So last Saturday evening my son Josh took the truck to pick up some of his buddies. I get a call 15 minutes later saying he’s stuck a few blocks from home. I get there and there’s police everywhere, kids all OK standing on the sidewalk. I walk up to the truck and there’s 30’ of skid marks from the 2 front tires and motor oil is pouring out of the pan. WTF?
Josh said he heard a loud growling sound and then BAM. It locked up and made some bad banging noises. I looked under as best as I could between the cops asking for my paperwork and trying to keep everyone calm. The side of the oil pan was wrecked by the flailing companion flange that was hanging on the end of the front driveshaft. Hmmm, I thought. This doesn’t look good at all.
Flatbed to my house and drop it in the driveway. Had a client on Sunday morning so in the afternoon I pulled the front drive plates and got it trailered to Dave Crum’s shop. Today I pulled the entire front end apart and was able to inspect the damage. The R/P is done, the ARB is done, and the housing is done.
The companion flange took out the oil pan, transmission cooler lines, fuel filter and rear fuel line, and chipped the flange mating surface of the diff housing so it looks like it’s been chewed on.
I think that somehow the pinion nut backed out and it just dropped in. What a freakin’ mess. Here are some pictures for your amusement.
Josh said he heard a loud growling sound and then BAM. It locked up and made some bad banging noises. I looked under as best as I could between the cops asking for my paperwork and trying to keep everyone calm. The side of the oil pan was wrecked by the flailing companion flange that was hanging on the end of the front driveshaft. Hmmm, I thought. This doesn’t look good at all.
Flatbed to my house and drop it in the driveway. Had a client on Sunday morning so in the afternoon I pulled the front drive plates and got it trailered to Dave Crum’s shop. Today I pulled the entire front end apart and was able to inspect the damage. The R/P is done, the ARB is done, and the housing is done.
The companion flange took out the oil pan, transmission cooler lines, fuel filter and rear fuel line, and chipped the flange mating surface of the diff housing so it looks like it’s been chewed on.
I think that somehow the pinion nut backed out and it just dropped in. What a freakin’ mess. Here are some pictures for your amusement.
wow man. Sorry 
, glad all were ok, but suck about the truck.
I'd just dropped off the autobahn after visiting a GF at another base. I'd been tooling along at the usual 70 mph+ just moments before, taking the exit up to the stop sign to enter the road up to the base.
Made a phone call, told mom to bring a chain and the station wagon. Hooked up to and started to pull the Olds and the entire rear wheel pulled away on one side, dropping various parts on the ground. turned out we'd need a tow truck after all.
What was a screw up on his part became the excuse for his dad to upgrade to a Limited Slip Diff...OK it was the 1980's. Not sure how much crap he took, but I do remember him having to pay a good portion of the repair build.
