I am trying to determine how big this problem really is. Please choose the category you fit in best.
Have you busted a front diff? Poll
- Thread starter NeilC
- Start date
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There were, I think, 7-front LC 100 front diff failures in the Denver area after the big blizzard there last December 2006/January 2007 including Christo's. These folks may or may not be apart of 'MUD (other than Christo)...but worth noting.
- Thread starter
- #4
I am trying to determine if front the front differential destruction is something that is unavoidable or if it is one of those things that are talked about way more than they actually happen. If someone on this board explodes a diff they post about it. If they go out and cut up with the truck but don't break the diff, they don't post "Hey I didn't break my diff." The weird thing is than on jeeps, lockers usually cause more parts carnage than no lockers. Another cause is tire size. Like a Dana 30 is good for tire smaller than 35 inches. I seem to have picked up on the whole sudden shock theory. It would seem that if people are using the ATRAC then there would not be as many situations where the gears experience sudden severe shock. Sudden severe shock will break just about anything. Ad to the fact that these trucks weigh 5200 lbs w/o all the bumpers, winches, and other weight adding accessories.
rusty_tlc
Dain Bramaged Member
The whole shock load thing came home to me when I broke my anti wrap bar on the 40. It had held up with no sign of weakness all summer including a trip through the Rubicon. Then a few weeks ago I broke it on a small rock ledge after clearing the last obstacle on my second Rubicon trip. I was in to high a gear and the rear end hopped on a rock ledge, when all the inertia from the 36" swampers unloaded onto the axle I heard the AW bar snap. I had just dumped a whole lot of force on the bar in a very short time in the oppisite direction it was designed to take it. The bar will get a few more gussets to prevent future problems. In the mean time but it was a very graphical (and cheap to repair)demonstration of shock load.
rusty_tlc
Dain Bramaged Member
not yet....one day ill take it offroading and attempt to break it.
Your poll doesn't have enough choices. My truck sees moderate off road usage and no failure yet. Also including winter driving on unplowed roads and ice.
Anybody who regeared want to sell me their 4.30 front and rear ring and pinions
Anybody who regeared want to sell me their 4.30 front and rear ring and pinions
macneill
Rollin’ on 33s
Yes. Now I fear of busting it again.
- Thread starter
- #10
The busted diff votes sure jumped up from yesterday. I think that I will still try to get by w/o immediately proactively getting the ARB. I will try to take it easy and not put the truck in situations where it will start hopping. I am not trying to rock crawl or anything. I just want to take the kids in the woods and get muddy. What is the cost difference in a preventive swap and a repair? Also I think someone wrote somewhere what was involved in making it drivable to get home. Can you pull the axles and front drive shaft?
Yes you can pull the drive members and the front drive shaft and drive with the center diff locked. If you don't do that with in the next X feet of moving the truck, then you risk damaging a bunch of other components $$$$$. In addition, if you have to pull the drive members, you expose the hubs to moisture and the elements. Therefore, you should do a hub repack (more $$$$ or time spent). If you break your front diff, and you want to stay with 4.3's, then you will likely have to buy an entire front assembly, not just the 4.3 R&P's.
My 4-pinion front diff went in my cul-de-sac, right in front of my house, in less than a foot of snow. I do not consider it drive error. In addition, It took over a month to get the front ARB part in from Australia.
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i hate these threads 
it seems like most of these happen in snow and with wheel lifts and hard shocking hits, eh? has anyone broken one in mud or lack of traction on dirt?
it seems like most of these happen in snow and with wheel lifts and hard shocking hits, eh? has anyone broken one in mud or lack of traction on dirt?
i hate these threads
it seems like most of these happen in snow and with wheel lifts and hard shocking hits, eh? has anyone broken one in mud or lack of traction on dirt?
Not me. Plenty of opportunities as well.
knocking on wood!
rusty_tlc
Dain Bramaged Member
i hate these threads
it seems like most of these happen in snow and with wheel lifts and hard shocking hits, eh? has anyone broken one in mud or lack of traction on dirt?
Yes. But it was a similar situation. I was driving up a muddy berm, when the front end got light the diff snapped.
rusty_tlc
Dain Bramaged Member
1) remove the front drive shaft.
2) remove the drive flanges from the front hubs. You will need a BFH and a brass drift to do get the cone washers off. You don't need to remove the wheels to do this.
3) lock the center differential.
It took about 15 or 20 minutes with three of us working on it.
If you want to keep crap out of the wheel you might get a spare set of drive flanges and have the splines milled out and carry them around Just in case.
- Thread starter
- #16
How B of a BFH? Will a SFH or a MFH suffice?
rusty_tlc
Dain Bramaged Member
Depends on the Effing cone washers. The 100 washers came out with a SFH, the 40 cone washers took an Extra BFH.
The 100 has been in Nevada all it's life, no corrosion to speak of anywhere. Lord knows where the 40 has been in the last thirty+ years.
It might be a good idea to service the wheel bearings at home before you have a problem.
This will get you familiar with the procedure, and loosen up anything that may be siezed.
- Thread starter
- #18
By servicing, you mean repacking the bearings, right? I read the thread about changing the bearings so I would just skip the part about knocking the races out but I would still need the flange gaskets and possibly the oil seals right? I also still need to remove the caliper I guess. These things really are made like big trucks. Also what grease to use? I used Mobil1 for the drive shafts.
macneill
Rollin’ on 33s
Well, I just got off the phone with Toyota and these fawkers will not cover the front diff or t-case. This after they told me last week they would be doing a good will.
They're position being the truck is 5 months out of warranty.
I am going to take this up with National Center for Dispute Settlement.
They're position being the truck is 5 months out of warranty.
I am going to take this up with National Center for Dispute Settlement.
- Thread starter
- #20
Has the work been done yet? Also did you tell them to do it after they told you they were going to do the good will. If they told you that they were going to do the good will and then decided to change their mind after the work was done then you have a good case of fraud in the inducement. I am not a lawyer though.
