1060605
akeyonedrop,
sounds like your rear cyls are leaking. easy to distinguish the brake fluid from the rear gear oil - gear oil is real thick and smelly (i like it, though) while brake fluid is not nearly as bad smelling and much thinner.
if it's the rear axle seals, that would mean that your diff is getting low (or already is low) on gear oil - real bad if you consider how much a set of pinions will cost you compared to a set of brakes.
there are three possible places the gear oil is escaping from: the axle seal, the diff cover or a crack in the axle housing.
if the axle seal, easy to locate when you pull the brake drum (any brake chatter?) just pull the drum, brakes, backing plate, and axle to change it. might as well change the bearing in there while you're at it. not a difficult job, but can get tricky tool-wise. get a good manual before you begin and make sure your rig's up on sturdy jack stands.
if the dif cover, easy to locate and unlikely to be collecting at your spring mount. if your loosing/lost gear oil, you'll need to replace/add anyway so may as well do this to. pop the dif cover off, clean out the pinions with 10w engine oil, use rtv on the cover and torque the bolts. if you have limited slip there's a tag on the cover letting you know to add the oil additive (dealer item)
if a crack in your housing - time to change your rear. . .
if a brake fluid leak, may be the cyl or the line. either way a relatively easy fix - just messy.
good luck.
michael
[addsig]
