Dark Brown Oil Stain From Front Wheel

I store the jeep inside in a heated garage over the winter. I noticed an oil leak from the inner front right wheel. Other than brake fluid which is clear what other oil source could this be?

 

Could be the inner wheel hub seal. That fluid (gear oil) should be much thicker in consistency than brake fluid. Brake can get brown and dirty over time. My money is on a wheel cylinder. Pull the wheel and brake drum.

 

Yep wheel cylinder. Or knuckles, or wheel bearing grease. 80-90 in the knuckles will look like that but that all is not inside the wheel so far.

Gotta take the drum off and see, i'ld look closely at the hub seal because if the knuckle is filled with oil it will flow into the hubs and leak everywhere.

 

If you think it may be brake fluid, just check the level in your master cylinder to confirm.

From the pattern on the wheel and tire, this didn't happen just in storage, but also while moving.

 

Wipe some of that leaking fluid on a white paper towel. Check the color, and more-so, the smell. Gear oil has a pungent smell.
-Donny

 

Thanks everybody...I will pull the brake drum and investigate further. Does changing a hub seal take any special tools? Is it a big job? I am not mechanic but am quite able with brakes and maintenance stuff.

 

A big socket for the spindle nuts, although a chisel has often been used.

Be sure you understand what kind of nuts and locking washers you have - some have almost invisible locking set screws, others have bendable tabs with a limited number of life cycles. If you have locking hubs, their bolts also may need new locking tab-washers, and the bolts/studs are known as being liable to loosening, wallowing, or stripping.