Remove drive shaft, remove yoke,,the rear takes a 27mm,or 1 11/16 12 point socket,,don't remember what the front takes,,change seal,,,lube the rubber on the seal before reassembly, ,,you can also find a few you tube videos on it

 

So it's a fairly easy fix. Do you happen to know the part name/number?

 

Sounds like a front axle pinion seal, just had mine replaced under warranty about three months ago @ 65,000 miles.

 

Yes,,pinon seal,,,

 

Watch out that you don't kill the crush sleeve when you put the yoke back on ,if you do that ,and drive on it its ring and pinion time.

 

i'd be more worried of not recrushing the crush sleeve enough to hold tension on the bearing anymore...it's a fine balance...and the socket is an 1 1/4

 

i agree with dodgemech. The crushing action is what puts pressure on the nut from backing off. With this technique mentioned above you also have no way of making sure you have the correct preload on the pinion bearing. I have seen guys do it like this, but i think the proper way is to pull the carrier, use a new crush sleeve and test pinion preload before assembling everything.

 

crush ain't what holds the nut...it's what holds the bearings together...nut can be tight with no preload on the bearings...and ya got a noisy front end

 

would that noisy front end only occur during breaking or turning? driving straight its perfectly silent. the correct procedure to do this involves removing the axle shafts, and taking a torque reading with a dial torque wrench, and installing it back to that same torque. There are probably very few that do it this way, and just hope for the best with the quick method.

 

so long as ya pull the tires and shove the brake pads back, ya can get your tttr reading...i tend to do it by feel...but i've changed about i dunno, maybe 3 or more of these in my life...haha

 

If you want to do it yourself, use SKF seals, top notch stuff. Also, once everything is pulled apart, clean the surface areas and check the mating area for any scratches or "dips" in the metal. Even then, some very high grit count sand paper to the mating surface followed by a complete cleaning to flush out the debris, I also use a strong magnet and oil after cleaning it, and be careful putting it all back together and you'll have a perfect sealing surface with a high quality seal.

 

so what is your thought on my first question?

 

noise while braking i'd imagine would be a hub or brake issue...noise while turning from front could be hub and/or axle u joint issue...

the grinding nasty noise of a loose pinion bearing would happen pretty much all the time the pinion is under load...which i think is all the time on these axles...since there's no disconnect

 

I have replaced bearings twice, axle joints are brand new also. it does it while turning, or while braking. removed front shaft, no better. I am starting to think it may be the power steering pump groaning and transmitting the noise. it is hard to turn the wheel while sitting still at times. it does groan sometimes when turning when I am idled down. no noise if on the highway and turning. just low rpm at the pump. or a hydrobooster going out and groaning? brake pads have been swapped out also, new rotors, new calipers. what's your thoughts on the power steering pump or hydrobooster causing this groaning? sounds/feels just like a wheel bearing. kind of a groan/grind noise that you can feel. when I brake going straight I can hear/feel it too. driving straight no brake, no noise/feeling.

 

i mean...there is fluid in the ps pump, right?

 

yes, even drained and refilled hoping it was the issue.

 

to me, without being there, yours sounds like your ps pump is failed, more than anything