Safe to Keep Driving?

[thutton]

Hello,
I just serviced my rear diff (7.5 Open) and notice 1 tooth on my top spider gear is broken roughly half the tooth, it seems the previous owner had it serviced after wards as there was no metal shards in fluid, there is no noise coming from the diff nor any operating problems.

My question is, is it safe to drive? I plan to get 4.10s to replace the current 3.73s but wasnt planning on it so soon...

Thanks

 

[AllanD]

Which spider gear is your "top" spider gear?

You do understand that the spidergears are mounted in an assembly
that rotates, right?

as for the rest? you need a set of spiders and axle pinions.... SOON.

Baby it and it may last a little while.... but I wouldn't bet on it.

AD

 

[Frank The Tank]

I'm a firm believer that the old "run it till it breaks" is the way to run a race car.

But if it's your daily driver and all you have... I'd replace it first chance. However if there's no metal that also means it's not wearing, so that half a tooth could be meshing up just fine. I'd get a huge magnet and mount on the diff cover... then maybe if it starts wearing, it wont' eat itself so fast and leave metal swimming for your new gears later.... that's only if it drives just fine now, and there is no way you can afford to replace it in the next hundred miles.


BTW, how far have you taken it so far? any odd noise, or chatter at all ? if not, it really could be meshing up fine and may have made it 10k miles before you go in there, how new/old did the diff cover seal look? if too new, the old owner prolly tried to burn you....

 

[thutton]

I have had it for about 4 months, only put about 1000km on it since I got it as it was off road getting Motor swapped, there is no noises at all coming from diff at least any that I can notice.. the Weird part is the diff was dirty and the seal old when serviced but no metal in the old fluid so it doesnt appear to be a "burn" so to speak...

I have to find out the costs on replacing with stock, compared to new rear axle entirly from parts truck or wrecker and compared to going all out and doing my swap to 4.10s

 

[86ford]

Weld up the spiders. Every time you chirp the tires making a turn it will remind you to find a axle to swap in!

86

 

[Mechanickid]

+1