puking arb

[NAILER341]

well, my rear arb let go this weekend. i'm not sure what the problem is exactly, but am thinking that it is the inner seal gave up. when the rear locker is enguaged, it pressurizes the whole rear end, and spits gear oil out the vent.

am i diagnosing this correctly?
luckily it gave up on about the last 10 feet of the trail run. i thought i blew a tire with the air sound.
as soon as i got out, and smelled the gear oil, i knew it was worse.

any insight on this diagnosis?

[goodtimes]

I would have to see a cross section (drawing) of a ARB, but it sounds like you are on the right track. You're definately going to have to tear it down to find/fix it......

[Elusive]

there are really only 3 possibilities.
1. a rock hit the diff cover and pushed the air line into the carrier or gears.
2. the air line cracked the solder where the copper line enters the air collar
3. the internal U-seal got crud in it and is leaking

all 3 have happened to me over the years, but the u-seal fixed itself with a fluid change. if it leaks a lot less when the diff is warm, I'd suspect #2. When #1 happened to me the locker didn't work at all. in all cases it's usually quite evident when you pop the cover and hit the switch.

[blkTJ]

I vote bad o-ring. I had similar problems in cold weather, they have since gone away. I'm thinking your problem is worse, but from the same source.

[NAILER341]

well, i wish it WAS an o ring.
what apears to have happened is the ring gear bolts loosened, and allowed the ring gear to wobble, and get ahold of te copper line.

now, if it is as simple as replacing the u-seal witht he copper line, i will be happy, but i am thinking it will be much more involved than that.

it appears that the holes on the ARB have wobbled out conciderably with the loosened bolts. i dont know if this is something that can be repaired by replacing part of the ARB, or if it too has to be replaced.
bummer.

lets not even think of the possibility of the ring and pinion having an impropper wear pattern from loostening...

[NAILER341]

here is a shot of the hawged out hole where the ring gear mounts to the ARB. it doesnt look so good.



HERE is a video clip showing the amount of movement between the ring gear and ARB mating surface. it appears to be about 1/4" or so.

[Black & Tan TJ]

I feel your pain.

B&T TJ

[blkTJ]

Erik, there's no other way to put it... that blows.

[Kaffa]

For some comedic relief you could always put some yellow pine sol in the pumpkin and flip-on the arb.

[nagal]

Erik,

that really sucks

I know its easy to replace that ring housing thing the air-line comes into but I am not sure if you can replace the case for the locker. I have an exploded parts view of an arb (D44) at home, if I can find it I can look up and see if the housing is a replacable part.

Either way, its going to have to be re-geared too.

Didn't you just have those gears replaced?

[NAILER341]

i will know more later today. i am planning to drop this thing off, and have it gone through.
will post the results.

[Elusive]

This is the 3rd d-44 ARB I have seen with that exact same problem. Whoever did your grears didn't use red loctite and/or didn't torque the ring gear bolts properly. They owe you an ARB and a set of gears. Be thankfull the bolts didn't come out like I have seen a couple of times.. they get caught in the gears and then you really get problems.

[blkTJ]

it's an 8.8.

[RatherBeJeeping]

Still stinks of poor install though doesn't it?

[blkTJ]

Still stinks of poor install though doesn't it?

yes.