rear diff. HELP PLEASE
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2010
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rear diff. HELP PLEASE
alright guys so on my 1300 mile round trip for spring break my pinion seal blew and every week i check the rearend for fluid and such and when i pull the plug on it there are no metal shavings what so ever. i am hearing a squealing sound coming from the rearend when i down shift and sometimes when i accelerate. Now when i am accelerating there is a pretty bad vibration throughout the truck but when it is in neutral i feel no vibration.
I also changed the gear oil not even 5k miles ago
the truck is a late 99 6 speed 4x4 with 3:73 LS
HELP PLEASE!
I also changed the gear oil not even 5k miles ago
the truck is a late 99 6 speed 4x4 with 3:73 LS
HELP PLEASE!
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 6
From: Ardenvoir, Washington
While you are under there checking.. make sure your breather rubber tube line is not plugged up and not breathing properly.. My seal started leaking and found a insect build a nest inside the breather line and completely plugged it.. causing the pressure to build up and started the leak.. Unblock it and the leak stopped..
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 864
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From: Fort Campbell, KY
Well sounds like you have a bad U-joint, which may have taken out your pinion seal. That squeak is probably the U-joint.
Get the U-joint fixed, check the other U-joints while the driveshaft is out, buy a new pinion seal and crush sleeve, and you'll be G2G.
before you install the pinion seal, take the outer pinion bearing out and have a look at the rollers to ensure it's not chewed up. You'll need an in/lbs wrench, and a way to catch some of the rear end lube, cause you'll need to pull the rear axles out about 6" to set the preload on the pinion.
Get the U-joint fixed, check the other U-joints while the driveshaft is out, buy a new pinion seal and crush sleeve, and you'll be G2G.
before you install the pinion seal, take the outer pinion bearing out and have a look at the rollers to ensure it's not chewed up. You'll need an in/lbs wrench, and a way to catch some of the rear end lube, cause you'll need to pull the rear axles out about 6" to set the preload on the pinion.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 17,988
Likes: 207
From: La La Land
And with that question, I'll go on record of recommending that you take it somewhere and pay a differential expert to fix this for you.
Rear differentials are something that the average person should not tackle, as there's just too much precision measuring and fitting for someone not familiar with gears meshing to deal with properly.
Even the average garage mechanic shouldn't do this job. It takes experience and precision tools.
There are a number of people on here that can do this job for themselves, but I don't believe that you should.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad and somewhat expensive news, but I feel that we'd just be setting you up for a long-term failure if we tried to guide you through this repair from afar.
If you can find a wrecking yard complete rear-end, that might be your best bet if it's actually bearings or gears within the rear end housing.
But, as Casper mentioned above, FIRST make sure you don't just have a bad U-joint.
And, as Clint pointed out, check that breather hose for obstructions.
Pop
Rear differentials are something that the average person should not tackle, as there's just too much precision measuring and fitting for someone not familiar with gears meshing to deal with properly.
Even the average garage mechanic shouldn't do this job. It takes experience and precision tools.
There are a number of people on here that can do this job for themselves, but I don't believe that you should.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad and somewhat expensive news, but I feel that we'd just be setting you up for a long-term failure if we tried to guide you through this repair from afar.
If you can find a wrecking yard complete rear-end, that might be your best bet if it's actually bearings or gears within the rear end housing.
But, as Casper mentioned above, FIRST make sure you don't just have a bad U-joint.
And, as Clint pointed out, check that breather hose for obstructions.
Pop
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
From: Berks County, PA
"And with that question, I'll go on record of recommending that you take it somewhere and pay a differential expert to fix this for you"
+1
I'm w/ springerpop on that one. SHOP IT AROUND though. The local ford dealer wanted about $800 - $900 to do both my front and rear pinion seals. I did some research and found a local drive-train specialist in SE PA that has been servicing 4x4 drive-trains for over 30 years and he replaced both for $180. I got the standard "the world will end and your axle will fall off if you don't bring it to us (local Ford dealer) because it's so difficult to do correctly". That was the best $180 I ever spent. I don't think I could have bought the the tools to do the job for that cheap.
Now, for mine new crush sleeves were not required and the mechanic said, for the most part, they normally don't need replacing unless you are messing around with the pinion (replacing) or doing a rebuild. They indicated they could do the crush sleeves but in 95% of the Sterling 10.5" rear ends they are not necessary with a pinion seal swap out.
Good luck,
JP
+1
I'm w/ springerpop on that one. SHOP IT AROUND though. The local ford dealer wanted about $800 - $900 to do both my front and rear pinion seals. I did some research and found a local drive-train specialist in SE PA that has been servicing 4x4 drive-trains for over 30 years and he replaced both for $180. I got the standard "the world will end and your axle will fall off if you don't bring it to us (local Ford dealer) because it's so difficult to do correctly". That was the best $180 I ever spent. I don't think I could have bought the the tools to do the job for that cheap.
Now, for mine new crush sleeves were not required and the mechanic said, for the most part, they normally don't need replacing unless you are messing around with the pinion (replacing) or doing a rebuild. They indicated they could do the crush sleeves but in 95% of the Sterling 10.5" rear ends they are not necessary with a pinion seal swap out.
Good luck,
JP
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Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: Lancaster, Pa.
Before you do anything, another thing to check is your carrier bearing. My first one I had a squealing and rubbing sound when turning corners and the second one was a slight roaring sound when downshifting. This is depending you have a two piece driveshaft of course.
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Junior User
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yes mike i do and today i had some spare time and went to check the u-joint and there the problem lay i can move my driveshaft anywhere from 1-1.5 in up and down my brother RobsF-250 told me it was so bad that he is suprised the driveshaft hadnt fallen out.
My heart sank to my stomach today when i read that i had alot of expenses to cover in the rearend do to me being only 17 but Thank You so much for all of the help everyone
My heart sank to my stomach today when i read that i had alot of expenses to cover in the rearend do to me being only 17 but Thank You so much for all of the help everyone
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 864
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From: Fort Campbell, KY
yes mike i do and today i had some spare time and went to check the u-joint and there the problem lay i can move my driveshaft anywhere from 1-1.5 in up and down my brother RobsF-250 told me it was so bad that he is suprised the driveshaft hadnt fallen out.
My heart sank to my stomach today when i read that i had alot of expenses to cover in the rearend do to me being only 17 but Thank You so much for all of the help everyone
My heart sank to my stomach today when i read that i had alot of expenses to cover in the rearend do to me being only 17 but Thank You so much for all of the help everyone
Now your not completely out of the woods, but a LOT closer. If my crystal ball was working, I'd say your drive shaft beat your champion flange (the thing in the rear end that connects to your drive shaft) to death. This would've torpedoed your seal. So now you know how and why... only thing left is fix the why (U-joint), replace the pinion seal (uhm, have it done perhaps), and you're probably good.
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 14,069
Likes: 17
From: Melbourne, Ky
OK, This will sound like a stupid thing to say, but chock the wheels before dropping the driveshaft! There are guys on here with personal experience as to why that's important! And some have medical bills to prove it.
Here's something to consider. I recommend to folks that when a U-joint goes out, remove the entire driveshaft including the the carrier bearing and take it to a driveline shop. Have them replace all the U-joints and the carrier bearing, and balance it. When you install it, be sure to use new straps for the u-joints, and make sure the u-joints are lined up properly. If this puzzles you, (I'm a visual kind of guy) ask the guys at the driveline shop. Typically, they mark the slip yolk and the back driveshaft with a marker so when you slide the two together they are set properly. Just line up the marks. If you forget this step, just remember that all the u-joints need to be lined up the same.
Here's something to consider. I recommend to folks that when a U-joint goes out, remove the entire driveshaft including the the carrier bearing and take it to a driveline shop. Have them replace all the U-joints and the carrier bearing, and balance it. When you install it, be sure to use new straps for the u-joints, and make sure the u-joints are lined up properly. If this puzzles you, (I'm a visual kind of guy) ask the guys at the driveline shop. Typically, they mark the slip yolk and the back driveshaft with a marker so when you slide the two together they are set properly. Just line up the marks. If you forget this step, just remember that all the u-joints need to be lined up the same.