8 3/4 axle to axle flange spacing

[at it again]

I have a gooey mess on the drivers side. I believe it to be bearing grease or a combination of grease and oil of the inner seal is leaking. While looking at it it seems like the space between the axle face and the axle flange is larger than is should be, at least compared to some of the pictures I have seen. Everything moves freely, and there is slight endplay on both sides. The center is a 741 pegleg.

If the space is excessive, it leads me to the following possibilities;

1. The outer seal is missing or damaged, but I would think the endplay would be excessive.

2. The bearing cup, bearing, and collar are not fully seated on the axle.

Pictures are before and after wiping the goo away.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Daves69]

Sounds as thought you're pulling an axle!
If it helps, here's an a-body picture (lower)..............

 

[moparleo]

Just remove the 4 retainer nuts and pull the axle out. It looks like you will need to replace the seal as a minimum. Also as the Daves69 photo shows, the bearing will need to be pressed off and replaced a s well. If you got any of the grease on the shoes, you will need to replace the brake shoes as well. Do them in sets of both wheels. Never one side.