3rd gen 2.7l sr5 tacoma differential.

Hi there, first time posting. Ive gone through many threads and enjoy looking and reading over taco builds and what not. About 2 yrs ago i bought a salvage 2016 sr5 2.7L 4x4. Just finished repairs and crazy weird dmv paperwork that had to be done. I decided to test it out and Over the weekend i went to the dunes. I got stuck in the sand so i tried switching to 4x4 and now the rear diff has a bad sound coming out of it. Sounds like grinding gears and clanking metal. Had to drive home at about 10-15 mph. Im guessing i totally messed up the differential. Still gotta get into it and figure out exactly whats wrong and what i need to replace. But, as i open up the rear diff is there any upgrades out there i can add to my truck instead of putting a stock diff back on?
Do the 3rd gen 6cyl and 4 cyl tacos have the same differentials i can interchange? Or are they unique to their own models?
What do i need to know before i get into replacing my diff?
Im not a mechanic but i am mechanically inclined and i can usually get stuff done on my own vehicles. If necessary i like taking it to a well known mechanic. Ill add pics of my ride when i got more time just because i like sharing pics! Thanks in advance for any help dudes.

 

Welcome to the forum

Differential work and parts are expensive. You will probably be farther ahead by buying a complete axle from a wrecking yard.

 

Information you need might be found here:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/axle-gear-ratios.724486/
(See post #7)






https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2005-2016-tacoma-axle-codes.408019/#post-17948520

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2016-2020-axle-decoder.634383/#post-21805529