Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) ok to drive truck w/o carrier in front diff?

[_luke]

So I tore up my ring & pinion set in my front axle (dana 60) a few weeks ago. I've got it all out, cleaned & have a replacement carrier & pinion to put in, but need to drive it about 20 miles to a friends house to have him set the new gears for me.



Would it be OK to drive it in 2WD, with the carrier removed & driveshaft disconnected and no oil in the diff? The axle shaft on the drivers side will still spin, but the passenger side won't.



Will I risk damage doing this?

 

[DLausche]

Isn't the end of the shaft supported by the carrier and the carriers bearings? If so, then I would say this is a not a good thing to do. If you were able to take the shaft off at the u-joint then this wouldn't be a problem.



-Deon

 

[HoleshotHolset]

I'd think you could go 20 miles if you took the stub axles out of it as well... with a completely empty front differential... what could go wrong?



If you drove it without the carrier and the stub axles still installed... they'd slap around in the axle tubes and ruin themselves.



I've never done this... but it would be interesting to know if you can drive around with a sealed bearing... withOUT an axle bolted to it. When I blew up the IFS front diff in my old truck... I drove around quite a while with some disassembled CV joint stubs just bolted to the bearing while I shopped for a new front diff. I was worried that the bearing assembly would come apart without the axle keeping it together. I've never investigated it seriously, though...



Matt

 

[drrhoades]

All you have to do is take your axle shafts apart so that the constant shaft (the part that goes through the wheelend bearing is still there) is still attached. You have to have preload on your wheelends otherwise you will ruin the bearings and possibly loose a wheel. So just take the u-joints apart and use the constant shafts and tape up the rest of the holes and you should be good to go. Be sure to take the front driveshaft out completely just incase the transfer case turns. .



Doug

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

When I blew up the IFS front diff in my old truck... I drove around quite a while with some disassembled CV joint stubs just bolted to the bearing while I shopped for a new front diff.

You to eh LOL! Mine looked goofey with a 6" lift too

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Tim: That just further proves my point that we were twins separated at birth and I was cryrogenically frozen and placed in an orbiting space vehicle for a number of years - that should account for the age difference, right?



Matt

 

[BCobain]

I would say no to leaving the shafts in, if you just had the stubs bolted in the hubs you would be ok. Don't do it without the stub shaft, nothing would hold tension on the inner races of the bearings causing them to loosen and cause damage. I replied on colorado4x4.org also. if you need a tow pm me I could do it on an evening for the cost of fuel.



Brian

 

[SMorneau]

Tim: That just further proves my point that we were twins separated at birth and I was cryrogenically frozen and placed in an orbiting space vehicle for a number of years - that should account for the age difference, right?



Matt

Sometimes I think you're still orbiting only to refuel at TiM once in awhile

 

[24Vpirate]

i would not take the axles apart i would just take the ring gear off and leave pinion in and put back together less oil and drive over to buddys house

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Sometimes I think you're still orbiting only to refuel at TiM once in awhile

Crap. I guess I had better reformat my interstellar space module's cloaking device... Leave it up to somebody from MN to spot me... I can't get anything past you folks.



Matt - writing from a distant galaxy many lightyears away.