Table of Contents
What causes a differential to fail?
The leading cause of a differential failing is due to using the wrong lubricant type and specialty lubricants. Water can also be a culprit to a differential failing as it can enter through the vent or seals. This often happens when driving in high water.
What are the troubles in a differential?
When the differential doesn’t perform well, it creates metal-on-metal friction that wears down surfaces. The resulting heat weakens gears and can cause component failure and transmission problems. A bad differential makes the car harder to control turning corners, and that can be dangerous.
How much does it cost to replace a differential?
Most differential repairs will cost between $200 and $400 to repair. Of course, this depends on the severity of the defect and what parts need to be replaced. For a rebuilt differential, you might need to spend between $400 and $1,000. On the other hand, replacing a differential costs $1,000 to $2,000 on average.
What happens when a rear differential fails?
If you find sidewall or outer tire wear on the rear wheels, it’s a good indication that your differential might be failing. The differential allows the tires to spin at different rates during cornering, and when it fails, the gears grind, causing the tires to turn at the same rate, which wears out the tires.
What causes damage to the rear differential?
The most common cause of a bad differential is lack of oil, which could result in grinding at high speed, cause the carrier to break, or in most cases, block the rear wheels.
How long does it take to fix a differential?
three to five hours
A complete rear differential replacement includes replacing the housing, gears, bearings, and seals. The average time it takes a certified mechanic to perform a differential rebuild at a shop is usually three to five hours. A rebuild on a commercial vehicle by someone without prior experience could take much longer.
What is a good differential ratio for an E-Type?
The most common E-Type differential ratios were 3.54 (USA), 3.31, 3.07, and 2.88. 0.8 or 0.73 5th gears are the most common in the popular transmission kits. The 2.88 I feel would reduce acceleration too much, and coupled with a 5 speed would be too tall gearing. 3.31 and 3.07 all provide good options.
What is a differential and how does it work?
The differential works to transfer power from your car’s engine to the wheels and also allows for the wheels to rotate at different speeds, which helps you make turns easier. With how often your vehicle’s gears are moving as you drive more and more it can put a strain on the vehicle’s differential that can eventually lead to failure.
How do I make an accurate differential failure analysis?
The images below are provided to help you make an accurate Differential Failure Analysis. A visual inspection of the failed or damaged ring and pinion gears and/or bearings will usually indicate the cause of most failures. The tooth surface on the ring and pinion gears is only moderately shiny.
What happens when your differential fluid goes bad?
If you suspect your differential fluid is leaking then get the problem fixed as soon as you can to avoid further damages to wheels, axles or your transmission. When your differential oil goes bad it will begin to thicken and burn which can then lead to the internal gears and other components seizing up or breaking.