So I test my trucks limits sometimes, knowing things will brake. I was ready for something to break and when it did, it didnt destroy much but good enough to have to fix ASAP it was the front axil the passenger side tube where it meet's the diff has got a big stress looking crack and gear oil leaking out..
My question is can I remove the front axil and still drive the truck back and forth to work ?
I looked around on here didn't find much but that doesn't say anything

 

You could, but why try. It wll probably be fine until it runs ou of lube and bang it could freeze up on ya. Then your screwed. I say your safe to drive it to repair shop or parts store but no more than that.

 

It's my only car, I'd like to fix it my self most likely just going to try and swap it out but I need something to go get the newer axle, so may be take the front drive shaft and axles out of the housing so nothing can freeze up ? Or would taking the hole thing out be better at once ? Can my 4x4 be a 4x2 ? For short time

 

The hub itself is fine since the hubs are the exact same on my 2wd as they are on a 4wd. They just pull right out of the hub, the diff/transfer case on the other hand, I couldn't tell you. I imagine it won't spin at all if the half shafts are out which, to me, would mean it's ok. As long as it's not some kind of torque converter type thing or centrifugal clutch in the t-case. I think it's all solid gears? But if you're an AWD and not a true 4wd, then you can scratch the idea all together.

 

Sounds good, i have a 4x4 with 2 wheel drive no AWD

 

So I got a used front diff for $100 it's got 39k on it. Came off a rolled crew cab. theres no sticker on the cover so I'm not realy sure what gear ratio is in it, I know it was a girl that owend the truck, she probly didn't change anything so stock gear ratio should be 3:55 or 3:92 ? And if I had 3:55 already in my truck will 3:92 work with my rear end if that's what's in side ? any way to look at the gears and see if theres a number that would tell me ?

 

Divide the number of ring gear teeth by the number of pinion gear teeth.

 

You can't mix gear ratios. If you mixed them and put the truck into 4wd, one axle would be trying to turn faster than the other - a really good scenario for disaster. Since you need to open up your new & old diffs anyway, count the teeth on the ring & pinion in each one & if they're the same, you're good to go. If not, you need one that matches what you had.

Following erau's approach will give you the ratio.

When you have one that's the right ratio, swap the whole thing, don't take 1 apart to fix the other - there's a specific installation procedure and gear setup method needed to have it all work properly & you need some special tools to do this as well.

 

If you remove the front axles, differential, and drive shaft on a 4x4 I cannot see any reason you could not drive it around as a 2wd truck.

 

No reason except that it would confuse the hell out of the AWD system. If it was 2wd/4wd-high/4wd-low system, then you could just run it in 2wd, but AWD senses where the power is required and with absolutely no resistance at the front end (because you've removed the prop shaft), it wouldn't likely know what to do.