Did I destroy my rear diff?

What splines?

 

Was it built on a friday? 20 years of web wheelin and I've never seen a toyota shaft with stripped splines.

edit: the splines sheared off cleanly? never seen that either

 

@Rat_Bastard do you mind posting pictures that are looking directly at the sheared surface for both pieces? All, remember that the axle was spinning all the time he drove it back in two wheel drive, it's quite possible that the two sides polished all evidence away during this.

 

Sure, but when you say both pieces, are you referring to the shaft and the piece that broke off? I haven't got inside the diff yet (I will later today). the guy who did the regear looked at the same pics I posted earlier in this thread. He indicated that the dark coloring near the break is from heat as a result of it spinning around.

 

I have a buddy who used to run a fabricated fj80 rear axle (9.5'' diff, 30 spline axles) . Kept breaking the shafts (chromoly and stock) right at the splines like yours did. He went through like a good 10 rear shafts (crawler on 40s) before figuring out the problem.
He took some measurements, and turned out that the housing was warped/bent from the start. Therefore it was stressing the shafts near the diff, as the shaft is hard mounted at the wheel bearing, and over time/abuse it would lead to a clean break like yours. My guess is your housing is bent to some degree, so the shaft finally let go. I'd find someone who can make sure the housing is straight and go from there.

 

Interesting. This is my first time breaking an axle , and I hope I don't find any more damage as I take off the 3rd wheel. I really really hope I did not damage the housing. Your friends housing must have taken some serious abuse unless it was a manufacturing defect.

 

It was a manufacture defect, as he found a couple other people with the same run of housing with the exact same problem. Our rear housings are thin, and when you add a bunch of weight to the truck and wheel it, they can be fairly easy to bend. Even just catching the tire on a rock/stump hard could throw a housing out of wack.

 

Yes, that's correct. Sometimes, you can get an indication of how it broke by looking at the surface that broke. Example: if you are looking at a sheared surface and see a dark spot with everything else shiny, that dark spot might indicate a crack that had been there for awhile. The shiny stuff is the new break. Might be harder since it's bathed in oil, but that's how it works.

 

What manufacturer?

I'm removing my Diamond rear for similar suspicions

 

Toyota?

 

No, the manufactured housing Buttskevin21 mentioned in his post. Diamond, Ruffstuff, Spidertrax...

I have a diamond that I suspect is bent, which also breaks shafts at the splines FWIW

 

Interesting read. Sub'd to see what the spline side of the shaft looks like when you get it out.

Reminds me of a story I heard from an old timer heavy diesel mechanic when I was younger. Guess they kept breaking axle shafts on some particular model of concrete truck. It was enough of an issue where they started chucking the new shafts up in a lathe and putting a groove in the hub end. Just enough to snap there, and not all the way in at the splines.

 

Yep, diamond

 

Looks like nobody makes an aftermarket axle for the 3rd gen. Nitro gears Says the 3rd gens have a "weird size wheel bearing " and referred me to ARB. ARB says they don't make them. RCV also a no. Looks like I may have to go with an OEM replacement

 

Toyota rear axle shafts (classic 8" and later 8.4) have always been considered an extremely robust shaft given its intended OEM application and typically survive lots of abuse on large tires. I would not worry about upgrading the OEM option until you really start popping them regularly or on demand. Before this new rear axle (BD22AN) in the 3rd gens the ring and pinion was normally the weakest link.

 

Contact Quick Performance ... they build performance axles for all types of applications and they' built my 9" Ford

https://www.quickperformance.com/?g...Z4ps7mqoVGL1D-EB-8QPqD40DLhcZ__gaAtk4EALw_wcB

 

Also contact this place ... https://www.strangeengineering.net/


They build alot custom axle shafts !!

 

Sucker WAS lodged in there! Got it.

 

Send it to me, ill forge you a blade from it .

 

Thank you sweet baby Jesus. Gears appear to be ok. Did the cryo and rem payoff?