Long time reader, first time poster. Anyway, today I was out in some hills past the local high school where kids usually take their jacked-up rigs to play in the mud when some fellas walked up and needed help towing their Dodge out of some hub-deep mud. I don't have my tow hitch yet, so I had to use the front tow hooks to pull them out. As I was inching backwards in 4LO I realized the tires weren't spinning out at all...awkward... when I heard a huge snap. Make a long story short, the front differential housing burst into about 8 pieces and I needed a one ton duallie tow truck to carry me to the local dealership, where they determined that it was a factory defect and is covered by warranty. This is all on a truck with 100 miles. Just thought I'd let everyone know just in case this is a big problem. Kind of pi$$ed but at the same time I am glad it happened locally instead out in the middle of nowhere.
Front Differential Housing
supergoat65
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Long time reader, first time poster. Anyway, today I was out in some hills past the local high school where kids usually take their jacked-up rigs to play in the mud when some fellas walked up and needed help towing their Dodge out of some hub-deep mud. I don't have my tow hitch yet, so I had to use the front tow hooks to pull them out. As I was inching backwards in 4LO I realized the tires weren't spinning out at all...awkward... when I heard a huge snap. Make a long story short, the front differential housing burst into about 8 pieces and I needed a one ton duallie tow truck to carry me to the local dealership, where they determined that it was a factory defect and is covered by warranty. This is all on a truck with 100 miles. Just thought I'd let everyone know just in case this is a big problem. Kind of pi$$ed but at the same time I am glad it happened locally instead out in the middle of nowhere.
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supergoat65 said:
I remember getting a 4x4 tractor stuck in the mud above the axles one
time, and it was everything we could do to pull it out with a 2 ton chain
fall. Never heard of a differential actually exploding into eight pieces before.
You didn't get a chain letter in the mail from a guy named TitanSurveyor,
did you? J/K, T.S.
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Ummm....you know it does specify not to tow ANYTHING in the first 500 miles. I would think that would especially include pulling someone who is stuck in hub deep mud, out. I'm not sure if there's any connection, but still, it's worth considering as part of the cause.
HS
HS
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Hey, Fred! While you're waiting for him to post photos, here's somethingFarmer Fred said:
for you to look at.
Steve
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No, he's telling the truth, here is a photo of an exploded differential to prove it.goathead said:
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I just knew you had a funny bone to go along with that giant cranium! :jester:bestatchess said:
Steve
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Sorry guys, didn't have time to talk for the last couple days. Anyway, I am not "FOS" as some say, this actually happened. And yes, I did get some crap for my "cheapo Jap crap truck". I didn't happen to get pictures but I will stop by the Billings, Montana Nissan dealer to see if they still have the part around. At the time, the dealer said that they were going to send the part to Nissan HQ to have it examined because the entire service dept. thought it was a factory defect, but I kind of hope it is still around. I'm not to sure how to prove it other than the pics, but the best I can give is my word and some more description: The housing fracture (supposedly) originated from the bearing that is around the input shaft and the differential itself. The gears inside were completely exposed and the transmission would not shift out from 4LO until it was unloaded from the tow truck at the dealer. Oh, well. I will try for the pictures. Wish me luck. BTW, I'm not embarassed to say that I traded in my 1999 Ram for my beautiful silver Crew Cab, either.
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you mean transfer case.... 
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Pagerdaddy is one funny guy!! :jester: So far my luck is good, but today I walked under a ladder while painting my house. uh oh
Doesn't sound like he's FOS but I'd like to see some pics also. Sorry about your luck
Doesn't sound like he's FOS but I'd like to see some pics also. Sorry about your luck
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Just found out from the dealer that the part was sent in the day after the incident, but by Wed. I will have crawled under the truck and taken a pic to show where the break happened. If Billings Nissan has any receipts of the part send in or just the tow truck write-up, I'll check to see if I could get a copy to post too. PS: the part that broke was not the transfer case, I think, but instead was the front differential where the power input shaft is routed to the two front wheels.
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