I posted the other day about a rear axle housing swap from a 94 v6 4x4 pickup to a axle housing from a 4cyl. My nightmare just came true. I just pulled into the driveway and observed oil spray all over my tailgate. Yep, you guessed it the axle housing has rotted thru and is pissing out fluid everywhere. Parked the truck and that's all she wrote for now. I have to get the spare axle housing I have from my mom's place, but don't know if everything will match up. I'd have to use my differential with 4.56's, but are the splines on the axles the same as well as everything else on the donor housing? I'd like to swap everthing but the differential, ie brakes, axles, housing etc as that rear end only had 27,000 miles on it.

 

everything should be the same. I swapped my v6 stuff from my 92 runner into a housing from a 87 4cyl truck during my rear leaf conversion.

 

Did the 4Runner have ABS? Any problems with the swap? Thanks

 

I've never even heard of a rusted out axle housing... ever.

 

I agree with rockota.

 

I hate to say it, but I guess that makes me the first. The rear end is leaking oil like a siv around the backside of the diff housing. It just started this afternoon, I had noticed it was badly flaked with rust and was a bit concerned, for good reason I guess!

 

It could be a leaky seal, to find out get a hammer and knock the snot out of the diff with it. If it is rusted through it will be quite obvious.

 

 

I have run across two now. The first was on a buddies project samurai and the second was some new guy in the club had a 3RD GEN with a housing full of holes! :o

 

Yes, my 4runner had ABS. Since i swapped in a built 4cyl third, there was no place for the rear wheel speed sensor. I disconnected it. That caused my ABS light to go on.

I've heard that if you connect the sensor to the wiring harness and just tie it up out of the way that the ABS light will go off. I misplaced my sensor during my SAS so I'm SOL for now.

 

places that are cold and the city uses lots of salt on the roads i can believe axle housings rusting through.

If you ever have your axles off, sand blast and powder coat or rustoleoum the housings. Or just keep your undercarriage clean, i.e. spraying it off when you get home from a muddy trip.

Regular maintnence keeps ˟˟˟˟˟ from rusting!

*this front axle i just picked up, intact complete, hub to hub had about an inch or more of oil, mud, and 21yrs of crap on it behind the birf's on the steering arms and anywhere else it could collect. Got most of it off and i can see the rust underneath, nothing more than surface but if this was an area where the roads got more salt wouldnt surprise me if the damage was worse!

 

Well, I cleaned it up real good and wire brushed it down. There are two pinholes in the rear. Hitting with a hammer gave a nice metallic sound everywhere, but where the pinholes are. I thought about welding a bead over them, but it'll just be a bandaid. I'm sure many more will soon follow. Looks like it'll be a swap, I just picked up a set of new U bolts and the seals are on the way. What fun!!

 

i am going thru this situation right now. i picked up a '92 4runner. everything "seemed" OK. i went thru it, flushed and replaced all the fluids (coolant,trans,diff).

last night after a long test drive, i noticed the rear diff was leaking...but from the top! so i've been racking my brain for an inexpensive solution that will get me thru the winter.

i found a thread on here where the guy,after wire brushing and prepping the metal, used jb weld to close up the pin holes. i think this will help me thru the winter.

to the OP, how did your's work out?

**edit** i knew this thread was kind of old..but whatev

 

I have a crazy picture in my mind of an 8in housing with a swiss chees bottom... Pics please.

 

they rot out at the top! i'll go snap a pic..

 

I live in new hampshire...winter + road salt. We see this frequently, it's only a matter of time.

That's pretty much what we do at work for a hack/cob repair.

Drain the diff, then scrape all the loose flakes off. Use brake clean to rise all the gear oil off so that the epoxy will adhere properly. Coat the areas leaking liberally in epoxy, JB weld will probably work. Let it dry for however long, then if you want for good measure POR15 the rest of the axle.

If it's not too far gone that will get you through for a while. Good luck.

 

my rear backing plates are cracking and falling off. Salt sucks.

 

just an update.. even though this isn't my thread(although i did resurrect it).

i wire brushed my entire rear diff housing. I knocked off all the oil soaked scales of rust, cleaned it real good with mineral spirits and was relieved to find only 2 tiny pin holes just above what looked like a welded on bracket of sorts(maybe for the brake line?).

i generously applied JB weld, and am now waiting for it to dry.

i'll post pics later. i promise..lol