Is there some specific reason to keep the wheels from rolling when the gear box is open and driveshaft disconnected, or just general rule of caution?
I am going to look up some videos on rear diff inspection and go pull mine open.
*edit* The videos i watched either say "check the gears for wear and damage" or they involve micrometers and other precise measurements. Advice/tips?
Do rear wheel bearings needs to be serviced as often as front wheel bearings?
Should i just pull an axle from pick n pull or are there businesses that refurbish differentials in rear axles for resale?
I found a low mile yellow ranger... cleanest one in the yard but stilllll, it has hauling wear marks alll over the steel bed, seems like a decent doner.
There is also an 99 explorer sport there which i believe has a compatible LSD axle.
Also every rear differential cap has two holes drilled in it, will i still be able to check residual oil for bullcrap? i suppose i should also check the magnet for chunks. Thoughts/advice?
Will i be alright to reuse my 6mo old gasket?
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...if anyone ever wondered about the dumb username, i had stock business cards printed out "young man with a pickup truck" and i chose one with a horse on it, lol.
Always, always chock the truck to keep it from rolling. Things happen and you are messing with the main thing that has the stuff that keeps it from rolling.
The rear wheel bearings are lubed by the gear oil in the axle and get "serviced" when you change the gear oil.
Make sure the replacement axle falls in the right year your your truck. They changed the sensors and where they plug in from time to time. I believe yours has a sensor on the differential that reads off a wheel sandwiched between the ring gear and the carrier. Some Explorers are setup the same way but will need the spring perches cut off and welded onto the top of the axle tube since Rangers have the leaf springs mounted on top of the axle and Explorers have the leaf springs mounted under the axle. So, don't just grab an axle and call it good.
It sounds like the differentials had holes drilled in the cover to drain the gear oil. If that is the case, you will need to use your old one on the new axle. As long as your old axle is an 8.8 and the new one is an 8.8, the cover will fit. If your current axle is a 7.5, the cover and gasket won't work.
And yes, you can reuse the gasket.
As far as the new to you axle, I would look for anything obvious but it's kind of hard to explain to someone what to look for outside of something being damaged or there being metal shavings in the differential. If everything looks ok, hose the crap out of the differential with brake cleaner and wipe everything you can down. You could lube the bearings along side the carrier and in the front of the differential with gear oil (don't be bashful), set the axle up on some jack stands, and rotate the pinion and then the hubs and listen for horrible noises. The outer bearings that support the axle shafts might be dry. So you may get some mild sounds from them. The focus would be the expensive stuff in the differential itself.
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