VISIT TO GREAT PUMPKIN, AKA MB AXLE WOES

From: John Bowen (oreuc@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Nov 02 2000 - 17:46:39 PST


With the front axle of my MB securely up on jackstands I cracked open the
front pumpkin fearful of what metallic shrapnel I would find inside. I was
greatly relieved to find nothing obviously out of place but I am still at a
loss to determine what is going on.

With the driver side tire immobile, the passenger side wheel can be rotated
rearward all day long. Conversely, with the passenger immobile the driver
side can be rotated forward with no problem. Either side will jam if
rotation is attempted opposite from what is described above.

Attempted simultaneous rotation forward of both wheels by hand causes the
differential to jam. This jamming on either side can be overcome by rocking
the respective wheel forward and back about a tooth at at time on the pinion
gears relative to the axle shaft gears.

Since there is nothing visibly out of order in the differential (and given
that this axle rolled free until Halloween night) I am back to considering
whether something has gone south in one of the axle knuckle joints. Would
this seem a reasonable assumption or is there anything else to consider in
the diff such as pinion and axle shaft gear thrust washer wear??

J. D.
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