Leaking Rear End on 2001 F-150

Replace the pinion seal.

If its still under the 3/36 warranty its a free fix from Ford. Mine did it at 17,000 miles and they fixed it and its still sealed and no more leaks. Its a minor cost for the seal if your not under warranty still

Is this more than a average do-it-yourself project?

Pay someone knows what they are doing that won't screw up the preload and burn up you axle. Seal is less than $20. On my F250 SuperDuty (different axle but same process) I paid F@rd $70 labor to do it. Well worth it if it leaks again. Some will want to also replace the crush sleeve...I am not getting into that argument.

Octo, I was referring to the seal being a minor cost but that was it. I`ve never put one in myself and as bomar said its probably a good idea to let someone do it. Sorry for the mis-leading reply.....Its probably more involved than you want to get into without really knowing what you are doing.

leaks.

The actual process is simple, 4 driveshaft u joint bolts and the pinion yoke bolt. The seal pops out easily. The part that is difficult for a DIY type is the torque on the pinion yoke nut. The correct way is to remove the existing crush sleeve, install new sleeve, install seal, remove rear tire and back off the brake calipers and set the preload to a given value. That said I have done several for myself where I left the crush sleeve alone and carefully counted turns on the pinion nut. I also know many shops do it this way with no fear. If it were an old beater vehicle I had I would do it myself again. On something I plan on driving all over creation for years to come I would not -I would let F@rd or a competent shop do it and have (hopefully) a little more peace of mind.

Thanks for all your responses, I guess I'll be letting someone else handle this one. Its too bad this truck is starting to nickle and dime me.