Pinion Seal Replacement at your home or office.

Our certified mechanics come to you · Backed by our 12-month, 12,000-mile warranty · Get a fair and transparent estimate upfront


Pinion Seal Replacement Service

What is the Pinion Seal all about?

In vehicles that have the rear wheels as drive wheels, drive shafts, differentials, and transfer cases are used to transmit power from the engine and transmission to the wheels. In a front-wheel drive setup, CV axles join the transmission directly. However, in rear, all and four-wheel drive setups, that’s not the case. Depending on the make and model you own, you may have a single driveshaft and differential, a front and rear differential (in the case of all-wheel drive) or some other setup.

In these systems, driveshafts are used to transmit movement/power from the transmission to one or more differentials. While they’re all different, they do have a few similarities. Each differential will have a pinion shaft – a short shaft that attaches to the pinion gear inside the differential and terminates in a flange. The pinion shaft attaches to the driveshaft.

Each pinion shaft will have a pinion seal, which is used to ensure that fluid does not leak out of the differential past the pinion shaft. Depending on the setup, you may have a rear pinion shaft, or a front and rear pinion shaft.

Keep in mind:

  • The rubber pinion seal will wear and eventually need to be replaced.
  • Pinion leaks should be inspected at each service interval.
  • Low fluid in the differential can damage gears.

How it's done:

  • The vehicle is lifted and supported on jack stands and the drive shaft is removed
  • The defective pinion seal is removed
  • The new pinion seal is installed
  • The drive shaft is installed and the vehicle is removed from jack stands
  • The vehicle is started and checked for steering operation

Our recommendation:

Whether you have a four-wheel, rear-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle, it’s vital that you keep your differential in good working order, and that means maintaining the right fluid level. As the fluid level drops, gears wear and friction increases. We highly recommend having any pinion leaks inspected by our expert mechanics as soon as possible.

What common symptoms indicate you may need to replace the Pinion Seal?

  • Fluid leaking at the pinion shaft
  • Low fluid in the differential
  • Differential whining during operation (a sign of low fluid and/or damage)

How important is this service?

Without an operational differential, your vehicle can’t be driven; therefore, it’s vital that you maintain the right fluid level. Any leak can quickly drop the fluid to unsafe levels, and serious pinion leaks can cause problems very quickly. Have your vehicle serviced by our expert mechanics, who will keep an eye on your entire vehicle during regular maintenance and diagnose any differential fluid leaks.

Fast and easy Pinion Seal Replacement service at your home or office.


Recent Pinion Seal Replacement reviews

Excellent Rating

(31)

Rating Summary
28
2
0
0
1
28
2
0
0
1

Torrieanto

13 years of experience
632 reviews
Torrieanto
13 years of experience
Ford F-150 V8-5.4L - Pinion Seal Replacement (Rear) - Palm Harbor, Florida
Trey was right on time. Trey was very knowledgeable and I can believe all claims in his profile credentials are true. He completed the job with no issues at all. Hope to retain his talent in the future.

Jim

22 years of experience
31 reviews
Jim
22 years of experience
Ford Explorer V6-4.0L - Pinion Seal Replacement (Rear) - Saint Paul, Minnesota
Not only is Jim an extremely knowledgeable, experienced and skilled technician, he is also a man of great character. He was very honest about the prognosis of the repair we needed. Although it was a risk, we decided to take a chance and have Jim replace the worn pinion seal. He worked quickly and made the repair with 100% success - we are thrilled! We didn't know what to expect with this type of service, but we're glad we gave it a shot. It was a pleasure to meet Jim - he's a very professional and considerate person. We'll definitely recommend this service and this technician to friends.

Shaun

31 years of experience
38 reviews
Shaun
31 years of experience
Ford F-150 V8-5.4L - Pinion Seal Replacement (Rear) - Daytona Beach, Florida
Shaun was extremely conscientious and took the time to explain the repair in detail. He was very professional and carefully addressed my vehicles concern. Shaun completed the repair in a timely fashion and took the time to insure that the work area was left in meticulous condition. I would definitely utilize his services in the future. Nice guy and great mechanic!

Sam

16 years of experience
123 reviews
Sam
16 years of experience
Nissan Armada V8-5.6L - Pinion Seal Replacement (Front) - Edmond, Oklahoma
Top notch. Polite. Personable. Done earlier than estimated. Checked over entire vehicle. Would use again.

Recent articles & questions

2012 Ford Mustang vs. 2012 Dodge Charger: Which One Should I Buy?
Technically these two vehicles have wildly different classifications: compact for the Ford Mustang and large car for the Dodge Charger. However, who would consider either one anything other than a muscle car? These cars are meant for speed, fun, and...
How to Get Smog Technician Certified in Indiana
Automotive technician jobs include smog certified emissions inspectors. In Indiana, you can be hired by CACC to perform smog inspections.
How to Replace a Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor
Signs of a faulty manifold absolute pressure sensor include excessive fuel use and lack of power with your car. You may also fail an emissions test.

Sloshing noise on startup

The first thing to do is check your coolant (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-often-do-i-need-to-top-off-my-coolant) and see if you're low on fluid. When you are low on coolant, air bubbles are created and these air bubbles will slosh through the dash because the heater core...

My automatic 2009 Jeep Wrangler shows 4 codes: P0562, P0306, C00377 & B2100.

Hi there, thanks for writing in. I would suggest replacing the battery first. A battery at 10V usually means one of the cells has failed. The P0306 code (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/p0306-obd-ii-trouble-code-cylinder-6-misfire-detected-by-jay-safford) points out a misfire on cylinder 6. Since it is only...

No start anti-theft light blinks a code 1-6

Your anti-theft light is blinking due to the theft system is activated and will not allow the vehicle to start. The code 16 is not something that is used by mechanics in the field but was used by engineers in...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com