Hello, so today in a parking lot i backed out of a spot, put it in first and when I took off I heard a loud "pop" like something breaking. I drove home, it drove fine besides tire breaking loose in drive way. Anyway I noticed on ice in my drive way I can only get the passenger tire to spin.

I was told it has a Detroit locker. (I've seen both tires spin off road I know it locked) and I'm 90% sure it wasn't welded I can turn in parking lots sharply with out chirping tires.

So when I got home I jacked up the rear with both tires off the ground. And with it in neutral, if I spin the drive line only the passenger tire spins. And I can manually spin the drivers side. Not very easy but it's not really hard either.

Anyway what I was wondering is could it be I broke the axle shaft on the drivers side? Or could there be something in the diff? Detroit locker broke? I really need help I'm not looking to put too much more money in this year.. Thanks

 

It's pretty easy to pull the axle. Take off the tire, take the brake line out of the brake cylinder for that tire. Remove the (4?) bolts, and slide the axle out. Shouldn't take much more than a half hour to have the axle shaft out.

See how it looks...

 

You think it's the axle vs the detroit? It drives fine and doesn't seem to be to noisy.. Can axle shafts break without making too much noise while driving?

 

The sound you heard could have been the locker unloading. I have a lockrite and it will make a loud bang every now and then, sounds like a u-joint exploding. The sound usually occurs right after changing directions, with light to no throttle.

 

Jason, that's what my first thought was. But I can't get the drivers side tire to sin then I spin the drive line. It's not engaging somewhere..

 

I don't know what it is. I just figure that rather than sitting around thinking about it, it might make more sense to have a look and find out for sure.

If one of the two are broken, the axle shafts are going to have to come out either way...

 

I know I'm going to have to take a look. But is dark and snowing. I'm also not too sure what to look for in the diff/locker but I'll give it a shot.

 

Put it on jackstands and lock it in gear and turn the tires by hand, if the drivers spins freely, then start pulling things off. If you pull the drivers axle shaft out and there is no sign of breakage, then its the locker

 

Both the axles and the locker are pretty easy to take out.

Once you learn how to get one axle out...the other axle is the same exact process. From there, getting the rear diff out is just a matter of unbolting the rear driveshaft from it, and taking out the bolts around the housing. Then it pulls right out.

After draining the fluid...

You don't really fix a broken rear diff...just replace it. Unless you know someone who will work on it for cheap.

 

So I took the drivers shaft out and it's broken right at the end

It's seems that right inside the housing right where it broke it a little chewed up. Will I need to replace the whole axle? It wasn't leaking. And any info on where to buy a shaft? Napa said 350 plus shipping from across the country. Not looking to spend that much. Thanks

 

Have you looked at aftermarket axle shafts? You could pick up a IFS rear axle and put your 3rd member I it.

 

Yes I've looked at some after market ones. But their 27 spline. Mines 30. (Stock I believe). And if I used an ifs the third member bolts straight up? And are their axle shafts 30 spline as well?

 

They should be 30 spline. Lockers are the same part numbers for them. Where are you looking at aftermarkets? 27 spline are 2wd I believe

 

Can't tell too much in the pic. If it's bad enough to concern the strength/safety replace it.

 

Yeah I looked at after markets. Maybe they were 30 I'll have to look again. Anyway will it hurt anything to drive with the drivers axle shaft out? So I'm not out a truck while I find a shaft

 

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to drive without the axle shaft.

 

I wouldn't chance it, might do more damage than what's already done

 

That's what I was thinking. I know these are semi float axles that the shaft holds the tire on but I haven't worked on toy axles to know for sure.

 

Okay thanks I figured I shouldn't. But I wasn't sure if it wouldn't matter.

 

Rear axles shouldn't be hard to find, they are really hard to break, I don't even know how you manages to break yours!