2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Low mileage rear diff carrier bearing death

[CumminsPower98]

So today I decided to drain my Amsoil 75w140 and install some 75w90 since I quit towing for a living last month and figured I might as well get a little less drag for running around locally. I pulled the cover of the D80 and find metal on the magnet. I checked backlash by hand and find none and the gears are so close that they were even binding slightly. So out comes the carrier to find the passenger side bearing is toast. I just changed these bearings 21k miles ago at my last lube change on account of no preload and some slight pitting around the outer edges due to being a little loose. At that point it had 358k miles. I set it up correctly and was actually on the loose end of the backlash spec. Anyway it goes back together tomorrow with warranty bearings. I will replace the pinion bearings too this time due to metal circulating. They didn't look that bad but I might as well now that I pulled it out. Now I know what that sound I heard and felt was as I was slowing down to stop one day a few week ago. Must have been a chunk getting in the gears or the bearing hanging up. I guess the Cummins is so loud it's hard to hear this sort of thing because I never heard a thing back there to tell me something was going wrong. I'm sure glad I quite driving OTR when I did now because it would have been another 80k miles before my next lube change was scheduled. This really sucks... Oh and the discoloration is from heating to aid in removal.