CV Joints - leaking grease...

The grease will leak for two reasons, overpacking (rarely) and a crook inner axle seal (the one approximately uner the shock mount) which allows the diff oil to seep into the knuckle which in turn dilutes the moly grease which then leaks past the seals which are designed to retain grease not oil.
In over twenty years of servicing my own cruisers I've never had to replace the knuckle wiper seals. I also never greased the knuckles unless fully dissasembling them.

Remember to check that your diff breather is working properly, otherwise a blocked breather can cause the oil to be forced past the inner axle seals.
Twigiee

You can't overpack the CV joint itself - it is supposed to be full of grease. What DH most likely did is to stuff up the inner seal as that is what lets the diff oil back out and eventually it dribbles out the bottom. Sounds like he really buggered it if it started leaking so soon. He will now need to repack the lot because the diff oil will have affected the grease in the CV and inner bearings. Outers should be OK.
Tell him to be really careful with those inner seals - must be knocked in straight.
Cheers from the Moose

Yes it is possible to overpack, the maintenance manual says 3/4 full of grease is heaps. There needs to be some room for expansion in there...now, after initial repack, it is common for some grease to escape the seals, but that usually only occurs in the first 1000 kms..dont know if it would continue with an overpacked hub...but im guessing it would for longer...
HOWEVER...this hub is a sealed unit....so if grease is constantly coming out.....my guess is that the inner axle seal is leaking....oil in, grease out....if this is the case, you are well advised to regrease sooner than later...as the oil washes out the grease from the c/v and wear starts straight away.
The idea of the blocked breather is worth following...on the end of the breather hose is a valve....remove the valve and bin....this valve is the cause of water getting into diff oil when submerged. Extand the hose up to under bonnet, in the area of one of the bonnet hinges and fit an old petrol filter on the end to filter air movement....that is the best way to set up a diff breather...quite easy to just run a new hose and attatch to diff, leaving old where it is if that way inclined..
Now...there are a few things to consider....is there anything else that has happened around that time?? Did DH change swivel bearings too or just axle?? Has cruiser been hard to steer on the road at all??? Im prompting you because grease loss can also be work swivel bearings, or maybe truckalign have put a caster kit in, which doesnt help to seal in the grease...or maybe the diff is bent...in which case it wouldnt steer too well..all worth mentioning...but dont start worrying yet...they are only asked to get more info for a better idea.

Hi there Outa Bounds,

If ther is no oil leak from the inner axle seal and there is only moly grease coming out onto the knuckle ball, then the inner axle seal is OK.

However, one can tighten the clamps that holds the felt packer and rubber seal too much as the felt is meant to expand with minor grease leakage initially.

Or the rubber seal was put on backwards, that is, the V (how do I say V lugg technically) that is on the seal should have been placed against the felt packer. This serves as a barrier for grease leakage.

My 80 series had the V on the wrong side for one knuckle - I could tell that two mechanics(?) worked on it before I purchased it by the difference in workmanship for the entire job.

I hope that this helps.

Sean

Hey Outa Bounds

I thinck the question that should be asked is, Is the leaking grease coming from the back of the swivel hub or the outer hub and axle.

If the grease is leaking onto the wheel from the out side hub it may only mean a axle gasket, if its coming from the rear of the swivel hub, then it's a pull apart and do it again job.

Cheers Steve.

Thanks all great advice here, I'm passing it all on that's for sure.

He did say that he had some trouble with getting one in (either seal or bearings or both). He plans on doing it all again anyway so wil see if anything is damaged and not pack as much in this time.