3rd Member Exploded/Blew A hole thru the "idiotic" one piece axle housing/diff unit.

Hey guys,

Decided to enlist the help of my e-locker this past Sunday when i was backing my boat into the other side of the garage on an iced covered, slightly inclined paved driveway when the taco made a metal clanking noise as I engaged the diff (made the noise when going from neutral to drive and then pressing the gas).

Anyways, got the boat settled and drove away with more clanking only to get out of the truck and discover diff fluid pouring out of the rear diff. Woohoo

What really sucks about this is it blew a damn 1/2 inch hole in the rear part of the diff casing which is a huge "one piece unit" that encases both the axles and diff! So instead of replacing a $40 diff cover I'm left replacing this entire unit, which new costs $1,000! Good design there Toyota....

Anyone else lucky enough to win this lottery? Are there any used axle/diff housings out there? and how difficult is it to just buy a prebuilt 3rd member off eastcoastgearsupply.com and perform the install rather than pay the stealership what will 'probably' amount to around $3,000.

Appreciate any info/wizardry out there

 

It is a good design.

There are plenty of used housings. Or they make diff armor that you can weld on in place of the thin metal on the back of the housing. You have to cut it off.

It's not difficult to install a 3rd, new or used, and thus why the design is great.

 

I thought I say an entire 3rd for sale on here yesterday or day before. let me see if I can find......

 

TA DA

http://www.barnes4wd.com/Toyota-Heavy-Duty-Differential-Cover_p_228.html

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/buy-sell-trade-other/313802-bgr-garage-sale.html

Says no shipping tho......

 

If only there were a device we could all carry around with us all the time that would capture visual still (or moving ) images and then have the capability to upload aforementioned image to the internet for others to view. CURSE YOU SLOW TECHNOLOGY! When will you catch up with us? ARGHHH!

Sorry for your loss btw

 

Course, 1/2" hole is pretty small I'd just weld a plate over it, throw in a new 3rd and call it a day.

 

Awesome thanks man! This is probably the perfect solution. Now to find a weld shop in the are that is willing.

 

Yea they have new fully assembled ones at eastcoastgearsupply. Thanks though!

 

What is this still imagery technology you speak of!?

(out of town for a few days. aarrgghh)

 

Yea that's true... that reinforced diff cover is pretty sweet though.

I haven't taken off the diff carrier to see what happened inside, but would replacing the 3rd likely be the full solution? or is there other moving parts in there that could also be destroyed as well?

Basically what the heck else is in there that can be blown up? I still can't believe it shot a hole through the rear of the diff cover...

 

I have blown numerous third members, mostly drag racing...yank axels, take out third member, clean the frig out of the inside, weld up the hole, install another third member, reinstall axles...

If you had a Dana type third member it would probably be more expensive to repair, except for the new cover, it has to be rebuilt inside the rear end because the third member is actually part of the whole axel assembly...

Anyway, good luck with the repair...I have beat the krap pout of my elocker, gonna take better care of it after reading what happened to yours...

 

I just caught the tail end of it on world news tonight... last week

 

Unless you broke a shaft which is highly unlikely then everything inside comes out with the 3rd. And chances are high you broke the ring gear. This is one benefit to going with a 3rd from ECGS, stock gears are notoriously weak on these 2nd gen e-locker axles, unusually weak.

 

Alright Cool! Not sure that its a good thing but starting to gain the confidence that i may actually be able to do this...

 

Ya know, I think heard this same story. Some guy by the name of Kodak says he has an ingenious idea. I say what a lunatic...

 

Interesting. So what would cause it to break? Just wear and tear?

 

Yea i dont think I broke a shaft because i was still able to move the truck in 2hi. It would go and than clank n jolt n then go so im assuming the axles r still fine.

Since researching this I have also noticed many complaints about the stock gears.

I Def think what you showed me is the way to go. Especially since toyota dealer wants $1900 for the 3rd member replacement and than another $1,000 to replace axle assembly/housing. ridic

 

Ever wonder what the two big holes by the cover are for in a Dana rear? They are to spread the rear apart a tool fits in the holes spreads the rear you then remove the carrier. I'll stick with a removable jack pot.

 

Either improper gear set up, or whoever is supplying the gears is supplying crap gears made poorly. Either way they shouldn't brake as easily as they do, and it seems to be STOCK e-locker 2nd gen Taco gears. Theres a long thread on TTORA about it.