It's now time for another episode of everyone's favorite internet game show (drumroll & panning camera):

NAME THAT PART!!!!!

Today's query: While changing my diff fluid, I happened upon a small shred of metal that looks like it came off of something important. What is the name of this part, and more importantly, how bad is it to drive without it in place?







Sorry about the photo quality; we're on a budget here at name that part, and won't be getting new cameras anytime in the foreseeable future.

For the blind or bespectacled: it's about a half inch long, half inch wide, semi-circular, has 3 machined edges (the forth is jagged, like it sheared), and looks like it sheared off of something longer.

The winner gets 3-5 internets depending upon answer quality and how outraged I am at the information, and a map to where Jimmy Hoffa might be buried.

I've never done anything too in-depth with a differential, so keep that in mind. No noises coming from the rear-end (far as I can tell).

Thanks in advance.

 

honestly look like a chunk of the axle shaft? i think

 

Axles aren't hollow, so, I don't think that's it...... for the life of me, I simply cannot fathom where they would come from...... it doesn't really appear to be anything that I would recognize as part of something that goes in the rear diff..... but, if that's where ya found it...... Somehow I doubt it was a gift from the metal fairy...... I take it you didn't see anything similar in there anywhere?

 

Nope, nothing that I could see looked anything like it. It was attached to the magnet along with quite a few shavings that indicated otherwise normal wear.

I tore through the manual looking for what it might be; closest thing I could find was the pinion crush sleeve (collapsible spacer). However, the crush sleeve is a full circle, with a greater diameter than the piece I pulled out. With it being only a quarter circle, and definitely machined to be that way, I'm at a loss.

EDIT: just wanted to add that I inspected the ring gear while I was in there, looks like its biting a little close to the toe side, but other than that, all was well.

Oh, and just to clarify: those three pics are all of the same part, just wanted to get some different angles.

 

corporate 9 1/4"??

LSD?

 

Yes and yes. Corporate 4.10's as well

 

Kinda looks like a clutch retaining clip out of the LSD.

 

chunk of the pinion spacer.. ruh roh..

 

my thought...

 

That's what I thought at first, but after looking at the FSM, the pinion spacer is a full circle... this thing definitely has machined edges (except for the shear point), and is only a quarter circle.

Am I wrong?

Maybe; but according to the manual's awful drawing, the retainers are more squarish than circular.

If I wasn't already bald, I'd be pulling my hair out on this one.