Looking for a new rear differential

New member here, not my first ever Toyota, but it is my first Toyota truck: recently bought a 2002 high mileage 4x4 extra cab.

In PA, the inspection requires no fluids are to be leaking. Well, my rear diff is. The shop that performed the inspection states that the housing is weak as a result of rust, and I'm going to have to address it if I am to get it thru the process.

My search on the forum has resulted in a plan to apply JB Weld in the weakest ares after getting it as clean as possible and then a series of POR15 as a topcoat.

But as an alternative, what rears could I possibly use as an alternative? 4 runner? Sequoia? What years? How many axle ratio combos were available?
Any help with my questions would be appreciated.

 

Apologize for deviating from your question but more importantly, how is the frame on your truck?

If you've got that much rust throughout, I'd question the integrity of the frame.

Even that skid on the gas tank is bad.

 

Eh doesn’t look that bad, people from Cali and down south always cringe when they see a tiny bit of rust. That looks on par for the northeast, how many miles? Mine had a frame replacement and the diff looks about the same (albeit not leaking). Gas tank skid deteriorated completely and fell off last year. You can look I to weld on diff covers. I think there’s a couple of them out there.

 

Ugly, huh? Actually, the rest of the truck doesn't really look this bad, lol

 

Actually, I've known the original owner for way longer than he owned the truck. It had a new frame back a few years, and while replacing the strut assemblies, I coated the A arms and spring pockets as best I could with POR15. I see more scale back around the rear of the frame, the tow hitch and the spare tires is about as ugly as the diff is, so I will need to get to those before winter.

 

The truck has 270,000 miles on it. The original owner used it to commute 20-30 miles each way to work, and also most weekends used it to tow his boat from the western suburbs of Philadelphia to the Delaware bay, and I guess all the dipping of the rear into the water to launch and retrieve his boat, didn't help the rear much.

Hmmm, weld on a new diff cover? Tell me more..... I didn't purchase it to make a project out of it- actually doing a complete resto on my '67 Camaro, and this was meant to be my parts hauler......

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rusted-diff-cover-repair-part-1.449412/

Something like this, sounds like a very similar situation as you, ignore the awful comments on the thread lol...

https://www.dormanproducts.com/pages/products/stories/differential-covers.aspx

https://www.dormanproducts.com/pages/products/stories/differential-covers.aspx

 

never seen a housing that bad

looks like it could fracture open

break out the tape measure

check the salvage yards

theres always 1 that rolled........burned ........totaled

good luck

 

Where in Pa ??

Do you have the skills to fabricate?

Changing the axle housing or welding on another cover .

Unless you want to get into cleaning up Coil spring suspension parts perhaps narrowing the axle housing I would stick with Tacoma axle housings

The epoxy method might get you sometime to decide what to do..

That part of the housing has no structural impact if not for the big mess and dirt you could drive without it being on .

Lets reduce weight here is a good spot .

 

I am just outside of Pottstown. My welding skills are far from perfect, but I get by. I’ve done a frame off restoration on one car and am in the middle of a second. I would prefer to just swap out the differential, and be done with it.

 

This seems like a no brainer- i could pull the diff, get it sandblasted and replace the cover a lot cheaper than a diff swap

 

Don't write off the Permatex Metal Gas Tank Patch Kit. If it's just one thin spot weeping fluid, it might be a quick and dirty to get you through inspection while sourcing your parts.

I used it on the rusted leaking seam of my 2.7 oil pan, and it wasn't just 'seeping' either. The plan was to get it dryish so I could go on a 2 week vacation and then deal with it more permanently when I got back. That was 2 years ago, and it's still working fine...

 

Are you 100% certain its not the 3rd member thats leaking and running down? I find it rather hard to believe that its rusted enough to be weeping through the housing without the spring perches or anything else having failed first.

 

Doubt it. You should be about to pick up a complete axle from your model less than a few hundred bucks and have it bolted up in a few hours.

Just swapping a 3rd member takes no time but cleaning, cutting, and re-fabbing a rusted ass axle housing is actual work.

 

You should check out our Pa Forum I am not far from the end of route 100 at the base of the Blue Mountain

about the same amount of work either way the grunt work is removing and installing the axle housing .

There are stories of people replacing the rusted out cover with the differential still in place under the truck that is an option That would not be my first choice

Are we dealing with a 4x4 or 2wd?? swap out your differential or keep looking to the front and rear match if 4x4

 

where ya located? If you are on the westcoast you could always look for a matching rear axle housing through B&R autowrecking and swap everything out. probably run 4-600 bucks and you would probably want to buy new ubolts/plates that holds the axle and struts. My axle housing rusted through on top like that and it was the only good option. took me an afternoon.

 

Out with the old, in with the new...

 

If you have the tools (welder), and the time and patience you can definitely weld a new cover on yourself

 

I have no signs of seepage coming from the pinion seal or the center section itself- late today I sprayed it with engine degreaser, and gave it a good scrub. Waited a half hour and sprayed it down with high pressure water hose. Tomorrow, I’ll check and repeat if necessary, so I’m sure of my findings.

 

I have a mig with gas, plenty of air and Electric power tools. I would prefer to keep this rear, my buddy has a full blown sandblasting business, so eventually, I would like to pull the rear, disassemble it, sandblast, replace the rear cover,and paint. Reason being, here in Pa, I probably wouldn’t find a rear that’s in much better shape, I’m not paying an arm and a leg for shipping one in from a salt free state, and with this one, I know it’s a 4:56 rear and don’t want a mismatch with the front differential.
For now, just to get the truck road worthy without too much work, I’m looking for the quick fix route for a couple of months. I need a parts hauler/work truck for the time being to get back and forth to my buddy’s shop to get my main project (’67 Camaro restoration) back on it’s wheels to get it home.