Solved Differential Swap

[ThatOneGuy99]

Scored at the junkyard, they had a 2010 sport Trac just come in after a head on collision, 3.73 ratio with limited slip rear, 100K miles and only $419 after they pulled them for me.

 

[ThatOneGuy99]

My bad 2001 sport trac

 

[Josh P]

$419 for front and rear?

 

[C420sailor]

Nice! Do yourself a favor and throw a set of axle bearings and seals in the rear, and new axle seals in the front. Much easier to do with them out of the truck.

Check the LS clutches

Give them a good clean out and fresh fluid and you’ll be good to go

 

[Mbrooks420]

Nice! Do yourself a favor and throw a set of axle bearings and seals in the rear, and new axle seals in the front. Much easier to do with them out of the truck.

Check the LS clutches

Give them a good clean out and fresh fluid and you’ll be good to go

Absolutely. So much easier to freshen them up out of the truck. Bearings, seals, and clutches and you’ll probably never have to worry about the axles again.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

and because you mentioned its a froader... daves offroad supply carries a set of berings etc and it comes with 1" wider axles iirc. but it was expensive tho

 

[ThatOneGuy99]

I just picked up new axle bearings and seals all around, we pulled the rear from a 96 explorer with 3.73 LS, turns out the 01 sport Trac had drums in the rear and I didn't want to go through the hassle of switching them to discs. But I pulled the cover off both and the oil looked like used motor oil, damn near black, no metal or shine to it and the teeth on the gears looked ok, there was very very very little backlash, I had to stare at it pretty hard to tell if it was even moving.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I just picked up new axle bearings and seals all around, we pulled the rear from a 96 explorer with 3.73 LS, turns out the 01 sport Trac had drums in the rear and I didn't want to go through the hassle of switching them to discs. But I pulled the cover off both and the oil looked like used motor oil, damn near black, no metal or shine to it and the teeth on the gears looked ok, there was very very very little backlash, I had to stare at it pretty hard to tell if it was even moving.

pretty sure gear oil is like that obviously depends on mileage on fluid, but the ones that ive cracked opej at theJy (probbaly original, ford said it was lifetime iirc) looked black. mine looks black, but not that bad granted i change it wvery30ish

 

[ThatOneGuy99]

I always spring for like liqui moly or royal purple and it's usually pretty clear, at least when it goes in. So with the LS it's 75-140 rear (with the additive) and still 75-90 front right?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

thats what i run something tells me a while back i heard about 75-90 for the LS rears, but 99% sure its 140

 

[Josh P]

pretty sure gear oil is like that obviously depends on mileage on fluid, but the ones that ive cracked opej at theJy (probbaly original, ford said it was lifetime iirc) looked black. mine looks black, but not that bad granted i change it wvery30ish

Everyone knows to change their engine oil at the recommended intervals, rest of the fluids are factory. When I bought my first car, I asked the guy when was the last time he changed the power steering fluid. His response was laughing which meant never.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Everyone knows to change their engine oil at the recommended intervals, rest of the fluids are factory. When I bought my first car, I asked the guy when was the last time he changed the power steering fluid. His response was laughing which meant never.

yep trans fluid? pshhh, whats that? PS fluid? never heard of it. brake fluid? dontbe silly! wiper fluid? huh, i thought that stuff wa sinfinite... gear oil? whats that, never heard of it. blinker fluid? oh yeah, chnaged it a week back

ii try to tell people to chnage the trans fluid and gear oil if applicable, but no one listens... apparently the "factory said its fine" yeah right, i guess its lifeitme, but it shortnes the lifetime

 

[ThatOneGuy99]

ii try to tell people to chnage the trans fluid and gear oil if applicable, but no one listens... apparently the "factory said its fine" yeah right, i guess its lifeitme, but it shortnes the lifetime

That reminds me of back when Nissan said their CVT fluid was lifetime, yeah I guess if lifetime is 60-70K miles

 

[Fix4Dirt]

well thats nissan at least our trannies last us 150

 

[ThatOneGuy99]

well thats nissan at least our trannies last us 150

Mine has 240K and still shifts like a dream, I even got O/D still

 

[CDW6212R]

I just picked up new axle bearings and seals all around, we pulled the rear from a 96 explorer with 3.73 LS, turns out the 01 sport Trac had drums in the rear and I didn't want to go through the hassle of switching them to discs. But I pulled the cover off both and the oil looked like used motor oil, damn near black, no metal or shine to it and the teeth on the gears looked ok, there was very very very little backlash, I had to stare at it pretty hard to tell if it was even moving.

You'll probably be fine with the 1996 parts. The 2001 parts would have been better, age and mileage are the most important. The 96 front diff's also had a vacuum controlled disconnect system, I hope that's not what you got.

The rear brakes swap, you could have easily removed the drum brakes from the donor rear, and moved your old brakes to it. The rear axles would have to come out, but you should be replacing the axle bearings anyway, plus the parking brake pads. So it would have been down to the four bolts that hold on each brake backing plate, to remove the brakes. The fluid line you would have disconnected for a short period anyway, so the drum brakes were no problem to swap out.

Buy best gear oil, never the cheapest stuff.

 

[ThatOneGuy99]

You'll probably be fine with the 1996 parts. The 2001 parts would have been better, age and mileage are the most important. The 96 front diff's also had a vacuum controlled disconnect system, I hope that's not what you got.

The rear brakes swap, you could have easily removed the drum brakes from the donor rear, and moved your old brakes to it. The rear axles would have to come out, but you should be replacing the axle bearings anyway, plus the parking brake pads. So it would have been down to the four bolts that hold on each brake backing plate, to remove the brakes. The fluid line you would have disconnected for a short period anyway, so the drum brakes were no problem to swap out.

Buy best gear oil, never the cheapest stuff.

Honestly it may have been a 97, I really only checked the axle code and what the gears looked like, front diff was already missing so I ripped the 01 front diff out. I hate messing with brakes and brake lines, I'll change pads and rotors but most anything else I leave to other people to do.

 

[Josh P]

Mine has 240K and still shifts like a dream, I even got O/D still

Still have O/D, who you trying to impress?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Still have O/D, who you trying to impress?

ive come across a decent amount without OD

 

[ThatOneGuy99]

Still have O/D, who you trying to impress?

Mostly myself, trying to justify this money pit to myself. Plus the transmission guy I used to work with said the O/D was the very first thing to always go wrong with the 5R55Es