Rear Differential (Axle) Seal Replacement ('03 Vibe)

Technical info on the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix including do-it-yourself info
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th3fr4nchi5e
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Rear Differential (Axle) Seal Replacement ('03 Vibe)

Post by th3fr4nchi5e »

Couldn't find a write-up for this but it was certainly not an overwhelming job for someone who is not afraid to give it a try. I used one of my dads lifts (He owns a collision/ mechanical repair shop) but I think it you had a floor jack and multiple jack stands, you could pull it off with only a little bit of discomfort.

My Vibe has been leaking fluid from the rear diff since I aquired it about 3 years/ 35k miles ago. I had just been topping it off every oil change until I got the chance to replace the seals. It was clearly visible on my car that the fluid was escaping through the seals where the axles slide into the differential. Mine was leaking on both sides.

The seals were <$10/each through our local Toyota dealer. Our GM (Pontiac) dealer wanted almost $30 a piece! :? Something to keep in mind!

I didn't think to take pictures but I think just knowing what you will need to do is enough to convince yourself that you should do it yourself.

Most importantly for people in areas where they salt the roads, I would spray some type of penetrating oil on all of the bolts about a day ahead of time to help everything come apart.

Once you have the wheel removed, you're going to want to prepare some room for the knuckle and bearing assemblies to move. I unbolted lower end of the stabilizer bar link, removed the shims that lock the brake lines and hoses still (be careful when messing with the break lines so you dont damage them) and bent the tabs back on the bracket that holds the wires going to the ABS sensor so I could free the wire from the bracket. These things gave me more than enough room.

Next, I removed the Axle nut with a 30mm 12 point socket. (I used an impact gun but be prepared to use a good breaker bar if you do not have access to one. With that removed, I removed the nut and bolt that hold the upper control arm to the knuckle. Again, I used an impact gun to remove the nut and then tapped to bolt out with a thin screwdriver. Had to tap it in and out a few times but eventually worked it out. When the bolt is removed, the strut/spring assembly wants to help the knuckle assembly downward. Mine needed to be tapped free with a hammer but just a heads up incase you're laying under the car when you free it up. you are going to need to flex the knuckle assembly downward as far as possible and you should be able to work the axle out pretty easily. Lastly, you will need a thin prybar to work the other end of the axle out of the diff. It was easy to pry out on the drivers side. The differential case is in a perfect spot to pry against. The passengers side, I needed to pull on it while my dad tapped the prybar with a hammer. I Cleaned up the axles real well with break cleaner while they were out. At this point you can use a small flat screwdriver to get the old seal(s) out. Make sure you put some oil on the mating surfaces of the seals before you reinstall them!

All thats left is those steps in reverse order. I cleaned up all my hardware with a wire wheel and it helped everything go back together smoothly. The most difficult part of putting everything back together is getting the bolt back through the upper control arm. I lowered the car onto a stand to push up on the lower control arm. I got it withing a couple inches and pulled the upper control arm down to the knuckle. I had to use a hammer to tap them back together. It is easiest if you have someone helping, tapping them inline with eachother while the bolt is pushed or tapped in by the other person.

I assume you could also do it by taking out the bolts going into the lower control arm, but I didn't want to mess with the alignment!

Hope this helps someone and saves some money as well. It cost me $14 total for parts and an hour or 2 depending on how many difficulties you run into. I would imagine with 2 people, I could do both sides in under an hour if I had to do it again. Most of the time was just figuring out what was needed to create enough room to get the axle out of the knuckle. Good luck!

Dave
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Chiadog
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Re: Rear Differential (Axle) Seal Replacement ('03 Vibe)

Post by Chiadog »

Very useful information! Thanks for sharing this.
sibanez
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Re: Rear Differential (Axle) Seal Replacement ('03 Vibe)

Post by sibanez »

Just wanted to say, these instructions are perfect and allowed me to quickly change the axle seals in my daughter's Matrix. Two things I'll add:
- You really need a second person to hold the pry bar as you release the axle from the hub. You'll need both hands to wiggle the CV out.
- Point the end of the CV axle UP when pulling it from the hub (the side that the axle bolt goes onto). You'll need to bend it on the joint a full 90 degrees, plus some, to release it. Feels scary, but is totally fine.
zbyers
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Re: Rear Differential (Axle) Seal Replacement ('03 Vibe)

Post by zbyers »

sibanez wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2020 6:49 am Just wanted to say, these instructions are perfect and allowed me to quickly change the axle seals in my daughter's Matrix. Two things I'll add:
- You really need a second person to hold the pry bar as you release the axle from the hub. You'll need both hands to wiggle the CV out.
- Point the end of the CV axle UP when pulling it from the hub (the side that the axle bolt goes onto). You'll need to bend it on the joint a full 90 degrees, plus some, to release it. Feels scary, but is totally fine.
Glad to hear this post was helpful for you 6 years later! It's nice seeing someone join to leave great feedback. Please stay around and post some pics of your ride in a separate thread. :D
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picklescantbewrong
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Re: Rear Differential (Axle) Seal Replacement ('03 Vibe)

Post by picklescantbewrong »

The GM part no. for the seal is 19205350 and it cost less than $10. I couldn't find it at any aftermarket auto part store I checked. I had to go to the dealer to get it.

The Toyota part no. is 90311-42046 but it was thicker and I wasn't sure if it would fit so I didn't go that route.

Other tips when removing the old axle:

1. I had to cut a small slot in the bracket that held on the brake line to the inner fender well to get it loose. The clip afterward still worked to retain. Not sure why Toyota / GM doesn't do this in the factory.
2. I removed the bracket that held the park brake cable to provide more room for the knuckle to bend forward.
3. I removed a small section of the dust shield on the back of the hub where the axle goes through to make it possible to remove the axle from the hub. I couldn't quite bend the axle at 90 degrees like the previous poster.

REALLY appreciated this post. I was all worried that I would have to remove the bottom bolts that hold the knuckle to the car and mess up the alignment or break the bolt in the bushing.
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joatmon
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Re: Rear Differential (Axle) Seal Replacement ('03 Vibe)

Post by joatmon »

That's a non-trivial job, congrats, and welcome to genvibe
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