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Ring and pinion HELP

3K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  justdifferentials 
#1 ·
Took my truck a 2004 SE 4x4 with tow package and 135,000 miles to the shop for a vibration at highway speed and found out the passenger side rear axle bearing is bad and the seal is leaking. So they started to replace it and found that the diff had very low oil. They are now telling me that the whole rear end is bad because the gears got hot and the gears (ring and pinion) look "blued". I looked at the rear end at the shop while it was on the lift and did not see any issues, so I had them put it back together. I have had seals and bearings replaced on both side at around 50,000 miles under warranty for leaks. I have also been very good about changing rear diff fluid and using synthetic. Today I took the rear cover off to inspect on my own and took some pictures. Please look at the included pics and see if you can see any issues.
thanks in advance for any info.
 

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#2 ·
I can see some wear and discoloration, but if it was mine I would keep running it if there is no unusual noise from the differential. Watch the fluid level and condition.
 
#6 ·
I also got 2 new tires as the old ones had an uneven wear pattern (which was most likely the vibration I felt) due to the bad wheel bearing. The only driving since the repair was home from the shop, about 10 miles on the highway. The vibration is gone and there are no unusual noises. Everything seems 100% okay to me, but the shop wrote on my service ticket that they advised me not to drive because the back end could lock-up. So when I got home I wanted to check it out myself so I drained the diff and took the pics posted above.
 
#7 ·
OK- I've asked a lot of questions and you've provided more details. After reviewing the photos, here are my thoughts: while there's clearly some signs of heat and wear, it's impossible to advise you on how or when the diff might fail. Only an experienced diff builder with specs on the lash could do that. Would I take a long trip with it? No. Is it OK to drive around locally and monitor carefully? Maybe, but don't be surprised if it goes.
 
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