I think I broke something this weekend.

[Awnrie69]

I went to sandlake this weekend and was having a blast. This morning some one stopped by camp and asked if I would help get his friend unstuck from the first bowl. Said no problem and away I went. Was working on pulling him out and heard some popping sounds when I was in 4 wheel. The guy had me go to his camp and he checked out both my hubs and he said they seemed to be ok. He thought that it might be the Spider gears? It only happened when I was in 4 wheel drive and I had no problem driving it home in 2 wheel. So if this is the case... how hard is it to fix and what is required to do it? any and all help or suggestions would be great!!!

 

[SteveL]

pull the front cover and assess the damage. could be spiders if your lucky. If they go they like to take the diff with em. Also the gears if it ran for a while with metal chunks floating around. You may as well plan on a bearing kit too. If it's a dana 30 may be time to buy a 44. If already a 44 upgrade to at least a true trak.

 

[Awnrie69]

I pretty much stopped after I heard the noise. if it is the spiders is it a pretty easy fix? At what point should I look at getting the dana 44 and what are the benefits. Do you know what the costs may be.

 

[wildbill]

%) %) %) I did that raceing and it was a broken LF axle at the ujoint look there first and then you can pull the front cover and look at the spider gears real easy to replace if that is all that is bad. A lot of the time when w spider go's a pc. will get into the ring and brake a tooth or two off of it. good luck hope for the best.%) %) %) Bill %)

 

[68beast]

My buddy had the spider gears go on him in his rearend, thats about the time he moved a dana 60 under there. I swaped in a full width, f150 dana 44 for about 600bucks I think it was. they are a little easier to find and a little cheaper than an eb 44. But you would need to put in a rearend at the same time (to keep it from lookin really weird) you could probably pick a rear up for about 100 bucks.

 

[todcolvin]

when you find what broke let us know. If it something simple there are alot of us with dana 30 parts for cheap.

The dana 44 swap is fairly simple if you can find one with the same gear ratio.

 

[huged29]

The dana 30 spiders are really easy to break so it is a pretty good chance that is what happened. I broke mine in the snow with almost no throttle.

 

[Bronco Ben]

It ain't my boyfriends truck

nice quote!

I too have the dana 30 front end, and I'm not likeing the post with "breaking it in the snow" under almost no throttle. But I guess we have to upgrade sometime. Hopefully you will be able to find one at a reasonable price, I guess that is one thing I need to start hunting for myself as well. I really would like to keep the 30 but if its gonna cost the same amount to upgrade to a 44 I guess I had just better do that!
Bronco Ben

 

[Awnrie69]

So when I get in there, what specifically should I be looking for? What steps will I need to take to investigate this. It is all new to me and I am not really mechanically inclined but I am definitely willing to learn. The only reason i am thinking spider gears is because that is what someone said who heard it and checked out my hubs after it hapened.

 

[huged29]

Just unbold the diff cover and pop it off. Make sure you have a oil pan ore something underneath as a bunch of gear oil will come spilling out. Once you open that you should be able to see if something is broken. If it is the spider gears or the actual gears you will probably see chunks of them at the bottom of the diff. If you rotate them all the way around and nothing looks broken then it could be the axles themselves, but they wouldn't really make popping sounds if they broke. Once you open it up it will be pretty easy to see if something isn't right.

 

[Awnrie69]

This is a silly question I am sure but I don't know the answer. Wouldn't it be obvious if I broke the axle? Would I still be able to drive with a broken axle? I appreciate all of your help.. Can't ait to get in there and see what happened. If anyone else has other tips or suggestions I am all ears...

 

[brewdude]

Yes you can drive with a broken axle shaft, the tire spins on a spindle not the axle shaft.

 

[wildbill]

;D ;D ;D Yes you can drive with a brokin axle in the front and if you have a posi it will still pull good just one wheel bin there and done that and it was a 44 good luck. Bill %)

 

[67EB_in_619]

when they say 'broken axle' they mean the inner axle shaft.

HTH

Let us know what you find.

 

[Dawg_enD]

Hey Awnrie... is yours a baby blue uncut with a 2" lift?

If so I met you (and your boyfriend) at SOB. I was in the green one that came to help you get unstuck when the T case didnt' get all the way in.

Not that you needed my help.. you got out all by yourselves.

Just curious. Good luck with the frontend.

-Dawg

 

[grizzman]

Re; I broke something

This is the deal hoss; I had the EXACT same thing happen in my 68! you have probably removed about two teeth from your ring gear and two teeth from your pinion. you have also probably split your factory cast iron carrier all the way around the circumfrence (excuse my spelling). My answer was to purchase an ARB which is atleast 35% stronger than the factory carrier and a whole lot cheaper than an axle upgrade! If you only put your foot into the skinny pedal when neccesary and are not pushing excess amounts of horse power ( I have a 302 out of a 68 Stang bored 40 over and 33X12.5 tires) then your 30 will live for a long time with this set up.

 

[Awnrie69]

Hey Awnrie... is yours a baby blue uncut with a 2" lift?

If so I met you (and your boyfriend) at SOB. I was in the green one that came to help you get unstuck when the T case didnt' get all the way in.

Not that you needed my help.. you got out all by yourselves.

Just curious. Good luck with the frontend.

-Dawg

No that was not me. She has about 5.5 suspension lift and runs 35 swampers. She is the stock marron/purple color. We camp immediatey to teh right of the sign up booth. Were you planning on going this year?

 

[broncoman1972]

She has about 5.5 suspension lift and runs 35 swampers.

Sounds like time for a 44. I have one to sell, but shipping to Or would kill.. Bronco Ben, my sis lives in Spanish Fort. If you are interested in the 44 maybe we could meet up....

 

[Dawg_enD]

Yep, definitely planning on going this year. I haven't sorted out camping yet... I'll sweat it later. =D

 

[airman]

when you were pulling them out of the hole were your wheels turned? Thats how I bought new axle shafts. It was a pretty clean break right behind the wheel at the u-joint.I would look there first before I pulled anything off. Pull with wheel straight or better yet let a winch pull for you. Or be completely retarded like I was and pull with winch cable while in reverse with wheels turned in a hard spot.