Broken rear axle

[kimcrwbr1]

I agree with start getting the parts together for a complete changeout/rebuild. Your basically running a open rear axle and by not takeing it completely apart your subject to bearing failure with all that ground metal floating around. Keep an eye on the oil seals I wouldnt work it too hard the way it is. If you can spin a wheel by hand I guarantee your spiders are not meshing properly and will grind down rather quick and leave you stranded again. I wouldnt trust it the way it is!

 

[jimtmcdaniels]

The axle tube may be bent a bit may be why the splines failed like they did. Or it may have been bent while flexing under load but is no longer bent...
No one suggested this until after the repair was made.
The new shaft went in smoothly into the new gear. I think it'll be fine. Only one way to find out.

All the spline material appeared to be in the spline area when I removed the broke parts.
I strained the oil oil before putting it back in.
The axle has a magnet on the inside of the cover and one in the fill plug so I'm not worried about shavings.
The friction plates don't really break apart, they just get like pitted or scratched..
I've got good llimited slip going on now, gunned it at the light and the back end slid side ways some!

 

[PlumCrazy]

By removing the thrust washers you have shortened the life of those side gears big time.

Did you say you REUSED the oil?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[jimtmcdaniels]

The axle tubes don't look bent, maybe they are though some.

Yea, I reused the oil. Why shouldn't I?
170k vehicle.
I'm on a budget and Besides I don't like to be wasteful, you know we are on a finite planet that our current uncaring consumeverything system is permanently destroying.

It was new synthetic blend just 50k ago with the friction modifier.
Most of the torn splines were still in the spline area when removed.
I strained the oil with a good wire mesh screen.
The differential has two magnets to catch metal, on the cover and the fill plug.

Ford doesn't care about the material that comes off their friction plates.

Since it's not a conventional axle, it has the limited slip plates for the drive gears to thrust against.

 

[4x4junkie]

I'm on a budget and Besides I don't like to be wasteful, you know we are on a finite planet that our current uncaring consumeverything system is permanently destroying.

That's what recycling centers are for.

Though it may be just as well since you're probably on borrowed time with that axle anyway.

 

[pillen140]

If magnets caught all the metal shavings we would use magnets instead of oil filters for engines... I would never re use gear oil, but that should be a no brained when metal parts have failed and you have bearings involved...

 

[jimtmcdaniels]

So your saying that catching all the particles in the axle isn't as important-critical as in the engine. Otherwise we'd have oil pumps and filters in the axle like in the engine, I agree.