Rear Axle Breather?

[Robe]

On the top of rear axle housing, on the passenger side, there is a flexible tube leading up into the body.

I never noticed it before. What is it?

When I took of the rear wheel I spotted this tube for the first time and saw that it had snapped.

Figuring that Ford had a reason for putting it there I sleeved the break with a larger diameter tube; sealing it with silicone.

My guess is that is some kind of breather. There was an accumulation of greasy dirt stuck around that part of the axle housing.

It might have only just parted when I jacked up the wagon or it might have been open for a while. Is this likely to have caused a problem? Should I be following up?

Thanks

[bodes-sh]

it will only have caused a problem if you have driven underwater lol...on a serious note, unless the axle has been submerged i'd say you'll be fine, and yes it is a breather. it's there to let the air out as the diff heats up, they also suck a lot of water in especially in 4x4's when they do high speed driving and then go thru river crossings

[Chamelion]

Mine had snapped and I had found traces of water in the diff oil. Two changes later and it's all good though.

[Jastel]

They are common to snap and or pull out, they should be tucked into a hole in the underside of the car just to keep them out of the dirt/water
Just replace with some new hose