Snapped drive train, rear end locked up

[punkguy]

Hey guys/gals, I haven't been on here in quite some many years but, I could use some help today. Today driving in to work, my drive train snapped at the rear end. I haven't been able to crawl under it yet but, it looks like it snapped at the yoke connection. This is what I know so far, the rear end differential will let it roll backwards but, is completely locked up if I try to push it forward (or move it in 4x4 forward). Any ideas of what would've locked up the rear end like that?
Thanks!
It's a '03, Renegade, manual, 4x4, 3.7L

 

[sota]

you grenaded the diff. 10:1 you'll pull the cover and find lots of little bits and pieces rolling around in there like marbles.

 

[M38 Bob]

I expect sota's right. Other, just as bad, possibility is the little bolt holding the big spider gear pin in snapped, big pin slid out and FUBARED the differential. Either way, it's time to hit the salvage yards.

Bob

 

[punkguy]

That's what I pretty much figured. I appreciate the replies guys.

 

[sota]

time to go DTT or a full locker!

 

[punkguy]

time to go DTT or a full locker!

So is there an axle out there (junk yard) that is full locker that would bolt up to the Lib that I should be looking for?

 

[tommudd]

So is there an axle out there (junk yard) that is full locker that would bolt up to the Lib that I should be looking for?

No, none with a good locker

 

[ouroboros]

So is there an axle out there (junk yard) that is full locker that would bolt up to the Lib that I should be looking for?

Probably just be better off searching car-part.com for a rear axle. What part of Michigan are you in? I know RPM wholesale in Saginaw has a rear end but I think they want $350 for it. :thumbsdown:

 

[sota]

if you're going to go the locker route I would do the following in your situation...

1) pull the cover and inspect the diff
2) figure out what it would take to get the axles freed up to spin
3) pull the rear driveshaft
4) put it in 4WD and drive it as a FWD to a trusted/reputable shop and have them inspect
5) find out what it'll take to either rebuild or replace the rear end
6) factor in possibly putting on some kind of locker

With any luck worst case you have a FWD Liberty for a little bit, but at least it's mobile under its own power.

#2 would be your hardest part, as I don't personally know what at a minimum needs to be in the rear end to retain the axles.

 

[4x4kayak2112]

if you're going to go the locker route I would do the following in your situation...

1) pull the cover and inspect the diff
2) figure out what it would take to get the axles freed up to spin
3) pull the rear driveshaft
4) put it in 4WD and drive it as a FWD to a trusted/reputable shop and have them inspect
5) find out what it'll take to either rebuild or replace the rear end
6) factor in possibly putting on some kind of locker

With any luck worst case you have a FWD Liberty for a little bit, but at least it's mobile under its own power.

#2 would be your hardest part, as I don't personally know what at a minimum needs to be in the rear end to retain the axles.

You will need a carrier, the 8.25 is a c clip axle and without a carrier and the clips in your axle will move in and out (to a certian degree due to the rear rotors)

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

 

[sota]

I thought there was a c-clip involved. If it were me I'd be torturing the living daylights out of everything inside to leave just remnants necessary.

 

[Hockeygoon]

if you're going to go the locker route I would do the following in your situation...

1) pull the cover and inspect the diff
2) figure out what it would take to get the axles freed up to spin
3) pull the rear driveshaft
4) put it in 4WD and drive it as a FWD to a trusted/reputable shop and have them inspect
5) find out what it'll take to either rebuild or replace the rear end
6) factor in possibly putting on some kind of locker

With any luck worst case you have a FWD Liberty for a little bit, but at least it's mobile under its own power.

#2 would be your hardest part, as I don't personally know what at a minimum needs to be in the rear end to retain the axles.

I agree with this. Not only will you save in towing costs while you limp from home to shop - you'll get a chance to check out the rest of the power train. A rear end locking up at speed can not be good for the transmission or the differential. Maybe it will be just fine, but one or the other (especially the differential) could have suffered damage.

 

[punkguy]

Probably just be better off searching car-part.com for a rear axle. What part of Michigan are you in? I know RPM wholesale in Saginaw has a rear end but I think they want $350 for it. :thumbsdown:

I'm in Grand Rapids, seems to be the same price over here.

 

[punkguy]

Well I ripped into the diff tonight to see what the extent of the damage is...horrible like I (we) suspected.

 

[ouroboros]

Well I ripped into the diff tonight to see what the extent of the damage is...horrible like I (we) suspected.

Ouch. :blah:

 

[M38 Bob]

At least the little pin didn't break and turn the big pin loose!

Bob

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

That's bizarre :emotions34:

The way the carrier is all chewed up it seems like the pinion gear got sideways in a way that it's teeth could hit the carrier. And then the carrier broke off some of the teeth on the pinion. Or maybe the other way around... A pinion gear broke forcing the pinion sideways and into the carrier. Dunno

The spider gears look OK tho :Bye:

Bob

 

[punkguy]

Looks like I'm just swapping rear axles out. Found a few in the junk yard. More confident doing that than monkeying with all the internals of the diff.

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

Looks like I'm just swapping rear axles out. Found a few in the junk yard. More confident doing that than monkeying with all the internals of the diff.

Agreed.

Setting up the gears is best left to a pro with the proper tools. I'd never attempt that myself. Swapping out the entire axle isn't a technically hard job but take some time to look it over to see what you can just leave in place. TomMudd and I swapped out mine and he came up with a brilliant plan to leave the brake lines in place but just removing the breather lines from the axle. Then it's disconnecting the rear u-joint, removing the lower control arm bolts at the axle, the shocks and the center bolt for the upper control arm, and the emergency brake cables. Pop off the speedometer sensor connector, remove old axle, reverse the procedure to install new one. Done.

Bob

 

[punkguy]

That's bizarre :emotions34:

The way the carrier is all chewed up it seems like the pinion gear got sideways in a way that it's teeth could hit the carrier. And then the carrier broke off some of the teeth on the pinion. Or maybe the other way around... A pinion gear broke forcing the pinion sideways and into the carrier. Dunno

The spider gears look OK tho :Bye:

Bob

Well after spending some time trying to get the axle freed up so I could get it on a trailer, I found the reason why it would roll freely backward but, not forward. The pinion was moving in and out jamming up the wheels when I would try to roll it forward because the big nut that holds the drive shaft to the pinion is MIA! The splines on the pinion and the shaft are perfectly fine. So I'm guessing/assuming that somehow some vibration caused the nut to unthread itself? Really glad now I was only going 40 when this happened!