Lousy Sonofa!!!! TRpower7 loses due to lack of lock-tite

[trpower7]

Well it had to happen sooner or later. As I was driving to a friend's to have a good old time, the impossible happens. As I ease off from a stop light, it sounds like a grenade goes off in the differential area of my car. This noise continues and I lose all momentum, engine revs up quickly while in gear with the clutch engaged and my rear end continues to make a concussive cavalcade of noise. I try to put the e-brake on, only to find that it is INCREDIBLY stiff but still working. I shut it all down, and proceed to get my light and crawl under the car.

I find that the left axle has literally sheared off of the output shaft from the diff. Well, to be more specific, it is twisted off into the subframe covered in greyish goo, and I see NO bolts or nuts that had held it faithfully until that moment. Also, much to my chagrin, the diff bolts and other axle shaft bolts are QUITE loose. Damn me and my lack of foresight to put lock-tite on them all when I changed diffs last year! Now I get to hope that that axle is intact, as well as the diff, and get some bolts from Nissan, a couple rolls of lock-tite, and basically repeat the install procedure. Also, I can't quite figure out this greyish goo. Diff fluid is like normal oil, not funny looking like this stuff was. Any ideas??

[LaureltheQueen]

grey goo could have been anti-seize paste?

[trpower7]

Could have, not likely though. I can't see where it would be there, and certainly not that much of it. Maybe bearing grease, but that wouldn't be there either. I think maybe I f-ed up the output shaft on the diff and that's what used diff fluid looks like.........

[AZhitman]

The greyish goo is actually finely ground metal particles held together in a glob by the diff fluid (at least that'd be MY bet).

Something was wrong from the get-go and it finally grenaded.

Sorry to hear that.

[trpower7]

Yeah, lets hope this is just a re-bolt it back togetether-drain and refill diff and keep on rolling operation.......

[LaureltheQueen]

hopefully it will be. realistically, it probably wont be. ON the bright side, maybe you can upgrade to lsd!

[trpower7]

Update: I am RETARDED. I forgot to use the lock washers on any of it. I'm surprised it held up for a year........

[TomsMR2]

buy bolts from home depot.. OEM bolts = pwn3d.