diff breathers -- extending

[Apexdisco]

I need to extend my axle, diff, etc breathers. What size tubing do I need and how much should I buy?

I'm thinking Home depot or Lowe's should have it. Also, I've heard that some people drill a small hole in the underbody and run the tubing up in there. Good idea or is there another way to get this done? And do I drill multiple holes or should I group all the tubing together and run it up to one spot?

These are the breathers that I can think of:

front and rear axles
front and rear differentials
transfer case

Are there any others?

 

[Jaime]

The axles and diffs share the same breather, so you only need one per axle. The front axle, trans/case breathers terminate high up behind the engine. Thats what those stiff little black hoses that are bent down are. So unless you are doing some really deep water crossings, I think those are fine.

The rear breather terminates under the rear load space, and that one is probably the one that would benefit from being extended.

But before you do that, I would suggest you make sure that the breathers are not clogged. If the breathers are clogged, the only way the air pressure is equalized in the axle is through the seals, so you can get water ingress.

If you have a clogged breather, and the air inside the axle is hot, it will expand and may push some oil out the seals. When you then do a long water crossing, and the water cools the axle and the air inside contracts, it creates a partial vaccumm and sucks the water in through the seals.

So I would just make sure that the breathers are clear before going through the trouble of extending them.

Jaime