right Stuff' would of worked OK to seal as well.

As an FYI AFAIK a full floater for a Suburban with 3.42's is a rare beast. The 3.42 option is a Semi-Floater. Yes there are 3.42 full floaters out there on the pick ups, but the key difference is that you will be missing the anti-roll bar brackets. Obviously these can be added just pointing out that it is not a direct bolt in. There is still of course the option to retro fit in 3.42 gears.

Another thing that springs to mind is that I was under the impression that a full floater can have either 2.5 or 3.5 inch wide rear shoes. Your suburban would be the wider one.

Cheers
Nobby
 
If you find a good hub, you might try a speedy sleeve for your seal mating surface on the axle. Truthfully, even if it's not leaking, I think it's a good idea to use one to keep the wear on a replacable part, instead of a parent part, such as the axle itself.
 
yup, our axles on our suspensions we use at work have them as standard. It seems to me like it's a no-brainer, as I mentioned earlier. I'm sure, though, that some accountant didn't want to spend the extra 60 cents per truck to put them on from the factory.
 
I'm wondering how hard it would be to get 3.42 replacements for this 98 and put these 3.73 under the 94 crew cab I just got?
If anybody has any good ideas please pass them along.

Taking this in to get a simple job done was pretty much a waste. It's really costing me now. And it cost me once before but I didn't know it then.
 
Shazaam, those speedy sleeves ain't cheap. $53 for ONE from Napa. Part number 99282.

The next time I am going to check specs and see about buying bushing stock or something. Rouch
 
For what you get the price is fine and truth is making it up would be a bear and cost more than the speedi-sleeve anyways. Pretty much money well invested.

Re the axles like I said you'll have a hard time if at all finding a Burb full floater with 3.42's, Pickup with 3.42's missing the anti-roll bar brackets no worries.

Just search here there is a crap load out there.

http://www.car-part.com/

Cheers
Nobby
 
jrsavoie said:
Shazaam, those speedy sleeves ain't cheap. $53 for ONE from Napa. Part number 99282.

The next time I am going to check specs and see about buying bushing stock or something. Rouch
Click to expand...

That does include the seal, though, so the sleeve doesn't eat up that whole $53.
 
wow. That's high. I don't recall mine being more than about $30-40 with seal and sleeve as a "kit" and that was from NAPA.
 
Putting the rear brakes and hubs back on.

Do the 98's or 99's not have a thrust washer?

There was none there when I removed them.

Do you still torque to 50 lbs. and then back off to the first notch for the keystock?

Is the keystock supposed to be about 3/16"?

I have a piece of 1/4 and it fits much better. But is still loose so as to make it easy to remove.
 
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