I want to post couple pictures of what may be my front seals. Im not too sure but this does not look right to me. I can move these around as they are just kinda laying in place. Any input is greatly appreciated. When I click on the paper clip which is attachments I get nothing. Am I doing something wrong? Im a member on a Pontiac site with the same exact layout and thats how we post pics.
Thank you,
Bill

 

Wrong click. Click on the yellow box 2nd from the right.

 

Thank you Roadie.

 

Does anyone know if these should be floating like this?

 

Those seals are pressed into the axle tubes and are intended to keep crud out of your axle tubes and thus your differential. The only pain in replacing them is taking apart your locking hubs and pulling each axle shaft out. (If you know what you're doing, it's not that hard.)

Check your differential / gear lube and see if there's any evidence of water getting in. (It'll look like a milkshake if there's an issue.) If there is, it would be time to replace them.

 

If there is water in the diff via the axle tubes, then there are more problems than the outer rubber debris seals. The actual diff seals are much further inside at the pumpkin. Fluid would tend to leak down the axle tube and out the debris seal as well, if the diff seals are going bad.

 

Are those in the pictures supposed to be pressed in or are these not the seals? Wouldn't they be leaking if these were the seals? They are bone dry.
Thank you.

 

Those are not the diff seals. They are only there to keep dirt/debris from getting into the axle tubes. The diff seals are much further inside the axle, towards the diff.

 

Sorry, my bad. Was thinking of something else.

 

So I'm ok with these like this or should they be set in? The way they look to me they are not protecting anything. I can spin them around with my finger.
Thanks for the input guys.

 

For normal street driving you should be ok.

For off-road use, you can get mud/dirt/debris inside the axle tube. A little is no big deal, but if it starts getting further down the axle tube and into the inner seal, it may cause leakage over time.

There really is no way to know for sure if/when that may happen.

 

So should these be replaced so nothing gets in the axle tubes? Another words is this how they come from the factory?
Thank you

 

They definitely don't come from the factory like that.

 

You guys know that this is a F-250, not a F-150?

 

Yes, I replaced them on my '01 F-250 4x4, after one of the inner seals started leaking. Replaced both inner and outer seals. The axle tubes had a lot of dirt inside. The inner seals keep the fluid in the differential, not the outer seals. The outer seals keep debris out of the axle tubes.