Is there a way to fix a leaky pinion seal without pulling diff apart?

[Willys14jk]

So this may sound a bit silly because I did a full install of gears diff and bearings on my prorock44 but I'm just shy of the 500 mile break in period and my pinion seal is leaking from the seal to housing mating surface. Is there a way to fix this without pulling the whole diff apart? I know the pinion nut seal and crush sleeve needs to be replaced but getting preload without pulling the diff will be damn near impossible. You guys got any tips?

 

[Chris]

Absolutely. The diff / gears do not need to be touched at all when replacing a pinion seal. You simply need to remove the driveshaft and follow the proper procedure of removing the pinion seal.

I've done it plenty of times on my TJ, and it's a pretty quick and easy job!

 

[BLACKJKU]

What he said, probably one of the easiest seals to replace. Also make sure your axle vent hose isn't plugged it will make the seal leak if it is.

 

[Willys14jk]

So I understand how to reinstall the seal but how do you verify correct pinion preload?