Front Diff. Cracked Housing

[23t]

This morning I pulled out of my drive onto a snow covered road in 4WD and went about 300 feet and bang!!! When i had the chance to pull over and check, I found the front differential housing broken in half!

97 Chevy k2500 4x4 350 Vortex.

My main question is what do I need to ask for as a replacment and the local yard?
I know gear ratio is most important so is there a part# located somewhere to find the gear ratio?

And as far as doing the job myself, I'm sure rotors, hubs, and axles need to be removed before the center section can come out. Correct?

I did read the thread on removing the front rotors/hubs. Thanks!! That will help a bunch on that area.

 

[ak diesel driver]

I changed out the diff in a 99 tahoe and all I had to do was drop the center diff section.

 

[23t]

Thanks for the response AJ. Yep, found mine to be the same way. It's out and on the floor. Was able to just drop the center section.

 

[great white]

Like this?

You can find your gear ratio by looking up your rpo codes in your glove box.

Do you have 6 or 8 lug wheels?

6 lug is the same front diff as a 1/2 ton even though it says "2500" on the side.

An 8 lug 2500 has a bigger front differential.

 

[23t]

Yep, pretty much like that!!! Two piece center section!! LOL!! Thanks for the info Great White. I found the code (GT4) glove box and was able to get one from a salvage yard for $350.00. Another yard closer to me was $250.00 but they had to check to see if they had one and I didn't want to wait. Needed to get it back up and running asap.

Now the one I bought was out of a 95. I had to change out the PS axle/tube off my original on to the 95 so I could use my acuator. The plugs on the 95 were 2 square 4 wire plugs and my 97 was 2-two wire plugs. (Just an FYI here for anyone that hasn't ran into this.) It all works as I have it install and ready to test drive.

 

[3500GMC]

What causes this? Skipping of R-P teeth, bearings shot or what?

 

[23t]

If I get time I'm going to take it apart today and see if I can figure out what happened. I'm going to make a guess it's a carrier bearing. Found a roller out of a bearing laying on the floor that must have fell out of the cracked housing when it was removed. I let you know what I find.

Think I'm the one to blame for this. I had problem with the actuator not working last winter. Not having the time to repair cause I was in the middle of plowing, I done a quick fix. Tie straped the actuator in the extended position and screwed it back in. Run it that way for at least 2 months. I didn't figure it would hurt since the transfer case was disengage when I didn't need 4 wheel drive. And only done local driving, I only live 2 miles from my shop and then less than a mile from town.

Fixed the ingagement problem with the actuator this past fall. When I tested it then, I remember it making a bang when it ingaged. I just thought at that time it was the 4 wheel gear ingaging when under power. Other than that it never made any noise, no whining, no grinding at all at least I could hear anyway. I'm thankful this didn't happen on the trip to Wisconsin and Pittsburg pulling my 34' gooseneck. Would have made for a very exspensive trip.

 

[ak diesel driver]

I was noticing the absence of oil in GWs pic

 

[23t]

Tore it down to find that the locking bolt that holds the shaft in for the spider must have came loose and fell out. Which left the shalf slide enough one way to let the washer behind the spider fall into the housing. Looks like the washer tried to go though the ring and pinion gears. BANG!! Guess something had to give!!!

 

[btfarm]

NIIIICE!... I do believe you are correct. The washer went for a spin it wasn't planning on taking. You wonder what causes stuff like that to happen after all those miles.

I was noticing the absence of oil in GWs pic

I noticed that too Les. What about that BJ?

 

[great white]

What causes this? Skipping of R-P teeth, bearings shot or what?

The pics I posted are from a magazine article called "The sled is dead", form the series Project Red Sled. A 4x4 magazine attempted to build a K2500 ECLB into a somewhat capable rock/trail rig. They installed a transfer case that allowed what is called a "front dig". Basically, it turns the truck into a front wheel drive so it can crawl up objects. I won't profess to understand it, it makes more sense to me to have the rear wheels pushing while the fronts pull when climbing an object.

Anyways, too much torque to the front 9.25 all at once (4LO FWD ) and......

Bang!

Case let go.....Probably grenaded the internals and took out the case. Maybe even broke the pinion bolt like the other failure posted here. Seems to make sense to me....

I was noticing the absence of oil in GWs pic

The article states it had run out on the ground when it blew and the truck was recovered (probably flat bedded or front towed) back to the shop. Probably all dripped off or cleaned before they took the magazine pictures.

edit;

read it again. "Front dig" is 4LO FWD, stand on the brakes and use the front wheels to drag the truck around in a tighter circle. Sheesh, no wonder the diff let go!

 

[3500GMC]

Tore it down to find that the locking bolt that holds the shaft in for the spider must have came loose and fell out.

That'll do-er everytime!

Ouch.

Makes you wanna take a peek inside the donor diff, eh?

 

[23t]

That'll do-er everytime!

Ouch.

Makes you wanna take a peek inside the donor diff, eh?

LOL!! Yeah, was thinking that, but what's the chance it will happen again!! But at least if it does, I know what kind of job it is to replace. I appreciate the help with this, being able to do the job myself saved me some $$$, thanks!!!

 

[23t]

I got to test it out Friday with what little snow we had. The front diff. seems to be working just fine. Now if I can figure out another issue I've had for a while with one rear brake locking up from time to time, I'd be much happier.

 

[btfarm]

Now if I can figure out another issue I've had for a while with one rear brake locking up from time to time, I'd be much happier.

Likely a wheel cylinder that is sticking. I'd just buy 2 new rear wheel cyl ass'ys (along with new shoes) and replace them both. Really isn't all that expensive.

 

[23t]

Thanks BT! Let me give you some more info.

Seem to happen in damp weather. I can leave my home, drive 2 miles to my shop. Park for 4 hrs. Leave to go to lunch, get to the end of my drive and it will lock up. Then to add to the problem when this happens, it will go into the anti-lock mode. Drag the brakes and it will go away.

This has been a problem for some time. Had a leaking wheel cyl and change it a couple years ago. Didn't replace the shoes, cleaned with brake-clean. Seemed to fix the problem at the time.

Pulled the wheel 3 weeks ago to see if I could see wth is going on, pulled the drum, brake shoes still have 3/16 at least of lining, dry shoe and drum nice and shiny. Could see any ovious problem. Any more idea's I could use? Thanks.

 

[3500GMC]

Stuck e-brake cable.

Shoes on one side installed backwards.

Adjuster wheel stuck on non-lockup side. (out of adjustment)

Return springs weak.

Make sure the wheel cylinder will retract/compress fully without sticking.

 

[btfarm]

Stuck e-brake cable.Possible but I doubt it

Shoes on one side installed backwards. Possible

Adjuster wheel stuck on non-lockup side. (out of adjustment) Possible or installed backward


Return springs weak. Possible but I doubt it


Make sure the wheel cylinder will retract/compress fully without sticking.

My take on 3500's thoughts. I imagine he'll agree

 

[L98TPI]

This loose pin bolt issue makes me want to pull the diff cover off my Dodge Ramcharger and check it. Why? Cause I was the last one in there.

 

[23t]

This loose pin bolt issue makes me want to pull the diff cover off my Dodge Ramcharger and check it. Why? Cause I was the last one in there.

LOL! I was never in mine. Bought the truck a in 09 off a dealer with 58,000 on it. I think it was a factory deal. Doesn't look like there was any lock-tite on the threads.

Back to the Brakes. Was thinking it could be the return springs too. Cause it seem like the rear hits first before the front. I'm also wondering if the shoes on that side got so saturated with the brake fluid residue in them that I couldn't get out with the brake clean. Hate to change the shoes with as much lining they still have left. I know the deal is getting old. Slammed a lot of snow piles cause it went into the anti-lock mode when the brake locked.