Film of oil on both front wheel wells. Are my front shocks hosed?

Today after I got home, I took a look at my truck and noticed something weird.

Driver's side wheel well was ENTIRELY covered in this film of oil. It was very thin. Not like motor oil.

Parts of the frame were completely covered too.

The top of the shock perch looks very wet with this stuff.

So, I checked the passenger side wheel well and it too has the same oil film all over the wheel well and shock perch and frame.

The truck has been riding fine.

I am thinking my front shocks are defective and spraying oil all over the wheel wells.

I just had my truck washed and waxed this weekend but they would have had to SPRAY tire dressing all over the place to make it look like this and I watched them the entire time.

Any ideas?

Today after I got home, I took a look at my truck and noticed something weird.

Driver's side wheel well was ENTIRELY covered in this film of oil. It was very thin. Not like motor oil.

Parts of the frame were completely covered too.

The top of the shock perch looks very wet with this stuff.

So, I checked the passenger side wheel well and it too has the same oil film all over the wheel well and shock perch and frame.

The truck has been riding fine.

I am thinking my front shocks are defective and spraying oil all over the wheel wells.

I just had my truck washed and waxed this weekend but they would have had to SPRAY tire dressing all over the place to make it look like this and I watched them the entire time.

Any ideas?

I just went out and took some pics.

Whatever this stuff is, it's definitely oil of some sort.

It's colorless and odorless and it's all over both front wheel wells, the frame near the wheel wells and all shock hardware on both sides.

The consistency on both sides looks a lot like the shock oil I used for my RC cars and motorcycles.

EDIT:

I checked my brake fluid and power steering fluid and the levels are fine.

I just went out and took some pics.

Whatever this stuff is, it's definitely oil of some sort.

It's colorless and odorless and it's all over both front wheel wells, the frame near the wheel wells and all shock hardware on both sides.

The consistency on both sides looks a lot like the shock oil I used for my RC cars and motorcycles.

EDIT:

I checked my brake fluid and power steering fluid and the levels are fine.

Strange that both sides would fail at the same time... that usually doesn't happen.

My guess is that something at the ddetailer (not a typo... dd on purpose :mrgreen might have distracted you long enough or somehow someone sprayed down the wheelwells with some "make it look purty" stuff when you weren't looking.

If the shocks were leaking that bad, I'd expect you'd see drips and puddles running down the shock bodies... just a guess though.

Strange that both sides would fail at the same time... that usually doesn't happen.

My guess is that something at the ddetailer (not a typo... dd on purpose :mrgreen might have distracted you long enough or somehow someone sprayed down the wheelwells with some "make it look purty" stuff when you weren't looking.

If the shocks were leaking that bad, I'd expect you'd see drips and puddles running down the shock bodies... just a guess though.

MarkT said:

Strange that both sides would fail at the same time... that usually doesn't happen.

My guess is that something at the ddetailer (not a typo... dd on purpose :mrgreen might have distracted you long enough or somehow someone sprayed down the wheelwells with some "make it look purty" stuff when you weren't looking.

If the shocks were leaking that bad, I'd expect you'd see drips and puddles running down the shock bodies... just a guess though.

Click to expand...

Yeah I am not seeing that but there is a drip puddle (now semi dried) under my truck right where the front wheels are on my driveway.

I also noticed before the car got washed that the driver's side CV boot was wet with some kind of liquid. I didn't think too much of it at the time because it wasn't soaked but now looking at both sides there is definitely some sort of lubrication material all over both wheel wells.

I'll post some pics in a couple minutes.

FYI, thanks for the reply.

MarkT said:

Strange that both sides would fail at the same time... that usually doesn't happen.

My guess is that something at the ddetailer (not a typo... dd on purpose :mrgreen might have distracted you long enough or somehow someone sprayed down the wheelwells with some "make it look purty" stuff when you weren't looking.

If the shocks were leaking that bad, I'd expect you'd see drips and puddles running down the shock bodies... just a guess though.

Click to expand...

Yeah I am not seeing that but there is a drip puddle (now semi dried) under my truck right where the front wheels are on my driveway.

I also noticed before the car got washed that the driver's side CV boot was wet with some kind of liquid. I didn't think too much of it at the time because it wasn't soaked but now looking at both sides there is definitely some sort of lubrication material all over both wheel wells.

I'll post some pics in a couple minutes.

FYI, thanks for the reply.

FWIW my first reaction was it's something to do with the car wash/detailer. I've seen that tire protectant stuff go all over and the fact that it's on both of your fronts (at the same time as Mark said) is rather suspect.

You probably already did this but check your back wheels/wheel wells too.

FWIW my first reaction was it's something to do with the car wash/detailer. I've seen that tire protectant stuff go all over and the fact that it's on both of your fronts (at the same time as Mark said) is rather suspect.

You probably already did this but check your back wheels/wheel wells too.