Rear diff dies a young age: TC to blame?

[discomarsh]

I've got a questions about Traction Control (TC) and differentials. I had a rear diff go whilst doing a bit of off-roading that activated the TC. Once dismantled, it was revealed that one of the pinion gear shafts had sheared.

The diff didn't have a lot of kilometres on it, and I'm wondering how common such a problem is. Because the TC relies on the open/unlocked diffs to transfer power to wheels with grip, I'm also curious if TC accelerates diff wear.

Car: Disco 2a, 2003, TD5
Odo: 85,000 km

Cheers,
Discomarsh.

[Blknight.aus]

The way TC works isnt super friendly to diffs but its not the only cause of the failure in landy diffs.

the landy diff is renowned for dropping the cross pin and lunching itself. The only diff I;ve blown in a landy (that wasnt caused by my direct and intentional abuse) dropped the cross pin and lunched itself.

edit
just by the by the pinion in a diff (on a landy anyway) is an integrated part of the pinion gear and there is only one, this engages the Crownwheel which drives the whole diff.

theres is (depending on which diff you have) 4 or 6 gears inside the diff, 2 of them mount onto the axle shafts and the rest mount to the bit of the diff thats driven by the crown wheel. Ive assumed that your mode of failure had the pin that drives these let go.

in theory there shouldnt be any additional wear to the crownwheel and pinion because of TC but the rest of the gears and their mounting pin cop a bit.

[ozscott]

Mate - thats not many ks to have a diff let go. I have used my 02 off road many many times and had the TC flogging like crazy (no cdl) and have towed a 2 tonn boat with it since 03 and at 150,000 still original diffs.

Cheers

[disco spargs]

whats a new diff worth for the d2??? hope mine's fine !!!!!

[scarry]

Did you have any warning,or did it just go.Have heard of a few failures,some guys put an ARB locker in when this happens

[jwb]

Mine showed up as metal filings on the plug at a service then got progressively noisy. Replaced with a used diff for $400. 135k D2 moderate amount of off road.

[Slunnie]

I've got a questions about Traction Control (TC) and differentials. I had a rear diff go whilst doing a bit of off-roading that activated the TC. Once dismantled, it was revealed that one of the pinion gear shafts had sheared.

The diff didn't have a lot of kilometres on it, and I'm wondering how common such a problem is. Because the TC relies on the open/unlocked diffs to transfer power to wheels with grip, I'm also curious if TC accelerates diff wear.

Car: Disco 2a, 2003, TD5
Odo: 85,000 km

Cheers,
Discomarsh.
That was a theory that was punted around a lot when the D2 first came out. Although the ETC pulses through the diff, if anything I am of the opinion that it does more to protect the diff. The ETC really isn't that savage, but when you have wheel spin and it suddenly grips on something then thats when the damage happens. Driveline doesn't cope well with shock forces - most of the time, although not always, that is what make the bits break.

I would say that it probably just got worked a little to hard somewhere. I wouldn't be blaming the ETC at all.

[discomarsh]

Hi Dave,

Sorry to confuse you with incorrect terms. It was a planet gear pin that sheared.

Cheers,
DM.

[discomarsh]

Davis Performance Landys charged me $1 000 for a new diff (entire assembly). I think a new one from Land Rover is about double that.

DM.

[discomarsh]

No warnings before it failed.

A diff locker has crossed my mind, as a result of this: hate it to happen again.

Cheers,
DM.

[discomarsh]

Yeah, there were lots of metal filings on the plug after the diff said goodbye. Diff oil had been changed a week earlier, so there was no doubt about when/where it all occurred.

Was able to drive a couple of hundred kms following the incident: it thumped a bit under load, and whined when I backed off the accelerator, but was generally OK. No offroad though. Tight turns caused worrying noises occasionally!

Cheers,
DM.

[Hendrik]

Sorry to hear about the diff, there seams to be more and more cases of this happening. I would go for the diff locker, it is much stronger for a start, plus the busted diff gives you a good reason to get one.

[that_kid]

i have done two rear difs this year in mine and in my case it was driver error i think. i paid $500 for a second hand hole assembly from MR at redcliffe and that one lasted me 6 weeks. i have since gone with lockers. however the point of my story was after a 45min conversation with a bloke at les richmond automotie he seemed to subscribe to the ETC of destruction theory. my first dif had 215K on it with no real offroading on it. and the second one never had to cope with the TC while i had it so who knows. if you've been quoted $1000 for a replacement i would be giving ARB a ring as for $1200 you can have an airlocker installed ready to play.

[stig0000]

yer iv been there an done that to,, im on my second front diff, id go the locker instently if it was 1000$ for a diff,

the only resion you havent broken a diff hendo is cos u allways get in my car :p:p

[johnb44]

i paid $900 for a new diff centre on my last service as it wasnt far from letting go if it happens again ill go the arb locker :eek:

[Hendrik]

yer iv been there an done that to,, im on my second front diff, id go the locker instently if it was 1000$ for a diff,

the only resion you havent broken a diff hendo is cos u allways get in my car :p:p

Haha maybe mate, I'm still waiting for mine to go.
I think why I have been so lucky, is that I always have those amigoes on, so ETC is never fuctioning fully. It seams like LR did a good thing, but seamed to forget what the good thing would do..this is in regard to the axles.
Sure they have stronger axles and CV's to cope with the ETC, but this in turn made the hemisphere the weakest point. This is why a lot of D2's keep poping diffs.