Rear Diff's A Goner

Burly · 09-28-2006, 01:56 PM

Well last week or so I noticed that I had the good ole axle seal leak on the driver side. After driving long distances I could smell the diff fluid, but it smelled like burnt metal. I made an appointment and the truck was seen yesterday. They said all fluids were fine and ordered a new seal. Today I drive my daughter to school and the diff fluid smell is really bad when I have my window down. When I get there I got out to take a look. There is fluid all over the inside of my wheel, the inside of the back fender, and even some on the diff cover. After looking closer, the diff cover is dropping fluid at a slow rate at the bottom of the housing (not the drain plug). I had to run another errand and on my way the rear starting humming slightly. This got louder and louder, to the point I could feel it in the floor board. My wife called me when she was headed out to work and said there was a large spill on the drive way that reeks. I went straight home and checked the diff for fluid. I don’t think there is more than a 1/4 of a cup inside the whole unit. I am suppose to take my truck back down to them today. I am so very p!ssed!

I have included some pictures of the mess.

Burly · 09-28-2006, 01:58 PM

Here are the rest of the pics.

**P's Titan** · 09-28-2006, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burly

Well last week or so I noticed that I had the good ole axle seal leak on the driver side. After driving long distances I could smell the diff fluid, but it smelled like burnt metal. I made an appointment and the truck was seen yesterday. They said all fluids were fine and ordered a new seal. Today I drive my daughter to school and the diff fluid smell is really bad when I have my window down. When I get there I got out to take a look. There is fluid all over the inside of my wheel, the inside of the back fender, and even some on the diff cover. After looking closer, the diff cover is dropping fluid at a slow rate at the bottom of the housing (not the drain plug). I had to run another errand and on my way the rear starting humming slightly. This got louder and louder, to the point I could feel it in the floor board. My wife called me when she was headed out to work and said there was a large spill on the drive way that reeks. I went straight home and checked the diff for fluid. I don’t think there is more than a 1/4 of a cup inside the whole unit. I am suppose to take my truck back down to them today. I am so very p!ssed!

I have included some pictures of the mess.

ouch... sorry to hear. Hopefully it's a somewhat quick fix and you get your truck back soon.

Burly · 09-28-2006, 01:59 PM

I also got a pic of the barcode on the diff that will more than likely be going another thread for WhiteLE

Yellomantis · 09-28-2006, 02:03 PM

Does anyone have a pic of what the diff looks like post carnage? I'd like to see what exactly fails in the carrier.

VShortt · 09-28-2006, 02:38 PM

http://austinm.net/titan/

Take a look at this. It may offer some insight.

Yellomantis · 09-28-2006, 03:19 PM

HOLY CRAP BATMAN! Thats pretty sad for all the cool stuff we have in our trucks to go cheap and manufacture such a weak link.

Burly · 09-28-2006, 04:06 PM

Well, just got back from the dealer and a new rear axle has been ordered. Mine had mutiple leaks. The took it for a test drive and confirmed the humming noise coming from the rear diff. Good news is that there is no longer a back order list. He said the axle should be here in 3 days. (Maybe that is a good sign that the new ones are stronger). He also said that I will be one of the first 07' diffs being shipped out. I am ready to see the bar code to see if any changes have been typed.

Yellomantis · 09-28-2006, 04:12 PM

They are using the 07 diffs as replacements? Sweet. I wonder if there is a TSB on it yet.

MississippiTitan · 09-28-2006, 04:27 PM

What a great truck except the weak a$$ rear ends. Burly what year was yours?

Burly · 09-28-2006, 04:41 PM

Built in March of 05. The rearends have seem a lot better in the 06's. I am hoping the 07's have something different. There has been way to many failures for Nissan to not acknowledge that there is a problem there. Even on the NHSTA website, there is many 04's, quite a few 05's, and a few 06's. That there shows that something somewhere has changed.

Burly · 09-28-2006, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellomantis

They are using the 07 diffs as replacements? Sweet. I wonder if there is a TSB on it yet.

Yup. He said that the new axle will be pulled directly off the assembly line. At least this was not the typical weak spider gear problem.

SportCoupe · 10-11-2006, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burly

Well, just got back from the dealer and a new rear axle has been ordered. Mine had mutiple leaks. The took it for a test drive and confirmed the humming noise coming from the rear diff. .........

About the test drive and humming noise, did yours hum only at certain mph's and under slight load? Did the hum disappear when you released the gas and coasted?

I have a hum that only occures at 45-55mph and under light throtttle, coasting it goes away as well as speeds obove and below those mph's. I thought it might be road noise but maybe not.

SKEET · 10-11-2006, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SportCoupe

About the test drive and humming noise, did yours hum only at certain mph's and under slight load? Did the hum disappear when you released the gas and coasted?

I have a hum that only occures at 45-55mph and under light throtttle, coasting it goes away as well as speeds obove and below those mph's. I thought it might be road noise but maybe not.

My truck does the same thing but its hardly noticeable and this is my second Titan and the first one did the same thing.I had a Tundra before the Titans and it did the same thing I guess its just something about that speed.