Sooo.... I took my jku (non-rubicon) out on the trails. Got about 10 minutes in and the jeep lugged and chugged forward and then the driveshaft snapped in half. Got down to the four wheel shop and they took off the front drive shaft. Then, they took off the front cover on the front diff. Two of my spider gears fell out in clumps and we noticed the carrier had been dented and the imprint was from the gear. The rack and pinion gear is still good, so he put the cover back on and filled it back with fluid. He told me I could drive on it until I get new gears. Bottom line; is my front axle going to go catastrophic or will it be ok until I replace the gears?

 

If the ring and pinion gear are meshing fine, and no spider gears are in the pumpkins, then the axle should be ok. Driveshaft in or out, does not matter, as the axles are truly free spinning, as they are not connected to the ring gear/carrier. Leave front shaft out, and no parts should move/damage the ring and pinion.

You may need to look into also purchasing a whole carrier assembly, as the spider gears may have warped the carrier as they decided to let loose. Did the mechanic offer any insight why the failed?

 

I've bought a new carrier and am going to replace the spider gears. But ever once I a while the front axle chuggs and seizes still. I think I just deatroyed the spider gear that were left.

 

You had more than two spider gears in the diff?

With no spider gears to keep the side gears separated, they may be hitting each other when the axles want to turn at different speeds.


I would have recommended you remove the axle shafts in addition to the drive shaft.

 

[QUOTE="ronjenx;3783995"] You had more than two spider gears in the diff? With no spider gears to keep the side gears separated, they may be hitting each other when the axles want to turn at different speeds. I would have recommended you remove the axle shafts in addition to the drive shaft.[/QUOTE

Sorry to buzz in, but from what I know, there are three spider gears inside the carrier. One on each axle shaft, and one on the center shaft, inside the carrier.

OP...the shop did take ALL spider gears out? It should not lock up/seize with the inner drive line parts removed.

 

[QUOTE=Mjp83;3784213]The gears on the axle shafts are side gears. The ones between the side gears on the little shaft are the differential pinion gears, more commonly called spider gears. I've never heard of a diff with one spider gear.
It sounds like the OP had the two spider gears removed, leaving the two side gears in place on the axle shafts.
I am thinking since the side gears are free to move toward the center of the diff, they are binding up on each other, or on something else.