Rear seals keep leaking and I was ripped off.

[tdb33]

Hello,

I am trying to find out what type of rear end my 86 CJ7 has. It has 12 bolts in a circular pattern. I am thinking AMC 20 but not sure. Anyway my rear seals started leaking and the guy at the garage told me he would replace them for $200.00. When I went to pick up the Jeep he claims that after market parts were used and he didn't know if it would last a week or 2 years. It started leaking after driving it the 2nd time. It cost me $863.00 to get it back the first time. He has tried fixing it again but now I think he has the sheems to tight and it came back smoking from a 14 mile trip. I didn't notice any axle fluid yet but it sure did smell like it. He tells me that I now need to purchase a new axle set to reinstall on the jeep. This is a show jeep and I want it to get going again. I can't figure out what rear end is even in it. Is there some marking or serial numbers I can check to figure this out? What would you do now that he has tried to fix it twice. I talked to him today and he said to bring it back. He doesn't even want to give me part of the money back to take it some place else. I was thinking of trying this myself but I need to make sure I get the right axles to fit. I know the guy took me but I am caught right now and trying to figure if I need to take it some place else and just take him to small claims court as I didn't get what I paid for. Can someone please advise to what rear end I need to purchase axles for. Also I have a jeep axle puller is there pins on the gears before the axles will come out? The rear end is fine it just the fact the seals are leaking any advice will be appreciated. Thanks Dean

 

[jps4jeep]

1. you have a 20 rear

2. you won't get your money back, you admitted that he stated what he did might not work

3. I really don't understand the rest of what you issues are.

I assume you mean axle shaft seals. very easy to do, pull, tires, pull brakes, pull shafts out, pop out the seal, replace with newer. while there are lot of smaller steps inbetween, the only specialized tool would be a ID bearing puller which I think you have.

I think you need a new mechanic, this is about as basic of preventive maintanence as you can get.

 

[Turbogus]

To those whom have read my pasted posts over the last couple years, my apologies. (my little tin drum) It's just the mine were seemingly among the worst of the Corporate 20 hassles;

I purchased my '78 CJ 5 a couple of years ago and had been having some rear axle problems. Shortly after acquiring this CJ axle grease was seeping out of the hub. Upon removing the axles we noticed that the inner wheel bearings were WELDED to the axle, not by heat/friction, but by someone with a welder! A local shop re kitted this axle (narrow AMC 20) with a Yukon 1 piece axle kit. 1st try and the bearing free play was too tight - burned up the wheel bearings. 2nd try, too loose - axle backed out of the housing shortly after leaving shop. 3rd try and things went well for about two months and then noticed some seepage at the rear hub again. Sure enough, the free play had increased. This go, a non stock bearing keeper was installed to hold bearing firmly in place -we hoped! The shop chief noticed that there were two half circle ( ) inserts incorporated into this axle that were part of the 'welded' axle, no mention of these in the AMC service manual that I luckily had acquired since getting this Jeep, and another odd thing is correct free play couldn't be obtained without these half circle inserts. We contacts Randy's Ring and Pinion and learned that a spacer was missing for the kit we had purchased from them earlier. We had to pull the dang thing apart AGAIN and with Randy's on the phone for guidance we set the bearing clearance at the long side of tolerance, 0.62
One week later I smelled that old 'hot bearing' odor I had become so familiar with.

pulled the axles again and saw the damn roller bearings formed a 'conga line'. So I made a trip out to Mac's Jeep Parts and we pulled a Dana 44 out of an old Jeep Scrambler, installed a Lock Right differential and new bearings throughout and I've not had any issues since (knock on wood). After turning in the AMC 20 for core we noticed that the troubles lied in that the reason the inner wheel bearings were welded to the axle shaft were that the axle tubes had become or had always been (from reading other accounts on the web) crooked from the differential~!
I sure hope yours is an easier path!