I have what I was told is a 3.42 axle out of a 99 Z28. Got it all cleaned up and it has sat for a few weeks and now these plugs?? seem to be weeping oil every where. What are they? Also when I got all the grime off it apears to have been written on by a paint pen, does that mean it was probably a junk yard axle? Any ideas are very much appreciated!







My teaser picture with my 17x11 Zr1, the main reason for swapping axles.

 

it's probably a vent, it probably started leaking because you had the valve point downward, you need to place something supporting the yoke, don't remember if that's what it's called, but that's my theory...

 

Sorry I posted the same picture twice, I added the other one. Although it could still be the vent, it is on both sides.

 

Those are the spot-welds that hold (or fail to hold) the tubes in the pumpkin.

They about ALWAYS leak. Often they crack and allow the tubes to move in the pumpkin, as well.

Now is a good time to take it to a good welding shop and have a better job done on it than the factory's lame "pretend" weld-like activity. Have em straighten the tubes before they lock em in place permanently; they're usually just stuck in at some odd angle and not at all straight, especially if the welds have already cracked. Then paint it all up with some good rust-proof paint such as POR-15, and follow with some reasonable chassis paint like the satin black that alot of other suspension parts are. Or, do what I like to do, and tear it COMPLETELY down to a bare housing, and have it powder-coated. Which of course gives you the opportunity to renew all the bearings and seals.

Hard to say about the pen.

 

Those are plug welds. They almost always leak because they were done very quickly on an assembly line. I think these were done by a machine. The old 12 bolt plug welds were done by hand and most of them were better than this. This method has been used for as long as 3 piece housings have been made. I have a Dana 44 in my shop now from a '55 T Bird that is welded the same way. These welds are nickel, so don't try drilling them out. You will just ruin your drill bit. There is no way of stoping the leaks that I know of. Even if you fully weld the axle tubes these plugs will still leak.

 

Oops, I screwed up. Sorry.