rear inner seal

[CamaroZ28]

does anybody know how to replace the inner axle seal on a 1954 Dodge Truck

[grey beard]

The seal is replaced by pulling first the drum, then the backing plate, then the axle. You'll need a puller for the drum and the axle. Once the axle is out, remove the retainer from the backing plate bolts and use the end of the axle shaft to pry the inner seal out.

Having said all that, one wonders why you care about the inner seal. Modern cars don't have one. This seal was made to keep differential gear oil OUT of the wheel bearings. Gear oil doesn't hurt my wheel bearings. Originally these bearings were hand packed in grease. The thinking was to keep the oil out so the grease would stay. Either oil or grease works on rear wheel bearing. If an inner seal did leak, who would know or care? How would you tell anyhow? JMHO

The seal you do need to worry about is the outer seal. That is the one that keeps grease from your brake shoes. If it leaks you have brake problems. The outer seal can be renewed by pulling the drum and backing plate only. Axle can stay in pace.

Good Luck.

[Zeke1953]

I've read that on these trucks, the outer seal keeps grease off your brake drums and the inner seal keeps differential oil from leaking out of the axle shaft. I replaced the outer seals on my '53 when I did a complete brake rebuild, but I was afraid to tackle the inner seals because I had never pulled an axle before. Well, in a short while, I would find that on the driver's side, dif oil would leak out of the axle shaft and drip down the brake backing plate onto my wheel. I re-read some of the previous threads on the subject, pulled the axle and replaced the inner seal. It was actually real easy to do - took under two hours. I've driven over 200 miles since and there's no leak in sight. Zeke