So a few days ago, the diff just locked up as i pulled out of a street. Felt like the hand brake had been applied. Then it unstuck itself once i restarted the car and everything sounded fine so i drove it home. This morning it happened again while on a light corner and now its definitely stuffed, bad noise and feels like its unbalanced... Is this a common when the diffs get abused? I'm assuming I'm going to need a new pinion and center?

that isnt good....

 

I would pulling the thing appart and inspecting all the bearings as well.

 

no way id drive it with the posibility of it locking up on me!

 

edit: alternatively chuck up a WTB for a whole new diff that is in better condition. differential repairs can get very expensive very quickly! (if it is more than an axel bearing)

Edited March 22, 201313 yr by ke70dave

At the very least its not safe, so stop driving it and swap it out.

Most likely broken a gear and it got picked up.

Most likely broken a gear and it got picked up.

 

I reckon...

 

Its dead I'll bet. We did have a bolt drop out of the crownwheel and do similar things many years ago, and that was a throwaway. If you want to use any of it for parts, don't drive it at all. The metal bits will destroy all the bearings and gear surfaces.

spider gears / pins probably

Yea, i opened it up and a whole lot of metal fell out..., and the oil was rough like 180 grit. The pinion and crown gear were fine, it was how it was welded that did it. Don't know the names of the individual gears, but of the three smaller gears in the diff, the top one had split in half and jammed it up I'm guessing. I'll put a photo up of it tonight. If the oil was ruined, will that have ruined the pinion and crown gear? Because I've found another center, and I was hoping i would be able to just swap them and put new bearings in it. After the first incident it drove maybe 5km around town until it was permanently garaged

Decided after further inspection to just replace the whole axle and diff, too much effort to fix..