What's wrong with this picture?

[gavin]

something that would make a Monday and terrible, terrible day.

 

[awdrocks]

something that would make a Monday and terrible, terrible day.

Your X fell off a work area and is sitting vertical

 

[Turdle]

Your front diffy is wet-is it cracked? Looks like its taken a hit-

 

[gavin]

something in the diff apparently blew up on my way to work, which then damn near blew a hole through the bottom of the case.
I never noticed it.
When I went to lunch, there was a puddle of gear lube underneath. Somebody left me a note saying my truck is leaking oil.

I get home, and this is what I find.

where you see the purple diff fluid, is where something hit the case, inside. Enough to crack it all around.

 

[Donner]

The hit looks like it came from inside? How's it look in person? Pushed in or out?

 

[gavin]

pushed out.

something inside apparently grenaded against the inside of the case; the chunk was pushed out.

I never felt a THING (other than the usual vibes my truck's had for months).

 

[Donner]

Is it safe to open? If so, crack that coconut and let's see what happened.

 

[gavin]

I would if I could remove the cover.
but that requires removing the whole assy

and I'm not up to that on a Monday night.

When I get around to pullin the sob I'll take definately take pics. Most likely Friday night or Saturday.

 

[IZwack]

I'm kind of confused -- where is the crack?

I'm assuming the vehicle was regeared since you have 33's -- I'm thinking the main cross shaft slid out.

 

[JTX]

Now you can regear for those 33's! My guess would be a bolt on the ring gear came loose.

 

[gavin]

I'm kind of confused -- where is the crack?

I'm assuming the vehicle was regeared since you have 33's -- I'm thinking the main cross shaft slid out.

and no, I never re-geared.
still the stock 3.73's.

There's still no banging/clunking/clanking coming from it.
There was absolutely NOTHING noticeable when it happend.

I didn't even know anything was wrong until I went to lunch and noticed ~1/2qt puddle underneath it.

 

[Donner]

Can you post a pick of an opened diff?

I'm kind of confused -- where is the crack?

I'm assuming the vehicle was regeared since you have 33's -- I'm thinking the main cross shaft slid out.

I think it's one of the smaller support pins that shot out... I'm guessing. You have a pic of one opened up... can you post it?

 

[IZwack]

Oh ok thanks -- fascinating.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I think I know of a 4.10 diffy somewhere :scratch:

 

[IZwack]

I think it's one of the smaller support pins that shot out... I'm guessing. You have a pic of one opened up... can you post it?

Not sure which pin you have in mind.

But below is an exploded diagram of a typical Dana front axle -- the internal differential design is similar to the one under the front of a 2nd gen Explorer.

 

[Donner]

I think I see it, but you have a cut version of a diff... I don't know anything about these, but it would have to be something that would allow the diff to function w/o the pin in place. Maybe the one in 24A? (I can't make out the number)

 

[Turdle]

It looks like something tried to go around the outside of the ring gear and got wedged in between the ring and case

 

[IZwack]

I think I see it, but you have a cut version of a diff... I don't know anything about these, but it would have to be something that would allow the diff to function w/o the pin in place. Maybe the one in 24A? (I can't make out the number)

That pin is the main cross shaft that holds the two vertical spiders gears in place. That is the one I suspected to have slipped out. It is held in by another tiny pin that is pushed into the carrier and through the the cross shaft.

The cross shaft can not slide out all the way with the cover on -- there is not enough clearance between the housing and the carrier for it to slide out vertically. Chances are, when the pin impacted, it was pushed back up into the carrier. The pin might be bent at this point and the carrier's hole might be elongated. In addition, the carrier cap might have cracked.

But this is all just speculation, time to drop the differential.

 

[20focus05]

Its all right you have a rear diff!!! just like a 4WD truck we had, blew the rear diff so dropped rear tail shaft and drove 1000km(620 Miles) back home!!!

 

[IZwack]

Its all right you have a rear diff!!! just like a 4WD truck we had, blew the rear diff so dropped rear tail shaft and drove 1000km(620 Miles) back home!!!

That may be true on most trucks but on the 2nd gen Explorer, the front diff rotates as long as the vehicle is moving and therefore could continue to damage itself.