'60 Ramb. rear axle leak

HI, i've experience this on my 60 Rambler cross country. We pulled the hub and remark there is little loose on the axle( side to side), so we tighten it by pushing the bearing and put a shim . And now everything looks good.

To answer one question: it's hypoid fluid for sure. And I filled the differential up to the fill hole as described.

Anyway: I found a posting on this forum from 2009 under the topic of pulling the hub, since it looks like such a nightmare I'm trying to avoid it. And as it turns out, (I'll link the topic later) it appears that what I need is only an inner seal. One of the posts said that what can be done is to disconnect the brake line and the parking brake cable, then unbolt the backing plate from the axle tube and slide the whole thing out as an assembly. Put in a new seal, slide it all back in and away you go (so to speak).

Pardon my ignorance on rear axle/differential/bearing issues, I've never had to deal with them before. Fronts, sure, rears never. Regardless, all replies are appreciated as always!

I'm not sure you can get the seal out without pulling the hub, but it's worth a try. You have to do all that work to take the axle out anyway. Once out, take it to an automotive machine shop and have them remove the hub and replace the seal. I'd go ahead and replace the outer bearing as well -- it's not much. Wouldn't hurt to do both sides, but the other can be done later. Just make sure and tell them the axle nut needs to be torqued to 250-300 ft/lb. TSM says 250, but 300 won't hurt. 

Rear axle bearings don't have to be packed like front wheel bearings. Won't hurt, but just oiling them up before reassembling should be sufficient. They get a bit of oil from the differential. Spray lithium grease works well, better than oil, and with the little plastic tube you can get it in the bearing with the backing plate on. IIRC the AMC car axles don't have an inner seal, just an outer seal. Jeeps have an inner an outer seal, but I've only replaced seals and bearings on an FSJ with D44 axles. I would think the Jeep AMC 20 would have inner and outer seals as well, since Jeep axles are expected to be under water a good bit (car axles aren't). I don't recall inner seals on the AMC 15 I replaced seals and outer bearings on for my 63 American. I've never replaced an inner seal on a car axle, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

My AMC 15 had a similar leak. I pulled the hub and back plate, replaced the seal and put it back together. Not a drop of leakage or any other problems in about 20,000 miles.