Light brown fluid leaking from the axle?

[cowie165]

Hi guys, I'd love to hear any thoughts:

I jacked the car this arvo and during a claustrophobic inspection, I noticed a lot of light brown fluid all over the FR suspension components. The stuff had the consistency of watery mud and the same colour as peanut butter.

It was all over the castor rod, the control arms, and just about everything else down there, but not on the shock. The axle boot has split and it looks like more of the fluid is in there and may have leaked out and splattered back all over the place.

Does anyone have any ideas on what this could be? Is it just axle lube/grease? Could it indicate a pending failure? If I tidy it up and replace the boot, should I be right?

Thanks guys

Mark

[predator]

sounds like steering rack is starting to leak.. it will probably be power steering fluid, mixed with a bit of grease.

Probably built up in the boot, then the boot split, and it splattered over the place - like you say actually

You could clean it all up, but you will probably notice it again in a few short weeks if it's really bad.

You'll probably need the steering rack reconditioned, or replaced.

[Tommyk]

id also say power steering fluid

[cowie165]

Thanks Gordon, thanks Tommyk, I'll do a few searches and see what I see.

Cheers

[NZM.031]

id be more inclined to think it was a cv boot... ur car is a GTR isnt it?? power steering fluid would be no where near these places if it was a rack boot. there would be a long line of oil from the rack boot back on the floorpan...watery mud not like muddy water??? so its fairly thickish.

power steering flud when used is thin as water.... drips very easy and goes very dark brown.

cv boot grease can be all sorts of colours, but when it wears out, its fairly runny, but not like a liquid.

as you drive...it flings the grease all over the place. is it up inside the guard??

cheers

Linton

[cowie165]

Hi Linton, yep it's a GTR. The fluid is pretty thick, I guess it feels like butter that has been out of the fridge for an hour or two.

It has splattered over most of the parts down there, but hasn't made it to the guard or inside the rim.

I'll see if I can bum a digicam from my neighbour, that would speak the proverbial 1000 words.

Mark

[cowie165]

I cleaned it up a fair bit last night, trying to see what may have been the prob.

Thanks again

Mark

edit:

After looking at the workshop manual, I don't think the leak is from the steering rack. It's coming from the boot on the axle, on the gearbox side. Could it just be axle grease spilling out?

[NZM.031]

cant see shit in those pics, but from what i can see, that is your cv boot, which is what i said in the post above

the boots are usually full of brown grease, the rubber hardens over time and then splits with the movement, as the axle turns around it throws grease everywhere.

i could probs give you a hand one weekend to replace the boot if you really need me to.

if you dont get it fixed soon the grease will dissapear and water and dirt will get in there and destroy the cv joint.

cheers

Linton

[Baz]

Differential Fluid..... It is really thick, brown in colour and has a very distinct smell. Take off your diff filler cap and have a look to see if it is similar to what is leaking.

[predator]

yeah, if it really stinks and has a metallic odor.. its probably diff oil..

power steering fluid doesn't smell too much, and also has a thinner consistency.

From the photos, it doesn't look like its coming from the steering rack, rather from above..

[cowie165]

Thanks guys, I'll have it looked at and report back.