32 Spline CV Grease Leak

[SierraBronco]

Went to change the break in oil on the diff and start tearing everything else apart and noticed all kinds of grease has been leaking from the passenger side CV axle. And the boot almost looks like it has a vacuum on it-I cannot pull those creases out. I don’t see any holes but it’s kinda hard to get to. This is after maybe 300 miles and no wheeling. Northridge is getting with Dana at the moment to see if this is a warranty issue or not but I thought I’d check with the group to get some feedback on what is happening.

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[userdude]

Is something hitting the boot, pushing the grease down, where it plugged any gaps so you can't pull it out? That, or it seems like something is pulling air out when it actuates perhaps, sucking the grease out?

 

[SierraBronco]

Is something hitting the boot, pushing the grease down, where it plugged any gaps so you can't pull it out? That, or it seems like something is pulling air out when it actuates perhaps, sucking the grease out?

It doesn’t seem like there is any way for it to be in contact with the shock. Maybe during the install when it was fully compressed during insertion the boot just never came back out? Would seem like a damn good seal in that case

 

[Brian_B]

Maybe it got overheated and that deformed the boot? Also can't see the ring on the diff side holding the boot on, but that could just be the angle of the pictures.

Somehow the grease is getting out, so the boot is compromised in some way.

 

[Felix808]

When I had my RCV's, the outside driver joint burped some grease but never found any tears in the boot. Later the boot ended up coming off. I would clean it up & keep an eye on it for sure

 

[5GENIDN]

Overheating of the boot could have caused that... But then you would have a design issue with the polymer selected.... Other possibility is that you are getting a vacuum in there. as the grease is spinning out it is lessening the volume on the inside and has plugged the hole so grease is exiting but air is not getting in to replace it. As the volume on the inside decreases it would cause that vacuum. How is your diff breather? any plugs of folds in the line? I am reaching with that one....

Expansion/contraction with hot and cold could be playing an exacerbating factor. I can not imagine it doing that much deformation alone.

 

[ScLeCo]

Watching. I've got the 32 spline FDU and axles on order.

 

[akturbo]

Both my 29 spline Spicers had the boots come off just like that with less than 300 miles. Caused one CV to starting binding bad (all the time), other binding as well(under load). Dana has not covered under warranty yet, been fighting them since April. BroncBuster sent one half shaft from their own inventory to get me on the road, they don't have the other side to send so they're still dealing with Dana. Unfortunately I had sold my OEM axles so I had to buy another set of OEMs, I'll never sell take off parts again. Extremely disappointed in Dana, they don't have a real warranty program and everything is dictated by one engineer Zack Heisey, he won't cover under warranty even though I sent dashcam vids of the binding on the trail when they failed and several videos of the CVs torn down (by his request) and vids of binding under the vehicle. At one point he blamed me for running in 4WD at full droop on the lift, I only did that to send him a video of the binding, so now he won't cover it. I had plans to go 32/Ultimate FDU, no way, complete waste of time and money. I have more vids that I sent, 7 vids in total.

Failure on trail:
Spicers on the bench:
Spicer vs OEM

 

[SierraBronco]

Overheating of the boot could have caused that... But then you would have a design issue with the polymer selected.... Other possibility is that you are getting a vacuum in there. as the grease is spinning out it is lessening the volume on the inside and has plugged the hole so grease is exiting but air is not getting in to replace it. As the volume on the inside decreases it would cause that vacuum. How is your diff breather? any plugs of folds in the line? I am reaching with that one....

Expansion/contraction with hot and cold could be playing an exacerbating factor. I can not imagine it doing that much deformation alone.

Makes sense. Breather seemed fine when I reinstalled it on the new diff and I don’t do any mudding

 

[5GENIDN]

Makes sense. Breather seemed fine when I reinstalled it on the new diff and I don’t do any mudding

I am just reaching....there should be a seal that does not allow air between the two anyway.... There is obviously lesser volume inside that boot... probably grease since we can see it outside the boot... But that means nothing is entering to replace that volume. Just thinking out loud...

I keep going back to Brian_Bs comment about overheating the boot... but with that we should see some glossiness on the polymer itself as the stings realign at those temps causing the deformation to be permanate.

 

[SierraBronco]

Both my 29 spline Spicers had the boots come off just like that with less than 300 miles. Caused one CV to starting binding bad (all the time), other binding as well(under load). Dana has not covered under warranty yet, been fighting them since April. BroncBuster sent one half shaft from their own inventory to get me on the road, they don't have the other side to send so they're still dealing with Dana. Unfortunately I had sold my OEM axles so I had to buy another set of OEMs, I'll never sell take off parts again. Extremely disappointed in Dana, they don't have a real warranty program and everything is dictated by one engineer Zack Heisey, he won't cover under warranty even though I sent dashcam vids of the binding on the trail when they failed and several videos of the CVs torn down (by his request) and vids of binding under the vehicle. At one point he blamed me for running in 4WD at full droop on the lift, I only did that to send him a video of the binding, so now he won't cover it. I had plans to go 32/Ultimate FDU, no way, complete waste of time and money. I have more vids that I sent, 7 vids in total.

Failure on trail:
Spicers on the bench:
Spicer vs OEM

And here Northridge just told me that Dana has a lifetime warranty

Peculiar that they’d try to blame using 4x4 under full droop-shouldn’t be an issue with the increased articulation their CV’s are supposed to provide. Especially the chonky boy 32 splines. And these haven’t even seen any offroading yet. Just broke in the diff and that’s it.

 

[akturbo]

And here Northridge just told me that Dana has a lifetime warranty

Peculiar that they’d try to blame using 4x4 under full droop-shouldn’t be an issue with the increased articulation their CV’s are supposed to provide. Especially the chonky boy 32 splines. And these haven’t even seen any offroading yet. Just broke in the diff and that’s it.

It may take me lifetime to get the warranty covered! lol I really do hope to get this resolved soon now that I'm on 37s, at least for now I have a good passenger Spicer and OEM driver. This is overshadowed by the fact my Bronco is in the dealer after my fuel pump died 24 miles from pavement. Everything is fine....everything is fine.

Edit: Yeah, it's not like a jack up my Bronco for fun and run in full droop. I was trying to prove to Dana the axle was binding and the OEM was not.

 

[akturbo]

It may take me lifetime to get the warranty covered! lol I really do hope to get this resolved soon now that I'm on 37s, at least for now I have a good passenger Spicer and OEM driver. This is overshadowed by the fact my Bronco is in the dealer after my fuel pump died 24 miles from pavement. Everything is fine....everything is fine.

Edit: Yeah, it's not like a jack up my Bronco for fun and run in full droop. I was trying to prove to Dana the axle was binding and the OEM was not.

BTW, Dana will probably send you new boots/clamps, best to find grease ahead of time.

 

[Felix808]

BTW, Dana will probably send you new boots/clamps, best to find grease ahead of time.

They sent me a boot when I tore mine, but it took almost a month of back & forth. RCV's Customer service was a lot quicker to resolve when I popped a boot off.
1 boot no grease. YMMV

 

[SierraBronco]

BTW, Dana will probably send you new boots/clamps, best to find grease ahead of time.

I was just thinking I’m gonna try to order a passenger side axle and keep it as a spare. Good to know though

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