Hey guys,

Leaving a stop sign today I heard a thump, almost like I hit some invisible pothole. When backing into a parking spot I heard a couple thumps from what I thought was the rear end. Now the car feels like it would rev high almost like a slipping clutch when I drive, but I babied it home and didn't really want to test that out!

Got the car home and did the following, thinking I had a pooched center diff or broken axle:
- lifted each wheel independently, with the car in gear, and tried to turn them. Every one locked like they should have, so I think that rules out centre or front diff, as well as broken axles

- lifted both tires in the rear. When I turn the passenger side it doesn't turn the driver's side wheel at all, but it does turn the driveshaft. When I turn driver's side, it just barely moves the other side but nowhere near as much as I am turning it. It does however turn the driveshaft at an equal rate to what I am doing with the driver's side wheel.

This is a stock-LSD rear differential.

I then drained fluid to see if there was any metal chunks or filings but the fluid was actually pretty clean.

God dammit! Is there a blown rear differential, someone please tell me.

Thanks,
Mike

Check for a broken transfer case shaft that goes into the driveshaft yoke.

OK, just had a quick look before work, but nothing obvious externally, other than a leak from the bottom of transfer case (output seal might be toast).

Reza, is what you're referring to inside the transfer case itself, meaning I'd have to drop the T-case to inspect? Or are you referring to a broken one of these:

Question: With both tires off the ground in the rear, and the car in gear, what should happen when I spin one of the rear wheels?

My understanding is that both wheels should spin in the same direction, and the driveshaft should turn. Is that correct?

And what should happen if the car is in neutral?

Thanks guys, just trying to make sure I know whats broken before I start ripping parts off...

Mike

Re-filled the rear diff and put the car up on all fours. When I turn the rear wheels while in gear the front tires don't move. Driveshaft does but feels like no resistance from the transfer case.

Started the car then while on jack stands and when I let out the clutch in first gear the front wheels spin but nothing from the rear.

So thinking now it is either t case or still possibly Centre diff?

I will start with pulling the t case tomorrow.

Looks like my centre diff died somehow, and took my transmission's output shaft and T-case with it

The output shaft is locked, and doesn't spin while in neutral and also doesn't spin when I turn the front wheels...Here's the carnage:

all three are dead?
rear diff, transfer case, and trany ?

Rear diff is fine. Transfer case would also be fine if the teeth in that picture didn't get ground flat!

Pretty sure the centre diff busted and locked somehow, which locked the output shaft into the t-case. BUT, the t-case kept spinning along with the driveshaft and destroyed those teeth you can see in the pics.

I have the end case off the transmission now, coming in for a cold beer and then back at it, haha

That'll do it too.

A bite late on the update, but the news was not good I thought I got off lucky with just having to replace the transfer case and center shaft, but when I opened up the center diff to clean it out before reassembling, I found this:



Part of me wants to just order the center shaft, machined for the 4-spider, and take a chance on that chipped tooth on the ring gear. What do you guys think?

Only other alternative is a new 4-spider center diff which isn't really in the budget right now, unless someone has one to sell???

Thanks,
Mike

It looks like you already had a 4 spider center diff from that pic...there should only be 2 gears on that cross stock.

Yes, its a Jacks 4-spider diff...

What did you decide Mike?

I would grab a used center diff than do option 1 if you are really strapped for cash. Some one should have one lying around you can scoop up.

I decided to just get a new cross shaft from Jacks and reuse the rest. They told me I shouldn't have any problem as long as I remove any sharp edges on the partially broken tooth on the ring gear.

I was looking around for a used 4-spider, but once I realized that I also needed an output shaft and transfer-case I decided to try this route... Time will tell how smart/stupid of a decision that was....

Still waiting on the part from Jacks, they've been a nightmare to deal with. Seems like customer service has gone sharply downhill there.

Wow that sucks, unfortunately they have made it pretty clear that DSM is not a priority for them anymore so I imagine that has a fair bit to do with it.

They were always a little slow to communicate, but came through in the end. The good news is that we now have Dynotune as an alternative for tranny work.

Yes, for sure Ziggy....will be going to Reza and co from now on!

Already started, as she shipped me a transfer case and output shaft yesterday Quick response time, actually returns messages and fair prices.

As for Jacks, a quick look around the internet will tell you it's not just the DSM crowd that aren't too pleased with their shop over the past year or so. I keep being told they are totally swamped and can't keep up, yet they work 4-day weeks...Not sure how that makes any sense.

If I wasn't constantly hounding them with emails and calls I'm positive I would never get a follow-up from them.

Well, it has been a couple years since I actually dealt with them. Even in the early days when Reza was just building trannys from home for the odd person, I would ask him to get me part numbers and order from my regular Mitsu parts guy rather than go through Jacks - at least whenever possible!

It took me days to get responses from Jacks but did eventually. I was dealing with them in the middle of July and I know they were swamped. I told them I needed the trans back a minimum a week before the shootout and they delivered on time.

I know RTM is dealing with the move and all but for the record I've emailed Abbas and not got any response at all so I made my own brake adapter plates.

Sorry about the carnage. Do you know what may have led to it?

To be honest I'm not sure what broke first... Most likely culprit is probably a failure of the cross shaft inside the centre diff, which could have locked up the differential and output shaft, leading to destruction of the splines on output shaft and T-case coupler.

Or my other theory is that the splines were worn on the T-case/output shaft in the first place, and they wore to the point where it skipped and tooth and locked up, meaning the centre diff could be the innocent bystander...


Kind of a chicken or the egg dilemma, and I have no way of knowing what happened first! If anyone has a better theory, I'm all ears...

Mike

Let me know if you need a hand any evening Mike.

I feel like there's a Newfie joke in here somewhere...

How many Newfies does it take to get a DSM running?

IT'S ALIIIVVVEEEE!

Finally got the car back out yesterday, so far so good

At the end of the day I replaced the cross shaft in the centre diff, the transfer case and output shaft. Was able to do all the work without removing the transmission.

There's a noticeable difference now in the reduction in coast-down noise, so I'm thinking the output shaft and T-case splines were chattering badly before, which at the end of the day may have been the initial cause of all the carnage.

Thanks to everyone for their input and helping out with parts, would have been screwed without you.

Mike

Congrats, enjoy the ride.

Good stuff!! Glad you're back on the road!

Thanks fellas. I was pretty pumped...I still cringe every time I shift gears, since now I know every little piece of what controls those functions were in my hands at some point in the last month, LOL.

Glad she's back!

Thanks Jim. The car is too new to let something silly like a busted Transmission and T-Case end its life

Gotta get it to at least 25 years!

*finger*

Glad to hear she's running again Mike.