AAM 11.5 Rear Pinion Seal Life

[chessy56]

2001 K2500HD Silverado, Dmax, with 260,000 miles-

I've replaced the rear axle's pinion seal about 100K miles ago. It's leaking again. Is there a "good" pinion seal that lasts a little longer than the OEM brand? I've found a Yukon brand (#YMSG1015) on line. Does anyone know of a better seal that lasts a bit longer or is this the expected life on this item?

I feel no vibrations and hear no noises from the rear axle. I put roughly 600 miles on the truck weekly. Please respond if you have any ideas. Thanks!

[DmaxMaverick]

Clean up the sealing surface really well, then install a Speedi-Sleeve. This will do 2 things..... Enlarge the sealing surface slightly (tightening the seal), and ensure an absolutely ideal sealing surface. Put the pinion in the freezer for an hour or two, and heat the sleeve at 250°F for about 15 minutes. Toaster oven works fine. Assemble them quickly, as the sleeve cools off very fast. Wear clean cotton gloves while handling them. Use Loc-Tite sealer on clean surfaces to lock it in place, and seal it from leaks. If you're quick enough (right away, don't waste time because the gap closes quickly), the sealer will just wick into the space between them, like sweating pipe joints. Let it set until it's room temperature and it's done (couple hours). Careful to not ding the surface during handling and install.

You could have it turned, but that takes away from the diameter, loosening the seal.

The OEM seal is the better of the options. If yours is failing frequently, something else is wrong.

[Kennedy]

These seals seldom leak so as Maverick suggested take a close look at the surface finish of the yoke where the seal rides. National brand seals tend to be good based on past experience. Be sure to add some grease to the lip when installing.

[chessy56]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to reach a point where I can afford a little downtime to install the Speedie-sleeve as I'm on the road weekly with minimal weekend time available (it's a job; not a bad thing to have these days). I'll have to do a quick seal change for now, and drop the carrier later. Thanks again.

[Kennedy]

Often times a speedy sleeve will have some sort of driving mandrel included with it. The sleeve press fits over the snout of the input yoke adding basicaly an insignificant amount additional labor to the project.

[lathepuppy]

The most common cause of seal failure is not putting a moly grease between the seal lips. Once the seal is installed there is no way for lube to get into this area.

When putting on the speedi sleeve the groove under it must be filled with a material like Loctite quick metal. If the goove is not filled the pressure from the new seal will overheat the metal of the speedi sleeve and cause it to fail. Filling the groove in the sealing surface will allow the heat to transfer to the axle housing.

[More Power]

2001 K2500HD Silverado, Dmax, with 260,000 miles-

I've replaced the rear axle's pinion seal about 100K miles ago. It's leaking again. Is there a "good" pinion seal that lasts a little longer than the OEM brand? I've found a Yukon brand (#YMSG1015) on line. Does anyone know of a better seal that lasts a bit longer or is this the expected life on this item?

I feel no vibrations and hear no noises from the rear axle. I put roughly 600 miles on the truck weekly. Please respond if you have any ideas. Thanks!

Curious whether your truck was among those recalled for the new (at the time) one-piece rear drive shaft modification? Otherwise, I wonder if shaft length and design (one or two-piece) affect pinion seal life.

[chessy56]

I was unaware of any recalls for the one-piece drive shaft mod. I could inquire with my dealership- doubt if they'll do anything for me now after 11 years....

[Kennedy]

As a follow up to this there is no need to do a speedi sleeve unless of course the OE sleeve is bad which should be near impossible. The OE pinion yoke has what appears to be a sleeve with a dust shield attached. Just grease the lip and install.

I'll add that every one of these trucks that I have had apart has had the right rear axle seal weeping or leaking at some point. Just enough to foul the park brake shoes.

[chessy56]

Finally got the seal replaced! Yes, the OEM yoke does have a sleeve/dust shield and the sealing surface was indeed bad. Speedie sleeve installed with new seal- thus far, everything looks good; no more leaking.

Dealership cannot tell me if a new yoke comes with the sleeve/dust shield installed or if a replacement yoke comes with the vibration dampner ring. I've seen prices of around $144 for this item- may/may not be high for an entire assembly. They don't carry one, so I'd have to pay/order it before seeing it! Bad thing is that the dealership's parts diagrams show only a yoke without any sleeve or vibration ring! So, what will I get if I later have to order something like this from the dealership? Or, is there another reputable source for this item?

[DmaxMaverick]

The Speedi-Sleeve solution should be no less permanent than replacing with OEM parts. If the problem was the sealing surface, you should be done with it.

At $144, I suspect you'd only get the yoke, and perhaps the sleeve. The damper is that much by itself, and the cost is similar to other yokes that don't have the damper (dealership prices). You may be able to deal with AAM directly, but I haven't tried. GM doesn't build the axles, and they may have an interest in quality.