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When re-installing the rear axle the manuals make a point of saying to make sure the drain hole in the shims and the bearing retainer are at the bottom, matching the hole in the rear axle flange.

What is the drain hole for? I don't see a corresponding hole in the brake baking plate and seals nor in the gaskets that go on either side of the brake backing plate have any corresponding holes.

thanks

If your backing plate lacks the hole then it is not the stock back plate. The purpose of the drain hole is to route gear oil that may seep through the bearing into the collector in outboard of the back plate and then down and back inboard thru that drain hole and out the axle housing flange and then it drips down the inboard side of the plate, tire to the ground.

Yes, one of those designed-in oil leak points!

My mistake, after Wes's comment about the brake backing plate I went and looked at it again. Turns out I didn't get all the masking tape off it after I repainted it. Pulled off the camo tape and found a hole. But I still would have had the same question.
Skyjeep50, I think you described it best. A designed in oil leak point.

I appreciate the info.

It was the camo tape that did you in!