Front axle failures

[403turbo]

Recently my fathers 2500 (non HD) 4x4 truck with the "automatic" 4wd button went into the shop for a strange wheel speed related ticking sound. Bad bearings in the front axle, bearing went and damaged a portion of the axle, whole thing had to be replaced. The dealer covered it despite the fact that the warranty was up, he had like 40K + on the clock.

Now my truck is doing the same thing! :mad:

The truck sounds like it is still in 4WD, but the light says 2WD. Not too noticable until you hit the brakes and then it vibrates the truck and makes that 4x4 growling sound. I had the brakes checked out and I am going to rotate the BFG's to see if I have a tire related problem. But it souns an awful lot like a 4WD problem :mad: :mad: :mad:

Any experience with this? 4WD drive has been just normally noisy until now. And this problem is the same in 2WD & 4WD.

I can't live without my wheels and I don't want to take it to the stealer so they can scratch thier a$$ for a week and charge me an arm and a leg.

I need a edjamacated guess before going further.

Thanks guys!

[Modified]

What weight lube are you using in your front axil?
See the following post from Hoot a couple of months back, about a potential problem with using the dyno 80W90 lube in the 9.25 front axils in weather <-10 Deg F, causing bearing failures. I imagine temps in NY drop to this.

http://forum.thedieselpage.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=7&t=004654&p=

This post recomends changing the front differential lube to 75W90 Synthetic Grape Juice. They also recomend changing the incompatable black vent cap, if installed, to the new white cap, which is compatable with synthetic lube.

[ 03-11-2003: Message edited by: Modified ]

[ 03-13-2003: Message edited by: Modified ]</p>

[AlanL]

The last post is reversed...

the black cap is incompatible with the synthetic and the white one is compatible with synthetic.

[Modified]

Alan L was correct. On my original post, I mixed up the white(old), and black(new) covers. I noticed this after sent on 03/11/03 and thought I edited the error, but it didn't edit.
I edited my 03/11/03 post again today.
One more time, the old incompatable black vent cap, if installed, should be changed to the new white cap, which is compatable with synthetic lube.
Thanks Alan L for the correction.

[mtomac]

anyone have a part number for this new white vent cap for the front diff?

[pinehill]

# 12479296

[mtomac]

thanks