Broken rear diff

Submitted: Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 06:47
ThreadID: 76169 Views:2837 Replies:5 FollowUps:3
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G'day. I'm not very mechanically minded, but I was thinking if in a part-time 4wd the rear diff (or rear propeller shaft) was to break or completley stop working for some reason, would it be possible to engage 4wd to get yourself out of trouble. So you would be basically using the 4wd as a front wheel drive. If it is possible then would it be recomended to do this on the highway or only if stranded in a remote area? Is there any risk of doing further damage trying to drive a car after a diff has broken or any part of the rear drive assembly?
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Reply By: Dave(NSW) - Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 09:31

Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 09:31
Yeah it can be done in an emergency, but you should keep your speed down to a crawl not try to travel at hwy speeds. Depends whats broken but you will probably do more damage to a diff.
GU RULES!!

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Reply By: Madfisher - Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 10:44

Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 10:44
Yes certainly, but one would normally remove the remove the rear prop shaft .
Cheers Pete
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Reply By: Top Ender - Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 11:09

Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 11:09
Hi Jimmy

I once had an 80 series with Detroit lockers F&R, coming out of the bungles years ago, I snapped the studs that holds the axle to the hub.

What I did was this, I took the short axle and put that were the long axle should be, I then placed the long axle in the car.

With some rags and 100 mph tape I sealed the end of the broken hub, I then took the rear tail shaft off, this left me with a free floating rear diff, I then put it in low 4 and drove to the hwy.

Once at the hwy I put the car in high 4 and drove to Kununurra at 100 kph towing a trailer, no damage done, I was able to get a new hub at Kununurra and fix it before I drove home.
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Follow Up By: get outmore - Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 14:36

Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 14:36
yep done the same except i dont know why you would swap axles or take off the rear shaft
- none of it is neccessary. just take out your axle and seal it up and 4wd way you go. Made it over 100k from thomas river to esperance like that.

while your rear diff will still be driving and folowing the path of least resistance to the side with no axle. on the highwayit can still only turn as fast as the fastest front wheel which is highway speed which is the speed of the undriven rear wheel so no uneven stress is being applied
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Reply By: Member - Serendipity(WA) - Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 11:52

Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 11:52
Jimmy

I had a landcruiser ute that had a habit of breaking the axle studs on a regular basis. I would just take out the offending axle and chuck it in the back - put it into 4x4 and keep going. If off road I would cover the open hub. Did not remove the tail shaft as the gear box would leak oil out the rear.

Made the steering pull a bit driving on the front diff. Had to do it a couple of times.
Kept the speed down and made sure it was fixed asap.

The old 1986 utes are fitted with the same diff in the front as is used in the rear. When they changed to the 80 series toyota put a smaller diff in the front.

Of course removing the axle only works with vehicles that have a full floating axle setup. Your Nissans, or suzuki jimnys and such have a different setup and the axle and bearings are together. In that situation if you damaged something i.e. smashed a gear in the diff - driving further would damage everything else as well. With those axle setups you can't just remove the axle or even remove the diff and keep driving.

David

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Follow Up By: Top Ender - Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 12:03

Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 12:03
How do you loose oil out of the gearbox when you take the tail shaft off???

The tail shaft is bolted to the flange on the out put shaft that is coming out of the transfer case, at least that is the case on ever cruiser that I have see since 1976.

Just wondering.

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Follow Up By: Member - Serendipity(WA) - Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 15:10

Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 15:10
Appologies - thinking of different gearbox. Yes the cruiser one has a flange to flange connection. Thinking of my really old cruiser had years ago.

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Reply By: ob - Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 12:30

Saturday, Feb 20, 2010 at 12:30
Anyone who has owned an early model Landy would know the drill about driving home carefully on the front diff with the rear prop shaft removed.
2.25 litres of unbridalled horsepower was murder on rear axles.
Even a full time 4wd with centre diff locked could get you home using this method

ob
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