Front diff out - options/advice (1 Viewer)

[OregonB]

Front diff on my '05 LX...dang! I am not qualified to do the work, have a local (not chain) transmission guy looking at shortly, and trying to do my homework.
-Anyone have experience to share on OEM "good" (used) such as from Nitro-Gear?
-Would you replace rear diff at same time?
-Other: Change the gear ratios? Lockers? I don't do rocks/expeditions/water crossings or that, but this vehicle does a month a year on fairly rough roads.
So used to the reliability of this rig, is 185K front diff failure unusual? I did the diff fluids about 18 mos ago, everything was OK.
Thanks guys

 

[AlpineAccess]

It's unusual on the newer models. How did it fail? What are the circumstances and what mods do you have?

Personally, I'd search for an OEM unit to pull and swap in. Plenty of cruisers getting totalled out these days with quality drivetrains.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

More than once someone here's said their diff was blown and it ended up being the c-clip on the CV.

 

[AlpineAccess]

More than once someone here's said their diff was blown and it ended up being the c-clip on the CV.

And/or a stripped hub flange. Good point.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

And/or a stripped hub flange. Good point.

And/Or stripped splines on outboard shaft of CV.

 

[OregonB]

C-clip on the CV w/hub damage, right front.
Mech thinks clip was not tightened back down fully, I'm having him check other side.
As predicted here on MUD, thanks guys.

 

[AlpineAccess]

C-clip on the CV w/hub damage, right front.
Mech thinks clip was not tightened back down fully, I'm having him check other side.
As predicted here on MUD, thanks guys.

They probably put a used and/or improperly gapped snap ring on and it sprung off. So critical to use new snap ring in the right thickness.

You will likely need a new CV and Drive Flange - insist on OEM parts.

A good time to have wheel bearings and spindle bearings repacked but print out a guide for the shop as they will inherently not know how to do it properly.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

C-clip on the CV w/hub damage, right front.
Mech thinks clip was not tightened back down fully, I'm having him check other side.
As predicted here on MUD, thanks guys.

Good to hear it's not the diff, which would be $$$. I'd wager that either the proper preload was not set on the wheel bearings the last time that they were done (causing excessive movement that beat the circlip to death), or the wrong size (too narrow) circlip was used the last time the wheel bearings were done, or both of the above. Regardless of the cause, hopefully the damage was not too severe and you can get away with replacing just the hub flange, CV axle, and wheel bearings, not the knuckle/spindle or hub assemblies, etc.

 

[OregonB]

Thanks! Will do!