Yeah it's always been my initial reactions to situations where I don't know what to do. If I knew how to do this work on my own, it'd be no sweat. It's just tough when your getting these high prices from mechanics, and your not even sure if they are telling the truth. But yeah, I've had to deal with some of the worst case scenario issues with this truck, I'm hoping this will be the end of them. But I'm cool now. I've already accepted I won't be getting my truck back for awhile again, so getting it back in a timely manner has left my mind. Now I have some people helping me out, and I'm going back there tonight and taking a ton of pictures of the rear diff. It may take awhile but my goal is to findest the cheapest way out of this. I would much rather not spend $1,000 on this job. Right now I only have two hours with these guys, and I want to find the way that can get me out of this shop the cheapest way possible. So bare with me folks, I know it can get a little exaggerated at times, but it's only because I've never dealt with this kind of stuff before, and I really can't afford to be getting ripped off. So I hear what your all saying about the drama, but it's cool now. If we can all work together and help me get out of this alive, then that will be the goal. I'll have a ton of pictures tonight for you guys to look at.

 

Underated line, It's going in my sig for a week at least.

 

Why do you keep repeating yourself? You have to know by now all you need is the open carrier, and you will be able to get one off of pavementsucks.com or pirate for like 50 bucks plus shipping. Unless someone on this site sends one to you, and it looks like they might.

You'll be fine. Your truck will be fine. It's not going to cost an arm and a leg. The worst thing you could do right now is get anxious or impatient and just say "**** it" and let the mechanic do whatever and charge you all kinds of money.

As for selling the truck... I woulnd't reccomend it at this point, but it would make some new owner very happy that his 7 year old truck with 100,000 miles on it is 60% brand new. He won't have to worry about doing all this crap again till 200,000 miles

 

In no way shape or form would I put this truck up for sale. It is one of the sweetest pickup trucks I have ever seen, and I am a proud owner of it. If I wasn't, I wouldn't own it still. And I talk about my brothers truck because it is one sweet powerhouse of a truck. You don't have to be a Ford lover to know a badass truck when you see it, so anybody that gets offended about my excitement of a sweet truck that was just a rusty plow truck when we bought can look the other way. And it's not really that simple either. If the housing is infact ****ed up, I don't want to waste money throwing an open carrier into the truck, and then ****ing up all the good parts up, HENCE why I'm taking a ton of pictures tonight when they close the shop....As I always say, I write about 10% of the words on these threads, the other 90% is a mix of unneeded commentary and some good help. So don't ask me why my threads are long, it's the people writing in them that make them long....some useful, some not so much so. I love fords, I love dodges, hell I love any truck that is badass. I'm not a narrow minded person, I can admit when a truck is SWEET, that being a chevy, dodge, ford, and even the newer toyota tundras...Some of you guys are like little kids the way you get all so defensful when a different brand comes up, grow the hell up. I made a post on pavementsucks.com, and I've called around some offroad shops. Basically looking for the quickest way to get an open carrier for this axle, and a new bearings kit for it as well, and then just would like to have the parts put back into the axle and proceed with life. Really sucks not having the truck. Started a new excavation job and I don't even have my truck, so I've been having to pay my brother for all his gas, hate being truckless, will be a good feeling when i get the beast back onto the road. Ok got to get back to work, but I'll have pix for you guys to look at tonight, later!

 

Ok, inspection is complete for that rear end. Pictures have been taken, and specs are this. It's a heavy duty 9.25" LSD rear axel, 3.545 gears, with load capactiy of X, when X = 1200<X<1300 lbs. After total inspection, everything looks good. Pinion bearing is good, side bearings are good, I didn't check wheel bearings but wheel bearings are $40 to replace if need be, no worn axel shafts, no serious scarring to any gears, and only a few things missing. Missing parts are pinion shaft, pinion shaft lock bolt, passenger side bearing race cap, and bearing race cap lock bolts. However, all that is interchangeable from your old rear end unit.

If you need it all, it's waiting for you. Although, if it's just your LSD that's busted then just take the complete carrier right now. The LSD carrier I got is still looking good. The clips and clutches are all intact and look like they are still solid. I haven't taken it apart, but I can get a buddy to help me if you want me to give that a serious inspection. Shipping is less then $100 for it through the postal service since it wheighs less then 70 lbs and you can use this thing within a weeks time. Have it delivered, install your ring gear on it, throw it in your rear end, put the thickest fresh fluid you can find and the required friction modifier into the differential, and that's it. Job well done.

Just after you install it, get a clean bucket to catch your new fluid, and check it every 3000 miles when you change your oil since it's used. Make sure this one doesn't start to come apart like your old one. Then if all is well throw, your fresh fluid back into the thing, save up, and get yourself either a good brand new mechanical locker, an open differential, or a complete DANA 60.

 

Now I just gotta figure out how to upload all the images without them overloading this page with data...

 

Dude, even I can no longer defend you...

At 100k miles it inst that big of a deal to have tranny and rear end problems... You have no idea how that truck was treated. Trust me, its not at all hard to completely KILL a truck with 10,000 miles its all about how its treated and tooken care of.

You can buy a ford, personaly I cant see ANYTHING good about them... im extremely suprised you have had good luck with them. Fords are junk, period. not that the dodge as anything special, NO production made vehicle is all that damn durable. I belive 100% the the 2nd gen dodge truck will take more **** than any halfway modern truck... sure they have their issues.

And to say 100,000 miles on a ford is nothing is rediculous and is one of the most ignorant things i have ever herd. Come check out my dads truck, 108k trannys slipping through 1st, steering wheel is so loose that you would swear it would fall off, non stop electrical issues , check out 3 duddes at my work's f250 and f- 350 all with less then 90k 1 went through a tranny, others have had like 1000 glowplugs or wahtever it is they use, 2nd sets of ball joints, one told me that he honestly can say his truck spends more time in the shop than its been driven. AND HE IS A VERY GOOD RACECAR ENGINE BUILDER!!! he knows how to take care of stuff, and doesnt beat on his vehicles., check out my friends dad 77k tranny died, and the headgasket blew, let water in the cyliner and hydrolocked killing the motor. i SAW this happen, i was wakling into school and there was this idleing ford f150, i hear this BANG and then it sounded liek a tractor, i talked to the dude... the SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE HEAD!!! and he said it was the 2nd time! i looked it up and its halfway common. my frineds ranger has 80k and the 4wd doesnt work, i cant think of anymore from the top of my head but im just trying to make a point... fords have problems like any other vehicle... if not worse.

You can find people that have had bad luck with dodges, chevys, toyotas the list goes on... unless you have a TANK you can expect things to break from abuse or wahtever, and im willing to bet a TANK will not get over 30k on an engine.

Fords may have some good models, that are extremly good, and dodge and chevy... but no matter how good it is it can have issues.

Im not trying to bash you or wahtever, i just saw a few of these posts in heere, held my tougne for a while and now i just could not take anymore.

 

Ok, went over to the shop tonight. The truck was sitting out in the parking lot. So like a sketchball, I crawled underneath the truck with my 1/2" rachet and took the diff. cover off. When I took the cover off, everything had been reinstalled, so sadness prevailed, and I couldn't take any shots of the housing. I don't know if the pictures serve any purpose at this juncture, but I figured I'd just post them up anyways just incase.

Anyways, I've come up with a new solution. I called one of my friends that I used to go to school with, he does all of his own work, and is extemely mechanically inclined. I asked him if he knew much about rear ends and differentials, and he said he did. I asked him if he'd be willing to help me install an open carrier on the truck and reinstall all the parts. I told him I'd paid him $100 for his help. So he is down to help me when I get the open carrier. There is a guy on pavementsucks.com who will sell me an open carrier for $50. So Monday I'm squaring up with the shop, and having my truck towed to my house. I'm going to have the rear end pushed into my garage. Then, when the open carrier gets here, I'll have my friend come over and help me get it all back together. I'm very happy he's willing to help, plus I will learn a thing or two, and save hundreds of dollars. Especially if this rear end doesn't work out, I won't have hundreds sunk into it. Anyways, here are the pictures. I guess I was surpised everything was reinstalled. Would that mean anything? Also, if addition to the open carrier, what else should I need to do the job? A seal and bearings kit? Anything else?? Thanks guys.


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[IMG]local://upfiles/61042/432B89DDC4364EF98273ED88610267F9.jpg[/IMG]

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From the pictures I can tell that your bearing race cap lock bolts are missing. Without them it's quite possible and very likely that the bearing adjusters will come loose and you'll have serious issues. Have those numbskulls at the shop put those 2 things in your hand so you can install them before you drive the truck. Good thing you took those pictures. If you didn't, that would have been a serious headace.

 

Thanks Slomojo. I'm really glad I'm getting the truck out of there, I'm just fed up with people taking advantage all the time. I think businesses need a good smack in the face on how to run a shop. They think by whacking you is going to get them money, but really if they kept it consistent all the time, they'd have people come back all the time. Instead you get these guys who just have a number in their head and they'll do anything to reach that goal and it's a shame. If my friend does a good job on this differential job, I will defiantly try to learn a lot from him. Is there anything else you think I'll need for the job. I am buying the open carrier from pavementsucks.com. I need a bearings and seal kit correct? Was there anything else that I'll need to do the job right?