A Riddle: Jeep Can't Back Up

because the front diff is no turning at all with the hubs unlocked and the t-case in 2wd.

 

That happend in my blazer once but instead of a roll pin it has a bolt and the bolt broke. I was in traffic. Heard a loud clunk. it wouldnt go i looked under and the driveshaft was going lol. I threw it in 4wd figured i could maby limp home the 10 miles. No such luck the axle slid out the first time i turned right. I put in a junk yard axle because the old ones splines were messed up Along with a pin spider gears and bolt. Kinda weird most of the bolts i tried to get out of the junk yard trucks broke off easily. I was on one of the last trucks there and the bolt finally came out. Maby through so many heat cycles the temper gets ruined and brittle. Another good reason to keep your gear oil in good shape

 

What do I win?

 

i will allow you to go to the store and buy yourself a lollypop. but just one. i don't want you to get all antsy in your pansty. good guess.


since someone referenced this, i am reposting this part from my first message:
Here are the symptoms:
- hubs locked, t-case in 4wd; backs up a few feet and stops
- hubs locked, t-case in 2wd; backs up a few feet and stops
- hubs unlocked, t-case in 4wd; backs up a few feet and stops
- hubs unlocked, t-case in 2wd; backs up just fine

oh, and for the record, since i was out wheelin' pres weekend, day one was great, this was first thing noticed on morning of day 2. i did not let this get me down. i was out in 2wd having plenty of fun

 

haha rollin in a busted jeep is still better than not rollin at all.

 

I see you have a lunchbox locker. LockRite, Aussie, etc.
What happens is vehicles with those move the pinion shaft back and forth more than open diffs. This causes the roll pin to actually wear through and break. For this reason on Dana 44's I machine and drill and tap the case for a solid threaded pin. Not enough thickness on the case to do that to a 30 or smaller diff though. What you can do on smaller diffs is put in a new roll pin then sometimes you can put a smaller roll pin in the center of the first one to make them more solid. Old racers trick to do to transmissions with roll pins holding the shift forks in place.

You did install a stronger pinion shaft and not a stock one didn't you? Most of the Lunchbox locker manufacturers offer one for about $20-$25 and for good reason.

 

hmmm. i never heard of them offering stronger crossshafts???
but i went with the option of getting an oem one from dealership. also a new rollpin obviously.

fyi-dealership told me that there were only so many of those rollpins left available and that they discontinued making them. don't know the truth to that, they would have to be available somewhere.

i know how much more abuse a locker puts on certain parts, especially that cross shaft. i could see it being rattled back and forth while my heavy gas foot is beating on it. that kind of stuff is bound to happen. i was expecting a more expensive fix honestly.

realistically, i'm hoping within 1-2 years i'll have a d44 in the front or a pair of d60's and never need to worry about these weak little parts again. the lockrite works well in the front, i would not waste the money on a detroit for the front, i think the money would be much better spent in a better front axle (my purposes of course, maybe not the case for everyone). my ideal would be a stronger front axle, then a detroit, and a spool in the rear. no rollpins and cross-shafts to break

 

Kinda reminds me of the Ford Bronco 8.8 that I set some new gears in a couple years back. The diff cross shaft lock bolt was bent to the point that it was difficult to remove. According to the owner, no one was in the rearend. How does something like that happen? Somebody at the factory screw up?