My rear end started leaking the other day so I guess it is time to do rear seals and replace the brakes while I am at it. I just want to do "everything" at once while I am back there and don't want to miss anything. What should I be looking at besides just the seals, pads, and drums? I hate trying to put something back together with some rusty part that I didn't know I needed or had to be purchased separately.

If you want to do it "all", then you should get a spring kit, and new wheel cylinders. Also get the drums turned at your local brake or machine shop. Get a bottle of brake lube to lube the contact points and your star adjuster. A good brake tool kit will make the job a LOT easier. Something like this

Don't forget you'll have to bleed your brakes if you replace the wheel cylinders. Best way to do it is with a friend, but if your alone, get a glass bottle, and some tubing that fits over your bleeder screw tightly, fill the bottom of the bottle with brake fluid, submerge the end of the tube in the brake fluid, hook the other end to the bleeder, crack the bleeder valve open, and pump the brakes until the bubbles go away.


How does the 3rd member to axle housing seal look? If its leaking, nows the time to replace that too. You can use a paper seal, or RTV silicone, or both.


Drain and fill the diff with some good gear oil.


Flush the brake fluid while your at it as well.

Inspect your rear wheel bearings too. Look for play and listen/feel for scratchy noises.

The third isn't leaking but the pionion seal is starting go. Is that as PITA to fix? I was planning on a lube change while I was at it anyway.

i just replaced my buddys and my rear wheel bearings,i bought a press a few weeks back at harbor freight for $99.99, makes it a lot easier. if you dont have a press you can try thr bang on the ground technique and hope it will but off, make sure you pull the retainer clip. to press it on you can try a pipe over the axle and a bfh, its a beotch but can be done in a pinch.

i also made a tool to hold the axle in the press that bolts to the backing plate from an old 2wd axle tube. i welded 1.5 inch square tube to it so it will fit through the press apron and then slid rotate it 90deg a few pumps and viola naked axle. some shops will do it for you for a decent price after one told me $35 to press each one off and $12 to press them on each axle i said to heck with that and bought my own. now if i can get one of those suckers to pay that much id have a free press less the 30 min labor.

If you've done a lot of mud/water crossings, then repacking those bearings is a MUST.
Also, inspect your diff breather; you might want to do THIS

and read THIS

Pinion seal isn't bad, just make sure you mark your D/L before you take it apart, so you can reattach it in-phase.

It has seen a few. The diff breather was done years ago.