destroyed rear

[redexplorer01]

Alright gang have fun with this one. The stats: 2001 sport 4wd. 118,000mi. Hum/moan/whine in drivetrain. Send it off to my buddie's shop. Bud calls at 9:30am to tell me my rear is destroyed. I only towed a jetboat with it a few times. Only beat on it as any other explorer owner does. Oh yeah and then there were the times when I had to keep up with a friend's Tacoma in the Jersey Pine Barrens. Well there's nothing that resembles diff oil in the rear, its basically crud and mud. Am i to replace with new or salvage from a junkyard? I've got the premium sport package so I have the traction rear. It's not an 8.8 though is it? Feel free to comment and give some advice. Thanks

 

[Ray Lobato]

All Explorers have 8.8 rear ends. What gear ratio do you have, because you have to match the fron with the rear. If you are thinking about bigger tires, and your gear ratio is too high, then this would be a good time to change the gears to something like 4.10's. Any time you go through water, and it's up over the axles, it is possible to get water inside the axle and that mud you are describing is actually what happens when water and the gear oil mix up. It runs into a "mud" like substance. You axle gets quite hot and will boil the water that gets in there. This in turn breaks down the gear oil and makes it thick and nasty. This is why you have to be careful going through water.