HELP! axle issue

[JeepNaked]

Rear Dana 44.

Alright. So i bought my TJ sport with about 40k on it. Now im no angel when it comes to vehicles. I drive them hard. Really hard.
A little after i bought it the rear end started clunking every now and again when i would take off at stops if the wheel was turned. Anyway, i recently replaced my rear carrier due to afore mentioned problem (spiders were SHREDDED) myself and in the process of re installing the driver side shaft i somehow messed up the seal placement and it fried. So i replaced that, along with the bearing (professionally pressed on) and re installed the shaft with new (master pro) bearing, seal and retainer ring. The new bearing had the outer race as part of the whole bearing assembly. So i had to tap in the axle with the new bearing. Well that was about a month ago and the new bearing shredded out of nowhere last night with no prior warning. No leak from the seal. Any thoughts? Was it bearing failure? Shop pressed it on wrong? I installed it wrong? Any questions i failed to already answer, please ask. Im goin at it again later tonight, so any help is much apreciated. Thanks!

 

[Stalefishsk8er]

The shop might've pressed on with too much pressure but the bearing might've failed on itself or was the wrong bearing for the axle

 

[JeepNaked]

Im not 100% is was the right one, but i stressed it over and over when i bought it from the auto store. From what they had said, and the shop guy said, it was the correct one. It worked great until last night. If it were me in this scenario, how might i have installed it wrong?

 

[JeepNaked]

So got a timkin bearing and american made parts and replaced it last night. We will see how it fares.

 

[JeepNaked]

Soooooo its leaking. Darnit! Same side. Bearing is fine at the moment. Is there an inner seal on the dana 44 in my 06 tj? I was 100% sure there wasnt. Im going to pull the axle after work today, and check to see for abnormal wear. This is the 2nd set ive installed. Im thinking maybe the retainer plate is bent? Would that cause a malfunction like that? This is reallllly torqin my gears the wrong way. Anybody with any knowledge? Tips hints tricks? This is a drain on my patience, time and recources. Id say pocket but its a jeep lol.

 

[superj]

no idea man. maybe have a shop check it all over for you? all i know is i would be ****ed off after doing all you have done and its messed up again.

 

[JeepNaked]

Yup. Thats my thought as well. My dad knows a good mech. Runs his own shop out of his house. Ill probably talk to him. I havnt pulled it yet. Heard a little black sealer around the seal could help. Im going to try that tonight if its not completely shot.

Trying some sea foam out tonight as well. Got a valve tick cold starting. Heard good things.

 

[JeepNaked]

little late on the posting of what i found.......... but it seems when i pulled the axle again, the retainer plate was a little warped, had some wear marks where the nuts contact the plate... not a good sign really. So i torqued em back down, the bearing and seal were good to go. No leaking as of yet and wheeled pretty hard over the weekend. So far so good. Im ordering a bearing, seal and retainer set along with the retainer plate for when it does bite it. Ill keep a close eye on it so it doesnt happen on the trail. RTF, then fix it. Thought id share!