The root cause of this problem was a bad pinion seal, which allowed the gear lube to leak out. the damage comes over time... 5 or so years in my case... but if you don't replace the seal and fill the lube, the differential will run dry like mine did. Do yourself a favour and replace the seal if you see it leaking, it is a realatively cheap and easy fix... relative to a complete rear end overhaul! The first item to go was the rear pinion bearing which wore out and allowed the pinion an excessive amount of slop. The first symptom was a noticeable and increasing level of whine in the rear end. When I popped the diff cover the inside was bone dry, with a nice pile of steel dust clinging to the particle magnet at the bottom of the case. Not what you want to see. At that point I decided the ring and pinion were probably worn beyond limits, as were likely the carrier and pinion bearings. What the hell, might as well replace the axle bearings also. The OEM ring and pinion are outrageously priced, but I found a slightly used set on eBay for a couple hundred... which is also in the price range of a new aftermarket set. I wasn't too convinced of the aftermarket quality, either way, buyer beware. An SKF master bearing kit and axle bearings were had for another couple hundred and change. You also need a bearing adjuster for Chrysler differentials, and an inch/lbs dial or beam torque wrench that will read 0-60 inch/lbs (20-30 is the target) Get a factory manual, setting the bearing preload, pinion depth and backlash are critical to a successful repair. A good selection of tools, including a 3/4 inch drive breaker bar and 250 ft/lbs torque wrench are needed, as is a heavy hammer to beat the old bearings out, and new ones carefully in place. This is a major job for the average DIY but certainly not impossible. You don't need ALL the special tools, but a fair amount of ingenuity will be required. Otherwise be prepared to shell out at least a couple grand on a repair, or maybe a little less on a used rear axle. The $600 or so I spent included used ring and pinion, 6 bearings, seal, new ring gear bolts, the bearing adjuster (a must) an inch/lbs torque wrench (can't use the clicker type) gear oil, and shipping. I know my rear diff is as good as, or better than new.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The root cause of this problem was a bad pinion seal, which allowed the gear lube to leak out. the damage comes over time... 5 or so years in my case... but if you don't replace the seal and fill the lube, the differential will run dry like mine did. Do yourself a favour and replace the seal if you see it leaking, it is a realatively cheap and easy fix... relative to a complete rear end overhaul! The first item to go was the rear pinion bearing which wore out and allowed the pinion an excessive amount of slop. The first symptom was a noticeable and increasing level of whine in the rear end. When I popped the diff cover the inside was bone dry, with a nice pile of steel dust clinging to the particle magnet at the bottom of the case. Not what you want to see. At that point I decided the ring and pinion were probably worn beyond limits, as were likely the carrier and pinion bearings. What the hell, might as well replace the axle bearings also. The OEM ring and pinion are outrageously priced, but I found a slightly used set on eBay for a couple hundred... which is also in the price range of a new aftermarket set. I wasn't too convinced of the aftermarket quality, either way, buyer beware. An SKF master bearing kit and axle bearings were had for another couple hundred and change. You also need a bearing adjuster for Chrysler differentials, and an inch/lbs dial or beam torque wrench that will read 0-60 inch/lbs (20-30 is the target) Get a factory manual, setting the bearing preload, pinion depth and backlash are critical to a successful repair. A good selection of tools, including a 3/4 inch drive breaker bar and 250 ft/lbs torque wrench are needed, as is a heavy hammer to beat the old bearings out, and new ones carefully in place. This is a major job for the average DIY but certainly not impossible. You don't need ALL the special tools, but a fair amount of ingenuity will be required. Otherwise be prepared to shell out at least a couple grand on a repair, or maybe a little less on a used rear axle. The $600 or so I spent included used ring and pinion, 6 bearings, seal, new ring gear bolts, the bearing adjuster (a must) an inch/lbs torque wrench (can't use the clicker type) gear oil, and shipping. I know my rear diff is as good as, or better than new.
- John K., Windsor, ON, canada