Catching an axle seal prior to it leaking

[GoldWingrGreg]

Year: 2006 GL1800 with a Champion solid axle trike kit that was installed in 2007

Current mileage on the ODM: 77,000

This customer is in for a rear trike service, and an axle seal "seep" was spotted. Below shows the difference between a "weep" and a "seep." Keep in mind that many seals weep. A weep can start on day 1, or even years later. As a seal wears, a weep turns into a seep, and eventually the seep turns into a leak. If one spots a weep, of course it worth a closer inspection, but weeps can occur for a very long time and over many miles. Usually, weeps do not justify repair. But a seep is something to be concerned about and usually warrants immediate repair.

Here is what the difference is. Weeps usually collect dust in the area, but it is a dry dust, or dust with a darker shade then other dust that is near. It is not damp. However, once a seal wears to the point of seeping, the mileage between a seep and a leak can be short. Seeps have dampness to them. Notice the wetness in the bottom picture.

Once a seep starts to leak, drops of fluid are seen.

The top pictures is the right side, the bottom is the left side.

This customer is fortunate that his seep was spotted. Most GW riders want unprecedented reliability, and having such a repair done in the middle-of-no-where usually sucks.

[fastfreddy2015]

Thanks for sharing pictures with us. Good info to have.

[lgjhn]

I've had a right side weep for thousands of miles.

I check it pretty frequently and, so far, it has not progressed to anything worse (wet).

My buddy's Motor Trike started leaking today. He has 120,000 on it.

We're now researching how to get the axle out so we can change the seal.

We'll probably change all the seals in the rear given the mileage on it.