Front differential repair
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Front differential repair
The saga continues. I used the 4 wheel drive in the truck for the first time today and when I parked, there was a substantial (10") puddle of oil under the front diff by the time I got out of the truck. I only used the 4x4 long enough to maneuver a trailer into a parking spot and back it in. I looked underneath and found that the oil had been slung all over the suspension and underside of the motor. It appears that the seals on the sides of the diff have let go. I did a search and found that it's possible that this has been caused by the vent tube becoming clogged. If I clear the vent tube, is it possible that the leak will stop or are the seals trashed now that they have leaked once? Also, it seems that the only reasonable way to repair this is to remove the diff from the truck. What exactly is involved in removing it? Full disassembly of the front end? Is a wheel alignment required upon completion of the job? I've seen prices quoted during my search in the realm of $700-$1000. Has anyone had this job done for less?
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Joined: Aug 2003
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If it is the plugged vent, then cleaning it will be fine. The seals should still be ok. You don't have to take the diff out to rebuild it. I did mine under the truck. The seals (on mine) are right by the pumpkin in the axle tubes. The reason it is so expensive it because it is time consuming to take it apart to get to them. If you are somewhat mechanically inclined and have a decent set of tools, I say go for it. The only special tool I can think of is the hub nut socket. Other than that it is standard nuts and bolts. Pay special attention to the carrier bearing caps. You want them to go back in the way they came out, and torque them properly. Good luck, and try the vent first.
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Thanks for the reply. I regasketed and installed the motor that is in this truck so I should be competent to do this diff job. I've never done one of these before though so I'm just looking for advice and pointers on how I can make sure I do it right. I think that I'm definately in the right company.
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