Metal "shavings" in rear diff

[jack.hanks02]

New truck, new problems [emoji28]. Pulled these metal chunks off the rear diff magnet. They are soft metal that crumbles under pressure from my hands.

The fluid looked ok I suppose. No frame of reference on that. Air escaped from the fill plug when I took it off. Wondering if the diff breather is clogged. I'm going to extend the breather anyway.

Could I be lucky enough for this to be leftover metal from manufacturing? Looks like leftover drill shavings [emoji854][emoji854].

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[Built4Run]

Does the truck have a e-locker rear end?
:uzi:

 

[spartacus]

New truck, new problems [emoji28]. Pulled these metal chunks off the rear diff magnet. They are soft metal that crumbles under pressure from my hands.

The fluid looked ok I suppose. No frame of reference on that. Air escaped from the fill plug when I took it off. Wondering if the diff breather is clogged. I'm going to extend the breather anyway.

Could I be lucky enough for this to be leftover metal from manufacturing? Looks like leftover drill shavings
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New to you truck? cause the 3rd Gen has been around for a while how many miles are on your truck. When was the last diff oil changed. Those big metal shavings could be the pinion bearing going out. Is there any howling noise from the diff.

 

[jack.hanks02]

Does the truck have a e-locker rear end?

:uzi:

No elocker.

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[Built4Run]

No elocker.

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Check rear axle seals and bearings make sure there no play in the rear bearings..

Do you hear a humming our growling sound anything strange?

 

[jack.hanks02]

New to you truck? cause the 3rd Gen has been around for a while how many miles are on your truck. When was the last diff oil changed. Those big metal shavings could be the pinion bearing going out. Is there any howling noise from the diff.

No, I was able to buy a brand new 2001. My local dealer has a time machine [emoji16]

185k with 0 service history. No noise so far, and I've been driving without the radio since I bought it. Listening as close as possible.

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[spartacus]

No, I was able to buy a brand new 2001. My local dealer has a time machine [emoji16]

185k with 0 service history. No noise so far, and I've been driving without the radio since I bought it. Listening as close as possible.

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Fll it up and drive it.

 

[jack.hanks02]

Fll it up and drive it.

That's my current plan.

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[Kanoe]

Previous owners in most cases suck. It's a shame how some of our 4runners have been treated and neglected in their earlier life.

 

[Arv]

i guess with 0 history you don't know if the retainer was flipped. I'm saying this because I had to move my retainer another mm or so and had to settle with the axle seal not riding smack on the middle since the retainer was actually rubbing a little bit on the axle housing protrusions that protects the seal as you pull and push the axle out/in. If the previous owner flipped it and wanted the seal riding in the middle then those shavings might be from the softer material of the retainer ring.

edit: I guess as a post above suggested, you might as well pull the axle out to check this and the bearings, etc... Note that brand new bearings HAVE a lot of lateral? play, so don't assume that your bearings are bad if they is a lot of play. You're going to have to bleed the brakes which is probably a good thing to do anyway with 0 history.

 

[gamefreakgc]

Yeah that looks like bearing carnage to me. Not the wheel bearings but the pinion bearings. Mine starting going out but it only howled when decelerating. Drive it till it blows and replace the entire 3rd member with a junkyard/salvage unit.

 

[jack.hanks02]

Thanks all.

I'm going to fill it, drive it, and wait until it starts yelling at me. Or until I have time/energy to pull the diff.

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[pluton]

Once it starts howling, act promptly. I've been riding in a vehicle (Dodge van ) when the howling stopped...so did the van.

 

[VernySanders]

Yeah that looks like bearing carnage to me. Not the wheel bearings but the pinion bearings. Mine starting going out but it only howled when decelerating. Drive it till it blows and replace the entire 3rd member with a junkyard/salvage unit.

If you pull the 3rd member and note the amount of revolutions it takes to remove the side adjusters, you can just hammer the pinion out, which removes one bearing and then throw it in the freezer and slam her on a table after shes froze and the other bearing should slide right off then installing them is as easy at taking it to a shop with a press or pressing it on at your house. Pinion bearings are an extremely easy job!

 

[VernySanders]

Thanks all.

I'm going to fill it, drive it, and wait until it starts yelling at me. Or until I have time/energy to pull the diff.

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Jack the entire vehicle up off the ground and rotate the rear tires. If you hear no noise without the vehicle running then you've really got nothing to worry about.

 

[jack.hanks02]

If you pull the 3rd member and note the amount of revolutions it takes to remove the side adjusters, you can just hammer the pinion out, which removes one bearing and then throw it in the freezer and slam her on a table after shes froze and the other bearing should slide right off then installing them is as easy at taking it to a shop with a press or pressing it on at your house. Pinion bearings are an extremely easy job!

Good to know! Once it cools off I may be up to the job. Well, I may not have a choice [emoji28]

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[jack.hanks02]

Jack the entire vehicle up off the ground and rotate the rear tires. If you hear no noise without the vehicle running then you've really got nothing to worry about.

I can handle that! If it's in 2wd, do the front tires need to be up as well?

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[VernySanders]

I can handle that! If it's in 2wd, do the front tires need to be up as well?

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Nope should just need the rear up at that point. if you can spin the front driveshaft without the truck jacked up then your tcase is in neutral anyways which should be the same at 2wd. Just make sure you chalk the wheels because youll need the vehicle in neutral in order to spin the tires by hand

 

[19963.4lsr5]

If it was fuzzy metal I’d say clean the magnet and move on. My 04 Grand Cherokee had factory magnets in both axles. At 60k miles they were full of fine metal particles.

You got chunks. You could try and move your pinion up and down and feel for any play in the beating.

Run a 70w140 and check the magnet on a few months and see what shows up again.


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[jack.hanks02]

Nope should just need the rear up at that point. if you can spin the front driveshaft without the truck jacked up then your tcase is in neutral anyways which should be the same at 2wd. Just make sure you chalk the wheels because youll need the vehicle in neutral in order to spin the tires by hand

Filled it up and spun the wheels. Not a hint of noise. We'll see.

Problem now is that I loosened half of the "diff cover" bolts since I thought it would pop off, so of course fluid leaked around the gasket. Tightened the bolts and just going to pray for no leaks! [emoji85]

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