Busted Differential...

Oh, life is like that. Sometimes, at the height of our revelries, when our joy is at it's zenith, when all is most right with the world, the most unthinkable disasters descend upon us.

No, not the Corona Virus. Or the Bumpus Hounds eating Christmas dinner. But a broken differential.

I was out this evening taking some pictures of recently abandoned buildings and decided to take a drive up State Street while waiting for the sun to move where I wanted it, for better lighting. The ride was good. Sometimes on State you can still go side-by-side with other motorheads. A few weeks ago it was one of those turbo hatchbacks. Tonight it was a couple bikes with great exhaust notes, to which I added my rumbling glasspack and T9 gear whine.

On my way back down State, pulling away from a stoplight, the engine revved and the driveline went loose and grindy. I had enough momentum to make it to the curb just before entering the intersection. Got lucky there. It only took a few seconds to guess what had happened. I could hear the drive shaft turning, which left only one other set of gears. My guess is the spiders broke, but I suppose the pinion could have sheared. Doesn't matter, same result.

While waiting for the tow truck to arrive (thanks, Hagerty Insurance!) a few curious helpers passed by. So did the Loud Bikers again, but there was nothing to be done except load it up and haul it home.

The tow truck drivers were great, two brothers running their own operation. They ended up bringing two trucks, because they both wanted to see the IHC. Many selfies were taken. And it was actually good to have that second truck to divert traffic on the cross street.

If my mission for the evening was interesting pictures, I'm calling it a success. I used half a roll of film* on the buildings, and the other half on my misadventure. Despite having a non-operating truck (again), I got pretty lucky. Had I been 50 feet farther I would have been blocking the main entrance to the city. Had I broken the differential at an intersection on the steep drive back home that would have been even worse.

(* Yes, film. Fresh and still being made. For the record, Ilford HP5, a classic. But no pictures tonight, I'm afraid.)

I have also posted in the Wanted section: http://oldihc.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=10615

If you happen to be located somewhere in the Salt Lake City or greater Wasatch Front area, and have a set of gears for a corporate axle, please let me know.

Could it be a broken axle? Don't know if you took it apart.

Need to look into what went wrong. I've had the splines on a yoke go, as well as the axle splines in the side gears. either are not hard to fix.

You’re correct, I need to check what went wrong. However, the rear end did howl a bit, and the spiders seemed kind of noisy when on jack stands for brake work. That’s why I suspect they’re shot. But you never know until you see it. It was dark by the time I got it unloaded last night. Hopefully I can look at it tonight.

The whole axle was on my short list to replace, but the truck needed to run for that to happen. Hopefully I can get it going soon so I can haul a better axle back home. It’s been the biggest frustration I’ve had on this project.

The rear axle for the half ton and the three quarter ton are not the same. How many wheel bolts does your truck have?
If your truck is a half ton with the five wheel bolt pattern, a Ford 8.8 from an Explorer will fit nicely. This Ford bolt pattern is the same as the IHC half ton truck. The Ford 8.8 has https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&sxsr ... ent=psy-ab

https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&sxsr ... ent=psy-ab

An 8.8 may be in the future and many here have shown it fits. Unfortunately, what it won’t do is haul itself home and perform the necessary fab work. A project for another day.

Internal parts for the 1/2 and 3/4 are identical according to the parts manual, except the 1/2 uses a spacer to keep the two axles from moving too far inward. The housing ends and associated parts are of course different.

I would think they will interchange 110---112 SEMI float------120 full float, but not the 100 model, 44 at least in the "S" models.
Might be wrong in the other models.

a 120 is floating axle isn't it?

same thing happened to me in my 52 L-112 panel,

at a light on a hill one wheel was on a man hole cover, spun till it made pavement - snap,

was a snapped axle, easy fix.

Yep S120 rear axle is a full floater. If the truck is a 4x4 the front axle will be the very early closed knucle Dana 44.

I also agree, depending on what broke it could be an easy fix.

You’re correct, I need to check what went wrong. However, the rear end did howl a bit, and the spiders seemed kind of noisy when on jack stands for brake work. That’s why I suspect they’re shot. But you never know until you see it. It was dark by the time I got it unloaded last night. Hopefully I can look at it tonight.

The whole axle was on my short list to replace, but the truck needed to run for that to happen. Hopefully I can get it going soon so I can haul a better axle back home. It’s been the biggest frustration I’ve had on this project.

Being a full floater, pop the axles out and look at the splines. easy to do and you don't have to pull the center section or even jack it up to look at the axle splines. Thrust washers behind the spiders can wear out and will result in clunking, if you were getting a howl that changed power on, quiet when "floating" and got noisy again power off, it is pinion bearings, and if they are bad enough you could have major problems in the center section.
Of course, if it is even just the splines on the axle, you going to need an axle shaft and side gears most likely, the tend to both wear and when one spins inside the other, it takes out both. Not sure what the parts availability is like for that model.
One thing tho, if it is just the side gears and or axle shaft you might have luck finding an axle with a low ratio that someone is pulling and replaceing to rob the parts from. Side gears and axle shaft will all be the same regardless of R &P ratio.