How to make your differential go boom.

Cameraflage · **Posted:** Tue May 10, 2011 9:56 am

I believe the technical term for this is "grenading your diff". Well, that's what we did last Sunday at Jeepskool. I had just gone up this loose, rocky hill about a minute before, but the battery on my video camera died, so I went around for another pass. The camera worked fine this time...my front differential, not so much.

http://youtu.be/M3_pmxnHvqI

:furious:

(the fun starts at 1:40)

We had the Libby trailered home. We don't know the full extent of the damage yet. There's a 3/8" wide crack right where the front driveshaft goes into the diff.

ridenby · **Posted:** Tue May 10, 2011 10:59 am

OUCH! I have a front diff,3.73 open, PM if interested. Think about a rear locker also.

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Tue May 10, 2011 11:09 am

Sorry to hear about that. This is why I am already starting to save for a steel D30...

infernicus · **Posted:** Tue May 10, 2011 1:39 pm

Yikesss.. My truck made that exact noise one time going up a hill, but thankfully, nothing happened.

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Tue May 10, 2011 2:33 pm

infernicus wrote:

Yikesss.. My truck made that exact noise one time going up a hill, but thankfully, nothing happened.

Could have been a flex of the d30a but no cracking. Eitherway you got lucky. If I heard that out of my jeep Id be swapping between :5SHOTS:

and

and

and back to :5SHOTS:

.

bugnout · **Posted:** Tue May 10, 2011 2:39 pm

From the video I can see the two front tires moving unevenly, the left would spin a little, the right a little.

I am a believer that putting a locker in the front, even with the stock aluminum diff makes it much less likely of grenading the diff. With both wheels moving at the same speed, less shock load on the pinion area of the diff.

A locker in a steel diff is the best, pricey though. The next best, lower cost solution, I think it might be a toss up between replacing just the diff with a steel diff or putting a selectable locker in the D30a.

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Tue May 10, 2011 3:02 pm

Heck even something like a DTT would help even out the spinning.

HoosierJeeper · **Joined:** Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:23 am **Posts:** 1218

That sounds identical to what my son's RC Jeep when he exploded a rear diff...

infernicus · **Posted:** Tue May 10, 2011 7:00 pm

I found the video.. enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwKjfqaK ... age#t=146s

Cameraflage · **Posted:** Wed May 11, 2011 9:26 am

infernicus wrote:

I found the video.. enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwKjfqaK ... age#t=146s

Yeah, that's the same sound mine made!

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Wed May 11, 2011 11:31 am

infernicus wrote:

I found the video.. enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwKjfqaK ... age#t=146s

I dont know who was filming that but the douche who was would have lost a few teeth and some blood for laughing at misfortune like he did. But hey thats just me...

ridenby · **Posted:** Wed May 11, 2011 11:36 am

You don't laugh it people breaking parts,bones,etc.? Lighten up Francis

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Wed May 11, 2011 11:39 am

ridenby wrote:

You don't laugh it people breaking parts,bones,etc.? Lighten up Francis

Nope.

jeepetorp · **Posted:** Wed May 11, 2011 1:44 pm

That sound is way too familiar... Not fun...

infernicus · **Posted:** Wed May 11, 2011 5:20 pm

It's cool, they were probably laughing because they saw the look on my face, lol. :shock:

That happened in Dec 2010, I've put about 10k on it since.
A lot of 4wd (snowy winter, not to mention driving NYC-BOS in the blizzard on the 26th of Dec.) Beach runs, etc..

My diff hasn't blown up yet, but should I be worried? lol.

The dealership has been under there, and even re-seated my front diff, but that probably doesn't mean anything though right?

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Wed May 11, 2011 9:04 pm

Hope not for your sake. Don't know what the stealership charges for a front diff.

Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk

blackwidowkj06 · **Posted:** Wed May 11, 2011 9:37 pm

And this is why I barely go off-roading...things break and no money in the bank to fix it.
had a wheel sensor go out me doing something stupid...we all learn from our mistakes...
hope your jeep gets fixed soon
:JEEPIN:

scoobysnax789 · **Posted:** Thu May 12, 2011 12:44 am

That is terrifying!!! I have always read/thought that the exploding front dif was a big risk when one tire is spinning quite a bit and then suddenly stops – like a wheel gets air and then comes down on firm traction and stops spinning. What you did looked like it was very controlled and while the wheels where slipping I would not say that you were spinning them at all. Man, that is not encouraging at all. Was the front diff neglected? Lack of oil, over due for a change? Tell me something so I feel better about my Jeep. Either way, I’m sorry to hear (and see) that happen.

As for the other guy that took the infernicus vid, he laughs at just about anything that doesn’t happen to him so long as no one is physically hurt (at least not seriously physically hurt) but not at all in a go screw yourself sort of way. He’s been my boy for 15 yrs and always had my back and while he’s not the guy to give you a hug he’ll always help ya out. Had something actually broke he would have been the first guy under the Jeep figuring out what was wrong with it and coming up with some sort of solution even well after the sun went down.

How to make your differential go boom.

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