Keeping mud outta diffs

Ricky B

Ricky B

Wiiide Open
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
LKN - Tha Dirty Mo (Mooresville, NC)
Kinda curious as to if I'm just trying to fight an uphill battle or if there is a good way to keep mud/water outta your axle? I mean I just cracked open both diff's on the Z71 Jeep the other day to change the fluid/put on the diff guards I got and the front diff wasnt too bad had some mud/water in it, but the rear diff looked like a damn swamp bog full of mud. I have my axle breathers routed up high and I know for a fact the hub seals on the rear 70 are good cause i just replaced em, but it had more dang mud in it than the front.

Any tips/tricks/ideas?

Thanks
 
Keep the diffs outta the mud - easiest solution. :flipoff2:

If your breather element is clogged or a 1-way-type valve, when you hit the water, the diff can cool off, reducing the air pressure, and sucking in the mud.

I've been using lawnmower-size gas filters on the end of a long tube for a while, and while I don't do mud, I have spent alot of time in water over the axles, and the gear oil doesn't look much like baby food when I drained it.
 
hmm, well i mean i just had the tubes run up high behind the seats hanging off the roll cage they dont have any breathers on em but I figured since they were so high/small they wouldn't be able to suck that much in, I mean i know there is no way the rear breather sucked in as much mud that was in the axle, plus when I cleaned it out mud was running out of the axle shaft holes that are in the side of the diff leading me to be lieve that mud is getting in at the hub area some how?
 
x2 on that... i had a one-way valve on mine and didn't realize it routed up into the cab, and also had the same thing happen, when the axle is warm from wheelin/driving, and you plunge through a water hole, the axle cools rapidly if you are totally submerged, thus sucking in mud and water...
 
toyotafreak said:
x2 on that... i had a one-way valve on mine and didn't realize it routed up into the cab, and also had the same thing happen, when the axle is warm from wheelin/driving, and you plunge through a water hole, the axle cools rapidly if you are totally submerged, thus sucking in mud and water...
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i mean sucking in water past seals (axle seals), and such since they are likely made of silicone/rubber
 
x2 on that... i had a one-way valve on mine and didn't realize it routed up into the cab, and also had the same thing happen, when the axle is warm from wheelin/driving, and you plunge through a water hole, the axle cools rapidly if you are totally submerged, thus sucking in mud and water...
Click to expand...

hmm, i mean i guess thats possible but I mean the breathers I have are routed so high they would have had to suck the mud/water outta mid air while the mud/water was getting slung by the tires because they are about head level where I have them routed now, i really dont think its possible it sucked in that much from mid air?
 
toyotafreak said:
i mean sucking in water past seals (axle seals), and such since they are likely made of silicone/rubber
Click to expand...

True but back in the day I used to mud sling alot in the Z71 there was even one time where I got stuck so bad the truck was sitting in a swamp for two nights with both axles submerged and have never had any mud/water in the diffs?
 
I think they are trying to say that when your axle gets hot from the friction it suddenly cools, the seals are expanding and retracting and could be sucking in water/mud that way. Not through your breather.

- if your axle is sitting in in mud/water for days... then your seals are cold and aren't getting hot/cold.
 
well i mean dude... look at your avatar, and look at the pics from the farm.... i mean thats just hardecore mud loving, lol...:Rockon: i mean i'd expect mud to be everywhere and inbetween, lol!!!
you are right though, you do love mudslinging
after anywheelin trip i totally submerge the diffs in water/mud, i change and flush gear oil ASAP.. and check the tranny too, comes in over the shifters
 
Yea i guess if its expanding/whatnot it could suck in the stuff through the seals, just kinda curious as to why the Z71 never sucked in any mud, it was a mallcruser but i mean i still drove it throu some deep mud holes over the axles and never had stuff in the diffs, and i would actually drive the Z71 on the road to the places so i know it axles were hot whereas with the jeep i just trailer it there so the axles had very little use before i started wheeling just from backing off the trailer and driving over to the obsticle basically, thats why im kinda curious is all.
 
some of the dirt track guys run 3 stage seals in their tubes, where the axle seals go.... you could also try puttin extra seals inside the outers ends of the tubes, might help....
 
Dont know if they make any for your application but im running Alloy USA outer axle tube seals... they seem to work good for water so I'd imagine mud would be easier to keep out...
 
uncc civilengineer said:
Dont know if they make any for your application but im running Alloy USA outer axle tube seals... they seem to work good for water so I'd imagine mud would be easier to keep out...
Click to expand...

They don't make them but I have custom Seals that will work for this application.

Call me Ricky if you have any questions.
Thanks
Andy
 
braxton357 said:
Taller tires
Click to expand...

But Ricky 53s aint gonna cut it. if you wanna go back through that mud pit and not get mud up to the diff....you gonna need to be in the 90s :shaking:

01blktaco said:
great lakes offroad makes nice diff covers that have the added option of putting small drains on the bottem just for your need.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=501591
Click to expand...

How exactly does that keep mud out?
You could do the same hing much quicker without the tiny hole, I cant imagine fluid pours out that opening very quickly.
 
BUT BTW GLO are BEEF
 
years ago I had this problem, after dozens of wheel, pinion, and carrier bearings I found the cure.





































































I stayed out of the freaking mud....:flipoff2:
 
tw89yj said:
Let us know how that works out for you.:lol:
Ought to increase the lifespan of seals.
Click to expand...

It's actually something that's done on plenty of military vehicles all over the world as well as other vehicles that see water. It doesn't affect your seals...the air goes out the vent. That's what it's for.:flipoff2:
 
Years ago, when I run the mud pits, I was talking to a guy and he was a lot more experienced than me. He put a layer of grease around his axle tube, and then filled in around it with silicone. the grease allowed the silicone not to stick to the axle shaft, but sealed out most everything, he said. I have never tried it, but thought it sounded pretty kewl!
 
Ricky

Muddin' guys also go to the extreme of spraying Cooking Oil like PAM on their rigs so mud don't stick...

You should coat your rig & body w/ 90 weight....cuz a case of it's pretty cheap & chicks dig the look & smell too....

Let me know how it werks for ya...


:huggy:
 
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