Rear end Dif Questions

[NOKUY]

OK, here is the scoop.

Just picked up a '98 Yukon. It's been lifted (6" suspension & 3" body). Got it as a weekend project/toy. Anyway, Just had the rear u-joint and yoke replaced along with the rear seal as it was leaking. It is now still leaking and seems a little worse. My mechanic said we could put another in but he feels that something is amiss as the rear u-joint and yoke were trashed when I nursed it into his garage. Maybe some damage. As the least expensive route I am going to to go ahead and try a new seal once again but am beginning to look for options for a new rear end should that not work and a replacement is in order.

So, I've never shopped for rear ends (alright guys, minds outa the gutter) before. I hear and read about "detroit lockers" in the 4x4 circles and am wondering about that as a replacement. What do I look for? I see them on drag cars, large comercial vehicles and such so I don't even know where to look. Are they all the same? What about gearing? Should it match the front? Bolt patterns? Axles?

I know there are folks here who know about this stuff so gimme a little direction please!!

Thanks!

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

there are several options out there for a new rear end.

1. gears in front and rear HAVE to be the same. if not the first time you drive it your going to have catastrophic failure somewhere in the drivetrain as either the front or rear will try to spin faster than the other.

2. easiest way to do it and possibly cheapest if its still got stock gears would be to get a used rear end out of another truck. that or you can build a better one if you want to spend the cash on it.

hit up 4wheelparts.com and check out therear end items they have. lockers, gears, axles. it'll give you a good idea what you want to do.

 

[NOKUY]

Thanks for the quick response ProComp. I'll definitely check out that website. My wife :cuss: is gonna kill me if my "toy" keeps soiling her driveway.

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

not sure what you have locally but the pull it yourself salvage yards in Indianapolis sell complete rear ends for around $100 (brakes and all). be a quick fix if you have access to a similar place.

you can always drop in a detroit, eaton, trutrak, or whichever locker and lower gears later on.


got any pics of that beast?

 

[NOKUY]

Here's a pic for ya!

And thanks again!!

 

[GMCYukalade]

I have just one question - the mechanic said something is amiss because all that stuff was trashed - but your talking about replacing the acutal gears, and ring n pinion - but, you should probably be thinking about instead of replacing them, replacing the rear-end housing, since it is probably bent, or chipped where the rest was trashed - not so much the gears - Maybe a pinion..

 

[NOKUY]

Yukalade, your right about a damaged housing or other part. That is why I'm replacing the seal once more just to be sure because replacing the housing is quite a big job and I figured that if it does need replacing that I might as well upgrade the whole rear end while I'm at it.

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

nice ride, previous owner probably probably tried to take off real fast and blew it apart... haha that or had them spinning and it caught grip and blew the rear apart...

i've been warned by a few people who have worked on alot of chevys that the stock 10bolt rear end is easy to trash once you get some meat on the ground.

 

[GMCYukalade]

I ripped my first 10bolt out on factory tires.. - 2nd, 3rd, 4th - on my 20's... they do come apart easy!

 

[jneal]

a full carrier detroit, while as robust as they come, can be a little bit ill mannered if you are not used to it.

when mine was new it would sound like a gunshot going off when it ratcheted. Scared the hell out of me the first time it went off. you get used to it and it will eventually break in and not go off as often or as loud.
its probably not what I would put in a vehicle like a Tahoe or Yukon. I'd lean to an LSD or lunch box locker for that.
another thing, a non-selectable locker does not like ice and snow like a LSD or selectable like the OX or ARB.


gear ratios should match front and back. although if you dont have the money at the time you can disconnect the front drive shaft and run differing ratios untill you have the money to do the fronts. Never run diff ones in 4X4 with them connect by a drive shaft.


most likely you have a bent pinion, it happens. but I have seen a couple of bad housings. bad juju if you cant tolerate the dripping oil. try a new seal they are cheap and you can do it yourself easily enough.