Not really a question (yet...), just need to rant for a minute.

My inspection sticker expired at the end of September, which came up a little quick on me (I do have a 30 day grace period on that, but I don't like being illegal). I've got a minor brake issue that it will fail for, and I can't fix, so I figured I'd find a shop I trust and have them fix and inspect it. (Remarkably, I have four legal tires, the front end is tight, and everything else works fine, too.)

Yesterday, one of my buddies noticed that the rear end is leaking a bit, right in the center. As best I can tell, it's leaking out the gasket around the cover, but I can't really figure why it would be leaking now- I had that cover off last November, which would seem past when original problems would show themselves but too soon for it to be getting old. Gotta yank the spare tire to get room to see anything, though, and I didn't have time for that yesterday.

Anyway, I need to drive the thing about 650 miles this weekend (maybe more, depending on what I do once I get home) and it's looking like I'm gonna be running illegal since I don't have time this week to even take it somewhere, nor do I have the time (or desire) to pop the cover off that axle in the parking lot. The rear end should be fine if I top it up and check it occasionally, it's not leaking that badly.

Just one of those weeks, though...

Axle leak fixed, I think.

All the bolts on the cover were about 1/4 turn loose.

I know I tightened 'em down when I put it on last time (last November), and I also know I checked them all shortly thereafter.

Serves me right for not checking it again, I guess, and goes to show why you should always pay close attention to what your truck is doing. Oil didn't get anywhere near low enough to do any damage, but if I hadn't picked up on it for another month, I mighta wrecked the thing.

Good work