i bought a 3cyl GEO to do burnouts in LMAO - its on the floor daily, and i paid $100 for it...45MPG!... until i buy the rest of my transmission components for my truck to do boosted launches in...

 

Let me clarify some things. When he said the housing was destroyed, I assume he meant the carrier housing, not the differential housing. Is this correct? Based on the parts you just listed (spider gears, carrier, bearings), sounds like he is talking about the carrier housing. Otherwise, he would be saying you need a whole new rear axle, and I don't think that is what he means.

The spider gears are inside the carrier (inside the limited slip). Sounds to me like all you need is a new carrier (either open or limited slip), bearings, and an install kit (which may include the bearings). If your ring gear and pinion gear are in ok shape, then you can just reuse those (staying at 4.10 ratio). Or else, you could have him put all new gears in too (4.56 or 4.88), plus a new carrier (open or LS), and you would need to do new gears in the front too (since it is a 4x4). I think it is obvious what the cheaper route would be though.

I bet your dad is pissed since your having yet another issue with this truck.

 

No, I understand what this truck is now since I had the transmission replaced. I drive the truck slow all the time, and every now and then I'll have some fun, but defiantly haven't done and peel outs. I do love this truck. But yes Reid, he is pissed. I'm sick too. I've already put so much work into this truck though, it's hard to say get rid of it at this point. I wouldn't ever get anything back in return for what it is now. My brother is the same deal, we've put so much work into that truck that we can't get rid of it, it's just not worth it. These two ****ing trucks of ours are the family ********. We take care of our vehicles the most, yet they have way more problems than any of our other vehicles because they are big, they are stupid, and they are abnormal. It just really sucks. I just finished that transmission job. What's next, the engine? I mean, it's easy to say stop here and sell it, but give this truck $1500 roughly, and it should be perfect from here....BUT, who knows what could go next ya know? Uh, I'm tired of having to deal with the bullcrap from the previous owner, that's all I've done is just try to make the truck to my customs since I've gotten it. Now I have much too much invested in this pickup to just give it away to get some average vehicle, I'd be miserable ya know? If I do get this fixed, I'm extra grandpa. I already have PTSD from the transmission lol, now it's extra engaged at this point.

He was making it pretty clear to me that the housing fo the differential was destroyed. He said I needed a new rear end, does that mean axles too? Or can you use the same axle on a different differential? Uh, very stressful. So yeah, I'm going there tomorrow morning around 10am. He already has it onthe lift. I'll go there with my dad as well. I'll see what exactly he's talking about, and what we can do to fix it. All I know is that if I get this all fixed, it's either going to be an open differential, or it has to be a Detroit/Auburn. I can't **** around with this ****ty stock dodge ****. I'm pretty pissed off right now. My dad is probably going to make me get rid of this truck and I seriouslly cannot blame him. IT's a beautiful truck though, and some smuck would only have to fix the rear end and then they would have my beautiful black monster truck, I cannot bare that thought..

 

I understand what you are saying about you can't get rid of it now because you have soo much into it. At this point though you'd be better cutting your losses if you want to do it before you get to the point I am with mine. Now after this there still are a few things I can point out on yours I'd fix before it would be close to perfect as I'm sure you could on mine. It just doesn't seem to stop with these trucks. I wouldn't count on it being perfect if you fix this but it should be better. Just like I said when you had the transmission done and thought it would be perfect. Take a camera with you and take some pictures tomorrow so we can see what the deal is. Like said the actual axle housing rarely needs to be replaced so that makes me thing either something really bad happend or he is talking about something else or you need a second opinion on it. Thats why I say post up some pictures. I think that might could be the best thing you could do. How long do you have to make a decision here?

 

Ok, I will go with a camera tomorrow. I don't know, I guess I have a little bit of time. But I have no vehicle now. My dad's van blew an oil pump and the engine died, so we had to give him our work van. So now it's just my brothers truck (which is having an ideling issue), my other brothers gaay Saab (which is also having an ideling issue right now)...and then my big dumb stupid candyland truck sitting in the shop asking for more $$$. So I don't know, I'll be vehicless for about 2 weeks at this rate. And I'll need help someway to pay for this because I have about $350 in my account right now. This also means I am not getting laid this weekened either lol. So great, I am ****ed. I'm pissed that dumb lsd fell apart like that, I wasn't ready to pay for something like this. This **** just makes me sick. To me, modding a vehicle is fine, but just looks. When you start touching **** like the body, suspension, gears etc...then it's just more prone to failing like this truck is. I'm an idiot for buying a lifted truck. Anyone who lifts a truck usually is into slamming their truck around. All I did was buy a beautiful looking truck at the tailend of its legacy, and I've just been trying to pick the pieces up. I've done a great job as well, but apparently not enough. I was already embarassed about the transmission. Now this, please. The last thing I want to do is be paying a loan on a transmission on a truck that I don't even have. So I am keeping this truck. I am getting this rear end fixed someway, somehow, and I am driving like a ****ing grandma. The engine runs phenomenal on this truck fortunately. I don't know, I'm stressed. I owe $3800 on the transmission. I ower $3,000 towards my aunt still as well for the truck. I could have a brand new truck right now for all of this. Say maybe a 2008 Toyota Tundra. Hates Toyotas, but yep they last...

 

If your rear end blew up bad enough that it damaged the differential housing itself, you would have definelty been hearing noises (which I thought you said you hadn't heard anything), and you probably wouldn't have even been able to drive the truck at all. I really don't think that is what is going on here. Will wait to see pictures though.

 

Plain and simple...drag it to the yotas and get a 2nd opinon! Too many if but and wtfs?!?!! What your saying and hear does not match up what he is saying. Silver is right is you diff housing itself was messed up you would of heard it but you said in the beginning you hear nothing or felt nothing.

Get at least a 2nd pair of eyes on it.

 

FIRST AND FOREMOST! TAKE SOME PICTURES OF THIS REAR END THAT IS BEYOND REPAIR THAT HAS YET TO CATCH YOUR ATTENTION EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE HAD THE TRUCK FOR MORE THEN A YEAR AND HAVE BEEN BUSTING BURNOUTS WITHOUT A HICCUP AS OF YET!

And why in the world would you tow it across the street? Is it not possible to ask one of the obviously more experienced guys from the yota yard across the way to come look at your truck for 20 bucks? It's just across the street... Tell them the situation and simply ask if the thing can be made into an open diff without having to worry too much about it so long as you don't abuse it for the next couple of months or till next year when you can afford to do everything that needs to be done to it in order for it to be worry free without making any costly repairs because money is tight?

Hell, here's an idea. If you can't do anything to that thing except for make costly repairs and you don't wanna spend the cash just yet. Say, "Phuk it, it's a Dodge!" Then just pull the axel shafts, clean the axel housing, get new bearings and seals, clean the carrier, clean the gears, pull out the LSD, reinstall everything with the thickest oil you can find, and make sure the TOLERANCES ARE SET AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE and roll with it as an open diff until it starts to squeal or until you actually notice a problem as opposed to some mechanic trying to point out every little thing that's wrong with your truck just so he can make his living. Don't you remember the dealer trying to milk you when your brand new tranny wasn't working right? I'm not suggesting that there is nothing wrong with your diff, but I'm just saying that it's possible that the mechanic is just trying to make this month's rent.

Chances are that thing will carry you quite a long ways before it'll fail and hopefully by then you'll be able to afford the repair. Your differential is among the toughest things on your truck. I could probably bet that it would last longer than most peoples tires if you made it an open diff and just didn't do any burnouts.

And don't forget! Show us some pictures before the forum starts charging you for all this advice your getting for free.

 

Ok thanks guys, I will take some pictures today.
**I mean, that's what I was thinking as well. I've never heard any issues coming from the rear. And in the mud, the unit was still working. I can see that unit was ****ed up, but the WHOLE housing? I would bet I could reuse the spider gears over again. And like you said, make it an open carrier, buy a new bearings set, and wait till I can afford a nice LSD. End of story. I am not putting in a new housing, **** THAT.

 

Somebody on the classifieds here was selling a 9.25 open carrier for $50 about a week ago.