I have recently noticed what looks like a leak in my rear hub. Is this typical of the hub? I have attached pictures.

 

It's not attracting dirt like what I would expect grease to do. I haven't heard of the hubs leaking at all.

Have you checked the back-side of the drum itself to see if it is wet? You might have a leaking wheel cylinder. Check your brake fluid level as well.

 

Yep, I would expect that to be brake fluid.

 

Hubs are not built in a way that they would leak like that. DO NOT drive the car farther than the nearest brake shop, and fill the brake fluid reservoir first.

 

That thing must be like full of brake fluid or some lol

 

That's not too likely thankfully - it leaks out the bottom of the drum, at the back where it is actually open to drip on the ground. But the insides of the drum can get coated, and it can leak over the hub inside the drum, and then seep out at the point where the hub sticks through the drum.

 

Or, it may not be a leaking wheel cylinder but somebody lubed the outside of the center hub after finding that rim was stuck/rusted to the hub. A little excess grease, spray lube or whatever was used and it is just seeping out.

I'm making this guess from 2 things.
1. The abundance of rust visible in the pictures.
2. I read his previous thread about "rim" problems.

 

I thins FMG has a point, I don’t believe that to be brake fluid , but lube to get the rim off or the brake drum

 

You may well be onto something FiremanGeorge. I didn't pick up on the other posts about wheels, since he didn't bring it up himself in this thread.

What surprises me time and time again with something like this, is why the person just doesn't take the wheel off themselves and check it out.

 

It's a weird habit of mine to check out someones previous posts. Gives me a little history/info/insight about their car and issues that came up before.