I have replaced an Axle Seal twice.

The first time I replaced it and if failed I thought it was because I didn't replace the bearing that had obviously failed but I didn't have a replacement for. But I replaced the bearing and the seal and now it has failed once again.

I followed Quintin's post on the replacement.

The first seal lasted about 500 miles then second about 1000.

Maybe three time's a charm.

What are common causes for the failure of an axle seal? Maybe I did not inspect something. Are the standard Ford seals the best option for replacement parts?

 

This is a rear axle seal - passenger side.

 

How many miles on your truck? Most likely a wear groove on the axle especially if you have a lot of miles. Best bet instead of going through a bunch of axle seals would be replacing the axle and seal to solve the problem.

 

Thanks for the information. I saw the groove but since I have never seen one I didn't know what to look for.

160,000 miles on the truck.

I need to replace the bearing on the other side anyway - the dealer didn't have one - so need to do the effort anyway.