Well you can let us know what it did for you. I have a feeling this thread had a lot of rhetorical questions in it...

 

Yeah, definitely a waste of time, money, and effort in terms of improving gas mileage.

The one and only way that I see it making even a little bit of sense is if the front diff is so far gone that simply having it there in the first place makes the truck undriveable.

Even then, it's sketchy. The front diff can be replaced fairly reasonable. And it's an easy job.

My gut feeling is that making the truck safe to drive with those parts removed would end up costing roughly the same, or maybe more, than just replacing it with a boneyard part.....

 

exactly the point we were trying to make in this thread

 

Let us know how it works. I'm definitely curious.

My gut feeling is that you don't get 500 miles out of it, and the damage it does will end up costing 10x what you're looking at now. (Not to mention medical bills....)

But then, that's just a gut feeling. Like I said, I'm curious to hear how it works out.

Personally, I think you're creating a deathtrap, and I not only don't want to ride in it, I don't want to be on the same road that this unsafe vehicle is on.

 

i agree 100%, very well said

 

Do you actually do much work to a car? Do you know how things work. If you remove the front diff along with the cv shafts and the front driveshaft the vehicle should be as sound as it is now. The OP is broke and looking for a way to keep driving his D which has a bad front diff. The wheel bearing will act the same without the axle run through them. I would worry far less about a wheel falling off than what could happen if the diff bearings sieze with everything connected.

 

As a matter of fact, yes. I've been doing my own work for the better part of 30 years now. Also been doing work for other people who know their stuff when they get stumped. (And, yes, I gut stumped myself from time to time....)

A few years back I had a D with a trashed front diff, was also in a tight financial spot at the time, and considered doing exactly what is being suggested. After getting things disassembled and looking over how that hub assembly is put together, there's no way in hell I'd drive it that way.

As far as being in the vehicle when the front diff seizes up an blows, I've been through that. It's certainly unpleasant and makes all sorts of noises that nobody wants to hear their vehicle make, but you don't lose the ability to steer and you can still pull safely to the side of the road.

If a wheel comes off, maybe you pull over safely, maybe you don't. But even if you do where does that wheel roll to? 45 mph through someone's front yard where the kids are playing? Could happen.

Like I said a couple times already, it's entirely possible I'm wrong on this, but I've taken a good hard look at the components being discussed and my gut feeling is it's not safe, so I can't in good conscience recommend someone try it. And believe me, I understand probably more than most what it's like to be low on cash and need to get something done cheap.

 

Now that I am reading the whole thread I am with Corey and Sharps. I Dont recommend this action. I know too what it is like to be low on funds, but that is one area where I wouldnt take any chances. Forget about having passengers in your vehicle, the damage could cause damage to other vehicles and cause more money for you. Again it is at your own risk but I would say fix it up right and be done with it. Or at the very least send us a photo of your D so we can give you a extra wide berth on the roads. Think of this too and I am surprised Indy D hasnt chimed in, if something were to happen, accident, further damage etc and a investigation revealed that you modified drivetrain components and made the vehicle outside design limits they could easily use that to deny claim.

 

Oh yeah I used to be an insurance adjuster as a summer job and forget about an insurance claim if you do that and something happens. You'll be liable for 100% of the damages on your vehicle as well as anything you destroyed/damaged.

This is kind of a do it at your own risk kind of thing...

 

Well I hate to argue with everyone here, but there is no harm in removing the cv axels from the hubs and taking out the front driveline. We do this kind of stuff all the time on junk cars we get to off road. The vehicle will still be as safe to drive as before and the wheels will not come off. The cv axels are made to piviot and extend, that won't do anything to keep the front wheel hub in place. As for the actual inner wheel bearing race collapsing, that's next to impossible, if it collapsed on the cv axel end it would be pinched in there.

I will agree it would be stupid to do it just for MPGs and if you take out your diff. you'll have to take your truck apart twice, but at least you don't have to buy another diff. and just take it to a shop for a rebuild, unless you find a cheap used one at a boneyard for less than a rebuild.

I'm not exactly sure how similar the dana 35 (98-00) and the chysler 8.0 (01+) are but I do know the dana 35 I have is a well built diff. for on road use and will last a very long time, but when you start pushing it and running it hard in AWD or 4WD (usually in the winters) it doesn't take much to mess it up.