leaking rear axle sealing gmc sierra 3500hd single wheel

[coo]

Hi there,

 

I discovered that both my sealings on my rear axle are leaking and now my brakes are soaked with differential fluid.

My garage is telling me that I have to get the seals replaced( which makes sense of course) but they tell me that I also have to replace my brake shoes for the emergency brake, brake pads and that there will be more parts that have to be replaced and that the total cost will be around $1500 and $2000.

Just a year ago I replaced all brakes completely!?

Is this thru, that the differential fluid ruins the brakes completely and that all this has to be replaced, while everything is still almost new?

I tried to find some more information about this online, but couldn't find really answers to my questions. So I hope that here maybe someone can give me a bit of advice if I really have to send all this money (again!)

Thanks

 

Marco

[davester]

Yeah, the diff oil soaks into the parking brake shoes and they are ruined, and if the leak is bad enough, it'll also get on the regular disc brake pads as well.

 

The inside rear hub seals are always a bit of a crapshoot, as all you can do is clean the hub and axle, install the seal into the hub, then install the hub onto the axle and hope the seal is on the axle right, as you can't see it to make sure it's on good.

 

A couple years ago the same thing happened to me (replaced brake pads, then the seal leaked and needed both shoes and pads).  But I did all the work myself in a day, so it just cost me that day and a couple hundred in parts.  And I also have all the tools/equipment/garage/experience to do it myself, safely.  If I had to pay shop rates to fix my truck, I'd have to sell it and get a much newer, more expensive truck...

[CamGTP]

Yes, you need to replace the pads and shoes.

 

The oil is now soaked into the pad material and will no longer perform as it should. I have no idea what they would mean by more parts needs to be replaced pasts just needing new seals and doing pads/shoes.

 

The diff fluid does not hurt the brake rotors or any of the hardware, that can just be cleaned off with parts cleaner.

 

That repair bill seems really steep for that job. I know axle seals are rather involved on those rear axles but $1,500 is a lot without seeing the exact quote they wrote up.