rear diff problem from driveshaft breaking

so if some of you remember, i broke my driveshaft a couple months ago. thankfully i found one a couple weeks ago.

well the problems still continue even though i thought my rig was going to be back on the road.

on the highway im getting a vibration, and noise. so like many others i thought there was a problem with the driveshaft that i got.

so today i got ready to remove the driveshaft, after going to my local driveshaft shop and speaking to them about my options. during my inital inspection, i noticed oil on my rear diff, starting from pinion and getting less to the back of the differential case. so i grabbed the pinion flange(keep in mind still attached to the driveshaft) and there was defiant play(side to side movement) and a oil drop formed.

so i removed the driveshaft from the pinion flange, oil spilled out(not suppose to happen)

any one know what the size of the nut that holds the pinion flange?

so what do y'all think:
did i just destroy the bearing and seal?
or did i bend the pinion?
should i buy a new diff, or can i just get a bearing and new seal?
is this a suitable time to upgrade(open diff now) can i grab one from a 4runner?will the gearing be the same?is it straight bolt in?

need some advise on how to get my daily back, safely on the road

heres a photo cuz everyone loves photos

 

I doubt you damaged the pinion.

However, if your rear diff played pogo stick with the driveshaft, you could have easily damaged the crush washer and seal. That would give you the play. Most shops can replace the seal and set the preload without pulling the center section.

 

well thats good to hear, do you have an idea of what a shop might charge, i.e. how many hours of labor i should expect

 

Shouldn't take more than an hour so figure an hour for labor plus $20 in parts.

 

If you're looking for an excuse to re-gear, you probably won't get a better one than this. While it's likely that just the pinion seal was damaged, which would allow the side to side movement and let oil past, it's also possible that the pinion itself was damaged, and could have damaged the ring gear in the process.

If you have the money and the desire, buying a pre-assembled 3rd and clamshell from ECGS or somewhere else and installing them yourself would be my vote. You can upgrade to a locker while you're at it, and get whatever gear ratio you want.

 

now that Ive thought about it a little more, money is a concern and i really just want to get the truck back on the road for as cheap as possible