Addressing the concerns posted on thenewx
HERE.
Let me first state for the record that I know nothing of auto mechanics and even less about the 2nd gen Xterra. My ramblings here are points of view I post in order to hopefully gain a bit of knowledge from those of you 2nd gen folk who know a great deal more than I ever will.
Let me start with driving home the truck in the condition it was in at Rausch.
From the little I know of the 2nd gens front drive train ether attempting the ?fix? above or dropping the entire front dif, cracking it open and cleaning it out would have been impossible to accomplish on the comp course at Rausch. Though I believe the tools and know how were present at the time that job, at the very least, would require a clean, heated space and, in the case of cracking open the diff, a clean bench.
Flat bedding the truck home did not seem necessary because the broken material was cleaned out and the broken end of the axle kept the gear oil from ?slinging out? while driving. The gears and bearings in the diff are sitting in a bath of oil that is spread about as they spin. The seal that is formed between the axle and the diff, IMHO, is more to keep stuff out rather than to keep the gear oil (that is not under pressure) in, even though it does serve that purpose as well. The rag that was stuffed in the opening left by the removed axle prevented any substantial amount of un-pressurized oil that was not held in by the broken piece of axle from ?slinging? out, kept any crap from getting into the diff and deterred any parasitic load from the gears causing the one bearing that was pointed out to not be getting any oil from turning. The axle is not there to turn it. If it was somehow made to turn; wouldn?t it have thrown the rag? If that bearing is not turning I do not believe we need to be concerned if it does not get oil for a short time. The gears and bearings that were turning, parasitic drag of the passenger side axle still in place, did so without any real load. Any load that was present, IMHO, would be hardly enough to cause damage even if there had been a slight loss of gear oil. Of which, we are told, there was not.
Having my own fully equipped, heated garage with a small apartment above at Rausch Creek would have been ideal; that being unavailable, IMHO driving the truck home was OK to do.
The fix itself and again, I admit to knowing nothing, seems correct. I was told when removing a front axle, broken or not, the method is to ?pop? it out of the c-clip inside of the diff., is this correct?
If it is then it seems to me that Stephen?s ?fix? would be the preferred method when compared to dropping the dif, cracking it open. I agree that the gear oil should be changed a few times and the magnetic drain plug should be checked.
Please correct me if I do not know what I?m talking about and educate me. Otherwise I do not see a down side to this fix. IMHO, rep points for Stephen!