While trying to find the source of a bad rumble, I recently replaced my front wheel bearings. I could swear the rumble was coming from the front and only later discovered it was the rear diff ! Not wishing to lie on my back in the drive to do the job, I got an indy to fit a new diff.
The car is running OK now but I thought I would check out the rear hubs and brakes which was not part of the indy's job.
I am not entirely happy with what they have done. They fitted a refurbished 2 pin diff without asking me and managed to round some of the bolts holding the hub carrier on.
However, one thing I noticed is that they have used sealant on the joint between the hub carrier and the rear axle. They are machined faces with 6 bolts.
I can't see the point of using sealant as the oil seal keeps the oil in the axle. There is no mention of using sealant in Rave.

There shouldn't be any need for it, as you say, the oil seal keeps the oil in there, but I can't see it doing any harm.

Thanks. I put a thin smear of red hermatite on the faces and bolted it up.
It may be to prevent water ingress when wading or if the hub is sat in water for a length of time. The only other route for water to get in is via the hub splines. The ABS sensor is fully sealed. Maybe the splines should be coated in silicone grease before assembly? I don't think the wheel bearings are fully water proof. There was evidence of rust inside the carrier housing.