Rotten Rear Diff Cover Repair Suggestions??

Wondering if anyone has a fix in place??
thanks Johnny

 

Depends some have been cleaning things real good using some sort of epoxy .

Pull the differential make a new cover if you can do those kind of things

Source a rust free housing and swap

 

Duct tape and expand foam.

 

If the axle is worth saving you can weld on a new differential cover.

Elocker axle:
https://www.barnes4wd.com/Toyota-Pick-Up-Heavy-Duty-Differential-Cover_p_228.html

Non elocker axle:
https://www.barnes4wd.com/Toyota-T1...ndra-Heavy-Duty-Differential-Cover_p_359.html

I have not used the differential covers but I have used shock tabs, shock towers, and armor from Barnes on a Jeep that I owned and everything was well made and their support was very helpful with questions I had over the phone.

 

Drain out the oil, clean it well down to clean bare metal and patch with fiberglass mat and resin. Repaint it when cured.

 

This is the best way. I used the Barns HD Diff Cover on my 99 4Runner, and I would highly recommend it. Even though there isn't anything wrong with my 04 Tacoma, I'm seriously considering putting one on it.

 

https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-107480-926-958.aspx?origin=keyword

 

Dont think Id want my 3rd member shielded by a measly piece of fiberglass lol. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

How much do you suppose it would cost the O/P to have somebody drain the rear, cleanly cut off the existing cover and weld on a new one, out of position and leak free? This all on a 15 year old truck of unknown condition, but bad enough that the rear end rotted out. Of course, he can remove the rear end and have the work done, and open that can of worms but he asked about an in place fix.

 

Sometimes there isn't an easy fix.

 

the "easy fix" in this case is to swap out the entire axle with one that doesn't have rust issues, which isn't a small job either. If its rusted that bad then finding a clean one locally probably won't be too easy either.

Other than that anything short of welding on a new cover will be a bandaid fix.

 

Depends a case of there favorite Beer and Pizza I have done it for just the pizza

 

The diff cover rotted out? Hows the rest of the truck..? Got any pics, just curious cause Ive never seen that before haha

 

Right, I wanna know how the frame looks...

Frames are the most common thing to rust out, and most of the time most or all the other parts (aside from rusty bolts) can be swapped to a new frame.

 

from my vantage point the most common thing is body panels, since they are MUCH much thinner metal

 

There haven't been many threads on this fix, as many either replace the entire axle or do something temporary like JB weld (which would work better IMHO then fiberglass).

I think I've seen two folks that cut the cover off in place without removing the 3rd member or axle shafts. Is that the best way, no... But it can be done. If this is the route you go OP, just be sure to use several cans of brake clean and get the inards as clean as possible before welding a new cover on. Then do a couple of flushes with 75w90 for good measure.

 

+1 for @Wulf If your diff is rusty I'll second the Barnes fix, plus super beefy...quarter pounder with cheese vs. kiddy meal.

 

Blame the EPA for forcing mileage standards gotta cut weight some place .

When my truck moved north from Texas when I was catching up on things I painted the axle so far all these years later so far so good.

I have one here to fix now to see how it goes I have had to many other things going on

 

Did you cut the cover off in place or was the axle off?

 

Pulled the axle.