this seemed appropriate for tech since it might be a saftey risk.

last night, one of the axles in my basement leaked out onto the floor. no big deal, I just wiped it up with some paper towells. however, everywhere the gear lube touched my hands, I got a chemical burn. does anyone know what, if any, gear lube might do that?

Originally posted by Sundowner
this seemed appropriate for tech since it might be a saftey risk.

last night, one of the axles in my basement leaked out onto the floor. no big deal, I just wiped it up with some paper towells. however, everywhere the gear lube touched my hands, I got a chemical burn. does anyone know what, if any, gear lube might do that?

Chemical burn or an allergic reaction. My friend gets what looks like burns when he is helping me wrench on the truck and he gets anything oil based on him. It is really big welts from the oil, it doesnt agree with him.

Otherwise I dunno...:confused:

Chemical burn or an allergic reaction

I suppose it might be possible, but I've slogged as much lube as anyone over the years, and never had a problem.

perhaps microscopic pieces of metal?

Originally posted by Sundowner


I suppose it might be possible, but I've slogged as much lube as anyone over the years, and never had a problem.

It is very possible that you are just now becoming allergic to the lube. I just became allergic to shellfish a couple of years ago. Thank God for Zyrtec!:D

I think there was battery acid in the axle for some reason. Was it an immediate burn or did it take a few seconds and start slowly?

Limited slip?

I heard if lube sits long enough it gets corrosive? Just hearsay...Thats why it was bad for oil to sit in an engine for too long...

EDIT:
Scratch that, thats because it picked up all the junk from the burning process...

I have never heard of a gear lube being corrosive.
That is the oposite of what they are supposed to do.

Could it be one of the miracle additives sold on TV.
I seem to remember something about chlorine.

K.

I'm willing to buy that acid amy have gotten in some how.
took a fes seconds, and then it started to burn.
I know it's not an alergic thing, becuase the GF grabbed my had to look at it and got a burn on her palm. (she found it today)

very wierd.
I'll have to de-tox the axle

Check the axle innards carefully. If there was enough acid in the gear lube to burn you, there should be noticable corrosion on everything inside the diff.

Originally posted by CoryB
Check the axle innards carefully. If there was enough acid in the gear lube to burn you, there should be noticable corrosion on everything inside the diff.

Good point, but I guess the seals are still in place, though.

Did the seller possibly sabotage the axle?

if he spiked the lube, I'll kill him. ;)

the shafts "looked" fine...