KyleT

Ok, so I picked up a used e-locker with Yukon 4.88's. Had a gear place check it out, they said it needed new bearings. I e-mailed the guy I bought it from and he said he had to have the bearings done once before. so it has had 3 sets of bearings in it since the 4.88's were installed (less than 10K miles). I Installed the first of jan. It was nice for about 3 weeks, then a mild humm started, only on very light throttle application. I talked to the gear guy, he said that it was the gears, as its impossible to get them exactly lined up like they were when they were broken in. I was like, ok, its not too bad of a noise Ill deal with it, fast foreward to this week, it started getting louder and louder, and humms on decel and mild accell. I cant hear it on rapid accell. I put it in the air and ran it and listened, it did it on very light accell and all decel. its getting loud and annoying. It doesnt sound like gear whine, but it is coming from the diff area. I really really dont want to pull the third out again, but this is annoying. the backlash felt tight, but the amount of play didnt make the "tick" noise, it more "cluncked"

any insight from you guys that have had rear end issues? Please help its getting on my nerves...

Pipsisiwah

Here's my experience with diff gears, although not with Toyota.

Back in 1963 I farted around with diff gears in a Ford hot rod. The beast had a set of 8.10 x 15 slicks on it, a Buick engine and a Buick Dynaflow tranny.

For some unknown reason (I was probably bored) I fiddled with the ring and pinion backlash. Of course I didn't get it right. For the first few hundred miles, the thing hummed a bit on deceleration. After a few more miles, it hummed on both acceleration AND deceleration.

Finally, the whole thing let loose on the Ventura Fwy about an hour before rush hour. I was doing about 65 or so and just "floating" when I heard a loud bang from underneath the rear of the car. The old 1953 Ford spun around just enough to bang each corner against the center divider (a chainlink fence with a cable running down the middle. After it came to a stop it was positioned across the #1 lane.

I was lucky no other vehicles were involved. I got out of the car and took a look around. Something in the 3rd member got hot enough to freeze up. This caused the entire rear axle assembly to rotate about 45 degrees up, pulling the driveshaft out of the transmission output housing.

Gravity took over and the front of the driveshaft dropped. At about 65 mph. And hit the pavement. At about 65 mph. The force was enough to jam the axle housing rearward about 3-4 inches. This jammed those big, gummy, oversize slicks into the rear of the fender well and they stopped turning. Then they did what I bought them for, namely gripped the pavement (rain grooves notwithstanding) and put me into a skid.

About that time a motorcycle cop came by, stopped, diverted traffic, etc. The beast had to be towed, of course. My Old Man looked at the damage and gave one of those disgusted looks and grin like only an Old Man can give. My Old Lady went ballistic (well, in those days that term wasn't yet in popular use but you get the meaning) when she received a bill from the Calif. Highway System to repair 65 feet of damaged center divider fence at $10 a foot.

So-o-o-o,

please think over what can happen if that differential gives up the ghost. I was lucky. You may be too.

But you might not.

Especially if it happens on the Ventura Freeway where EVERY hour is rush hour

hross14

I have got the HOWL ALSO. Does anybody now who does a complete third with housing and all? It is my only trans-po right now so i dont want alot of down time. Just want to unbolt the old and put in the new. Any suggestions as to whom i should contact? emailed one of the rear end people but they were so busy (i guess) they never got back to me. Kinda peeves me off. Anyways on vendors? Thanks Henry