Right... That's the culprit. If the keepers were in there, they wouldn't have backed themselves out.

 

Don't need those locking tabs if you locktight. None of mine have backed out ever (yet).

I bet they WERE tight, but the ring gear wasn't flat (Even bigger problem). When it went flat on the flange, the bolts were no longer under tension and walked out. Threadlock would have at least kept 'em in there, but loose so they would all snap off (eventually)

 

Here is what Andy said, and I quote:

"Well, from the pics it looks like there was locktight on the bolts(plus I remember putting red locktight 972 on it when we installed the detroit. Bring it by and let me take a look but it sounds like the diff ran low on fluid, got real hot, and that broke the locktight loose. At that point the the shock loads from the axle wrap +4 whleeing probably caused the bolts to start backing out.

Bring it all by or tell Will to call me.

Andy"

I think he's going to try and burn me.

 

Plain and simple, he is trying to make it look like "it's your fault". He most likely going to squirm his way out of it.

James

 

I know. Thats the kind of I'm talking about.

I'm about to quit this sport.

 

Just be straight up with him and tell him, you never notice any leakage so therefore the fluid couldn't have gotten THAT low, I mean my diff fluid has stayed in place for the past 60k and hasn't change one bit so...just be calm and tell him that you don't feel like he's doing a very good job of helping you out.

Fink

 

I know I don't think it was running low on fluid at all. Look at the amount still left in the pan. The hole in the pumpkin has been there for about 2 weeks....Besides, thats just seems like a cheesy way to try and worm out of this.

 

Besides, the bearings will fail first with the heat he mentioned before those ring bolts would ever come out due to the lack or no fluid. That diff would be singing first most likely if you were really low on fluid.

James

 

Yess, thats the kind of ammo I need!! Keep it coming!!

 

I see a few things wrong with what he said. For one, ALL of loctite's threadlocker number begin with a 2. The reds are 262, 272 etc.. 272 being high temp good up to 450 degrees. Also, if the fluid did get hot enough to melt the loctite then that says there was some major friction going on in there. If this was the case I would think you would see some other signs of it. Was there any abnormal wear on the ring and pinion?

All of the non high temp red loctite is still good up to 300 degrees. I highly doubt that it got that hot.

Here are the loctite numbers.

222MS Low Strength Threadlocker
242 Threadlocker Medium Strength
243 Threadlocker Oil Resistant/Medium Strength
2440 Threadlocker Primerless/Medium Strength
246 Threadlocker High Temp./Medium Strength
Loctite QuickStix 248 Threadlocker, Medium Strength
262 Threadlocker Medium to High Strength
266 Threadlocker High Temp./High Strength
Loctite QuickStix 268 Threadlocker, High Strength
Threadlocker 270 - Maximum Strength Stud Locker
271 Threadlocker High Strength
272 Threadlocker High Temp./High Strength
2760 Threadlocker Primerless/High Strength
277 Threadlocker High Strength
290 Threadlocker Wicking Grade
294 Threadlocker High Temp, Wicking Grade

 

Yes, I doubt that it got that hot. I will have information tomorrow.

 

Just a few questions. If he did the work then he should have been the one to put the diff fluid in correct? And if the fluid was leaking that means it was either coming out the axle seals of the diff itself correct? Did you notice and fluid coming out of the seals or the diff? Where else could it have gone? If it did come out of the diff, then he did not seal it up correctly right?

Maybe I'm way off here, but these are the questions I would ask.

 

There was plenty of fluid in it. It sat for almost 2 weeks.

 

Id get a lawyer

No amount of physical abuse could cause that kind of mayhem. Some one forgot to torque/loctite the ring gear bolts and there is no getting around it. That ring or pinion should have stripped every damn tooth off before something like that happened from physical abuse. When you abuse things they generally BREAK they don't just come unscrewed! Any over heating would usually occur in the first few hundred miles on a new gear set. The fact that he removed the ring gear at a later date to install the locker means that there was no damage due to heat up to that point or he would have noted it. Just installing a locker on a used gear set should not have created any new break in procedure to generate heat provided it was reassembled properly. When removing the carrier to install a locker like the Detroit all you can really adjust or screw up is the backlash unless you want to pull the pinion and there is no need on a locker install.

 

No if, ands, or buts.....it's their fault that the bolts loosened. Is that the original metric Japanese bolts or are those American? What does the head of the bolt say? Just curious.
And what brand is that ring gear? (look on the ring)

I see that the oil has good color as it sits in the bottom of the diff.

Are you sure the Detroit is warped? If the holes are a little chingered I bet it can be salvaged.
ZUK

 

Blame the Vain.....

 

Hey Zuk -

I was looking on your website and on the Aussie locker install it appears that the clips weren't reinstalled. Are they needed (or not) when using locktite and proper torque?

Just curious...

 

That's correct. I always use blue loctite on CLEAN threads to avoid any chance of "that" happening. If the truth be known, loctite is optional as long as the 10 bolts are torqued to 70~75 real foot/pounds per a real torque wrench being used. They fell out simply because they were not torqued anywhere's near the correct spec. Plain and simple.

I'm hoping RocRunner will resond with the bolt info I requested in the other post. ZUK

 

The top of the bolts read:

R A
10 9

and all of them say that. Yukon ring and pinion.

 

Jason----I give you the option of sending it to me in Arizona to go thru the whole thing and do a pro job on it......for half my usual rate. I might do a link on it. It might be very interesting all the things I find out of spec. If it arrives to me all taken apart then I won't be able to tell what was done right and wrong. ZUK