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TDInewguy's avatar
TDInewguy
Explorer
Dec 20, 2016

Help Needed: Rear axle is leaking lube - RV was sitting

Hello all!

I'm about to hit the road and head to Texas from the cold north (Minnesota) and in prepping the RV I noticed two puddles about 6-8" in diamater dripping off each rear brake drum.

I've got a 2002 Itasca Horizon with the 3126E CAT motor and Allison 3000. So it's a pusher with the big rear axle.

It was very very cold overnight a few days ago and I was heating the interior of the barn with a propane heater - to work, but it never got very "warm" inside, but there was a fair amount of humidity from the non vented combustion.

Anyhow - The coach has 110,000 miles and the rear has NEVER leaked anything - and while sitting there in the cold it puked quite a bit of lube out of each axle seal.

Here is one brake drum:




Here is the puddle of oil:

The other brake drum:

The other oil puddle:

Thoughts? What should I do?
Class A
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Dec 21, 2016
    You should've headed south sooner, the cold got you. There is no need to replace the good looking brake shoes but the oil needs to be burned out of them with a torch. If I was doing it myself I would do the one side with the major leak and not worry about the other side as warmer temperatures may solve the problem.
  • Jay_Pat's avatar
    Jay_Pat
    Explorer
    Dec 21, 2016
    wolfe10 wrote:
    Will have to get the seals replaced (any HD truck shop).

    If brake shoes were soaked, they need to be replaced as well.

    Not a big deal-- much better that you caught it before the rear axle seized up/rear brakes became inoperable.


    garyemunson wrote:
    I would think the 15 year old seals just couldn't take the -22 cold and cracked. Rubber gets pretty hard at that temp....


    Bill.Satellite wrote:
    I have to replace my wheel seals on a fairly regular basis and it's quite frustrating. In any case, you are going to need new seals which will not break the bank but also cannot be ignored.


    I fully agree with these guys!
    Pat
  • midnightsadie's avatar
    midnightsadie
    Explorer II
    Dec 20, 2016
    I would not leave on your trip till fixed, if the oil got on the brake shoes there junk.
  • Bill_Satellite's avatar
    Bill_Satellite
    Explorer II
    Dec 20, 2016
    I have to replace my wheel seals on a fairly regular basis and it's quite frustrating. In any case, you are going to need new seals which will not break the bank but also cannot be ignored.
  • garyemunson's avatar
    garyemunson
    Explorer II
    Dec 20, 2016
    I would think the 15 year old seals just couldn't take the -22 cold and cracked. Rubber gets pretty hard at that temp....
  • TDInewguy's avatar
    TDInewguy
    Explorer
    Dec 20, 2016
    wolfe10 wrote:
    Will have to get the seals replaced (any HD truck shop).

    If brake shoes were soaked, they need to be replaced as well.

    Not a big deal-- much better that you caught it before the rear axle seized up/rear brakes became inoperable.


    Any idea what caused this? Is the cold weather or some other reason why BOTH failed at the same time just sitting there?

    It did hit -22F that night...
  • wolfe10's avatar
    wolfe10
    Explorer
    Dec 20, 2016
    Will have to get the seals replaced (any HD truck shop).

    If brake shoes were soaked, they need to be replaced as well.

    Not a big deal-- much better that you caught it before the rear axle seized up/rear brakes became inoperable.

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