Ok,

so I need to replace my axle u-joints and now it seems that he pass side axle seal needs to be changed as well.

Questions:

since i'll be there and the truck has 74k miles, should i do the ball joints as well?

how do you tell if the ball joints are bad or going bad?

should I use an axle saver seal or put a new axle in with factory seal?

what else should i change while i'm there?

Comments/opinions are welcome and apprecatied.

 

You might as well change the ball joints while you have it tore down. Snap On makes a tool to help with the hub removal.($42) It will save you a ton of time.

 

What tool would that be? I used a socket and small extension, put that on 1 of the 4 bolts that hold the hub on and used the power steering method, pushed it right off, no problem.

 

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools...e=snapon-store

 

Power steering push method works great. I would do the ball joints as well because every time you pull inner axle shafts for u-joints or ball joints you risk damaging axle seals, which are a pain to replace. To check BJ's jack front tires a few inches of the ground and put a pry bar or 2x4 under tire and pry up, look for vertical play. Then to check uppers grab tire at 12 and 6 o' clock and pull/push looking for side to side play. A little play is ok, but shouldn't be excessive.

Pretty sure seals must be driven from inside diff. so carrier must be removed. I would make sure its leaking before opening that can of worms. The seals in the AAM are actually a "seal inside a seal" so they grip the axle shaft and rotate inside themselves if that makes sense, and they seem to hold up pretty well...