Destroyed my front axle!!

[Torry33]

So just bought this 4x4 van and have only had it for five days.Its my first one and I was so excited to finally get one.Ive had lots of VW buses but the lack of heat was a bummer.So i was driving it on my 2nd long trip when i was doing about 55 the front axle engaged and needless to say it was total devastation.Ripped the axle right off the frame.I dont even know where to start or if im even going to.there arent any parts for it around here.A lot of money down the drain.:pissed:

[Flecker]

So just bought this 4x4 van and have only had it for five days.Its my first one and I was so excited to finally get one.Ive had lots of VW buses but the lack of heat was a bummer.So i was driving it on my 2nd long trip when i was doing about 55 the front axle engaged and needless to say it was total devastation.Ripped the axle right off the frame.I dont even know where to start or if im even going to.there arent any parts for it around here.A lot of money down the drain.:pissed:

WTF? You dropped it in 4 while going 55? Why?

[Torry33]

No somehow the auto hub or the 4x4 engaged on its own.not sure why or what happened but it was violent.Just got back from recovering it from 90 miles from my house.Lucky for me my friend offered to help with this truck and trailer and we towed it home.I noticed today it wasnt as locked up in the front end as bad as it was but if you engage 4x4 it wont move and when you put it in park it makes a ratcheting sound,so i know something is pretty messed up.havent got to really tearing into it yet but Im going to tomarrow I think.I hopefuf it can be repaired,just have to locate parts.:wnk:

[Flecker]

No somehow the auto hub or the 4x4 engaged on its own.not sure why or what happened but it was violent.Just got back from recovering it from 90 miles from my house.Lucky for me my friend offered to help with this truck and trailer and we towed it home.I noticed today it wasnt as locked up in the front end as bad as it was but if you engage 4x4 it wont move and when you put it in park it makes a ratcheting sound,so i know something is pretty messed up.havent got to really tearing into it yet but Im going to tomarrow I think.I hopefuf it can be repaired,just have to locate parts.:wnk:


Might not be as bad as you think... locate some parts, repair and ditch the auto hubs for some manual hubs.

[Torry33]

got the front axle housing out and the gears are all toast.so far i cant find any to replace the ring and pinion and spider gears.

[Torry33]

Got a replacement from Lake Stevens wrecking yard:dance2:

[originalkwyjibo]

Congrats on getting it up and running! Can you post some pics of the carnage?

[Torry33]

Pics of the trashed diff

[Carbonized]

No kidding! That was a proper carnage:yikes:. Can just imagine the noise when it happened. Now your van and mine share some DNA, thanks to the Lake Stevens van and the TVT Part puller posse.

[Torry33]

Carbonized,ya it got my attention real fast!It was a long road to recovery but the Beast lives!:clap:

[Flecker]

Ring AND the spiders?!

Impressive man! :dance2:

Glad to see you got a replacement diff and are getting it back on the road! :thmbup:

[Chardog1971]

i had a similar thing happen recently. I was driving home in 4wd one snowy day last spring , when all of a sudden, there was a BOOM from the front. As I pulled over, there was huge cloud of smoke as though I was on fire, (so much smoke, that the sherriff called a fire truck). Thankfully, no fire. When the smoke cleared there was oil on the ground and I wasnt able to drive it without a horrible grinding, so I had it towed away. seems like it worked in 2 wd but I havent messed with it yet. I'm hoping its just a seal. it looks like the gear oil splashed up on the exhaust. anyone had this happen? no auto hubs ,btw.
:redvan::yellowvan::greenvan: thanks

[Flecker]

Lesson in all this....

Don't have a Van with a front third in Montana. They gettin all tore up in here!!! "Hide yo kids, Hide yo wife!"

[Chardog1971]

I ended up switching the whole assembely for the one in my other van. it needs an engine rebuild and new set of hubs. lt works great now. I took the old one apart and found that the gear on the end of the driveshaft had jammed backwards into the ring gear housing. It left a bunch of gouges on part of it. there was a bunch of end play and the seal was wasted. when you pull it forward it turned freely. Question is, can the bushing and seal be replaced, problem solved? Or, is the whole thing wasted ? at least now the 4 wd works.just in time for winter.

:redvan::yellowvan::greenvan:

[Flecker]

I ended up switching the whole assembely for the one in my other van. it needs an engine rebuild and new set of hubs. lt works great now. I took the old one apart and found that the gear on the end of the driveshaft had jammed backwards into the ring gear housing. It left a bunch of gouges on part of it. there was a bunch of end play and the seal was wasted. when you pull it forward it turned freely. Question is, can the bushing and seal be replaced, problem solved? Or, is the whole thing wasted ? at least now the 4 wd works.just in time for winter.

:redvan::yellowvan::greenvan:


If the teeth aren't chipped or broken, and all you had was some lathe work from the pinion on your carrier... sure. If everything is ok, then replace the seal, put a new pinion nut on and PROPERLY stake it, and run it.

However, if theres a crack, chip or any beakage... time for a new R & P. Look the spiders over really well also.

I ran a 7.5" Toyota axle that had the pinion fall into the carrier. Looked it al over and put it back together, ran it for years.