Anybody have the spider gears fall out of their Dana 35

[paulsaw]

About two years ago to the day I was hauling @$$ down a Forest Service logging road when BAM (I thought) my rear end disintegrated.

 

Stopped, put it in gear...engine rev'ed but no movement. Put it in 4x4 and drove home (30 miles) on the front axle. .....

 

When I pulled off the differential cover I found a broken spider gear pin, retaining pin, smashed side washers, and the small spider gears in the oil.

 

Ordered a new pin, washers, and the small retaining pin and and put it back together. The only problem was the small pin threads into the bell housing... those threads were gone... and I concluded that's what caused the whole problem. The small threaded pin either wore down and broke or fell out, allowing the larger pin to slide, causing it to slam into the pinion gear breaking in half and dropping the spider gears. I was really shocked that the pinion gear wasn't damaged.

 

Well...I didn't bother tapping the bell housing, I just assembled it all and covered the small pin with JB Weld. I also peened the holes of the bell housing with a hammer and punch to keep the larger pin in place. It vibrates at 60-70 mph now (never did before), but works ok besides that. Cost to repair was about $18 for parts and $10 for gear oil... parts were purchased from West Coast Differential via mail order.

[87manche]

start looking for a new one :)

 

seriously though, these things have a limited shelf life.

Mine exploded on a paved road in 2nd gear maintaining speed.

 

As to the spiders, I'd imagine that housing/carrier flex was a contributing factor. They're both weak.

I've seen two dana 35's puke spiders, I destroyed the ring and pinion in mine.

So that's three I've personally witenessed going bye bye in a year.

[jeepthing07]

Yes!

[JeepcoMJ]

why was the "small pin" threaded?

 

it SHOULD have a roll pin or a threaded bolt. if no threads, then a bolt...if no threads and your "small pin" had threads, someone f*d with it and put the wrong thing in it.

 

get a new one, the jb won't hold.

[jeepthing07]

all the D35 pins are threaded from what i have worked on. the D30's use a roll pin. this is the only pic i could find of the D35 pin they have a 12 point head on them and are threaded at the base.

 

But yeah.... i highly doubt JB weld will hold it lol

 

[JeepcoMJ]

86 dana 35's use roll pins.

 

at the very least take out the jb welded pin and put in a roll pin...it'll work and no threading needed

[ChiefJosh]

My 88 had a roll pin as well, but be sure that the roll pin fits snugly as too - otherwise you'd be in the same boat you're in now. Or, just get rid of that horrific axle....

[Pete M]

Now seems to be an excellent time to think about upgrading. :D

[ChiefJosh]

Now seems to be an excellent time to think about upgrading. :D

 

Exactly! It's a perfect time! It's a good time to go SOA if you're thinking about it, but without near as much work you can stay SUA and have yourself a bomb-proof axle, instead of a bomb for an axle

[87manche]

Now seems to be an excellent time to think about upgrading. :D

 

Exactly! It's a perfect time! It's a good time to go SOA if you're thinking about it, but without near as much work you can stay SUA and have yourself a bomb-proof axle, instead of a bomb for an axle

my 8.8 is staying SUA.

and it's a giant compared to the D35.

[JeepcoMJ]

Now seems to be an excellent time to think about upgrading. :D

 

Exactly! It's a perfect time! It's a good time to go SOA if you're thinking about it, but without near as much work you can stay SUA and have yourself a bomb-proof axle, instead of a bomb for an axle

my 8.8 is staying SUA.

and it's a giant compared to the D35.

 

same here...stickin with SUA and spending the $$$ on rear springs