Help please!!! I believe my rear diff is toast!!! (1 Viewer)

[Polarbearmt]

Hi guys, I am new to the LC scene and wish I was having better experience but anyways.

I have a 2001 LC with 167000
I purchased a couple months ago. In recent weeks I noticed a faint whirling/whining at speed when I would coast or let off the gas pedal, it wasn’t major and I was planning on greasing u joints soon as that was recommended on here, but simply hadn’t gotten to it yet.

Well yesterday I neede to take a 2hr drive hauling a 15ft box trailer(empty). 1.5hrs in doing 65mph on the highway I started to hear a loud whining noise under load,and then a faint burning smell, FML. I immediately exited as the sound continued to get worse, and pulled into a auto shop where the guy was at least kind enough to take it around the block, but basically told me he thinks the rear diff is toast.

I was able to get to a U-haul, rent a truck and finish what I had to do with the trailer, but my LC is sitting 1.5hrs away from where I am back home. I actually have to return the u-haul back to where my LC is sitting tomorrow.
No shops in that area have time to really get my car in and I’d rather bring it back to my local guy anyways.
I want to get the car home and IF it is the rear diff can I simply pull the rear driveshaft and drive it home in fwd?

Please let me know if anyone has any advise as towing it home would be like $400-$500.

Thanks

 

[TheForger]

Sounds to me like there’s not enough gear oil in the diff. Have it drained to confirm amount and to inspect the magnet for metal particles. Another possibility is a u-joint failing and it’s throwing grease on your exhaust

 

[nissanh]

If your diff is internally broken, then don't drive it because you make a metal grinder inside and potentially destroy even the housing

 

[JunkCrzr89]

Was the mechanic aware that the 100 is AWD, not RWD, with a beefy 9.5” diff in the rear? Although certainly possible, I would be surprised if the rear diff is toast.

 

[Polarbearmt]

Was the mechanic aware that the 100 is AWD, not RWD, with a beefy 9.5” diff in the rear? Although certainly possible, I would be surprised if the rear diff is toast.

Pretty sure he knew what kind of vehicle he was driving. From my research people have had rear diff go out.

Sounds to me like there’s not enough gear oil in the diff. Have it drained to confirm amount and to inspect the magnet for metal particles. Another possibility is a u-joint failing and it’s throwing grease on your exhaust I’ll have an opportunity to get under it when I’m there.

I will get under it tomorrow when I get there and may open it up and change the oil and see what I can see.
Question is, can I remove threat drive shaft and drive it home on front wheels if it is the diff?

If your diff is internally broken, then don't drive it because you make a metal grinder inside and potentially destroy even the housing

Even if I remove rear drive shaft?

 

[TheLCProject]

I may be wrong, and depending on any damage that's already occurred, if the rear wheels are spinning, the ring gear in the diff should also be spinning. Removing the driveshaft would only help if you can move it without the rear diff making a bunch of noise, but at least you could lock the center diff and drive it by the front diff.

 

[nukegoat]

I may be wrong, and depending on any damage that's already occurred, if the rear wheels are spinning, the ring gear in the diff should also be spinning. Removing the driveshaft would only help if you can move it without the rear diff making a bunch of noise, but at least you could lock the center diff and drive it by the front diff.

Cries in semi float

 

[TheLCProject]

Cries in semi float

Amen..