Trying to figure out how my 8.8 got toasted

[benulis55]

Heres the weird thing, it was FINE until my rear driveshaft u-joint snapped, which bent my transfercase output shaft, cracked the bellhousing on my tranny.

Now the 8.8 is toast, (i am opening it up today to see how bad) and i cant help but think that i chipped a tooth or broke a tooth when that damn u-joint snapped. the 8.8 was perfect before that

could this happen? could a u-joint failure cause the ring and/or pinion to be damaged?

the u-joint that broke was the one closest to the 8.8 input yoke

anyone have 8.8 4.10 gears?

 

[Joshooha]

okay...how did you break it and do you have video?! That seems pretty catastrophic.

 

[Suddenator]

My guess is the 8.8 broke 1st, locked up and cracked the bellhousing before the u-joint snapped. Lets see some pics once toy open it up.

 

[jeeperjohn]

When the u-joint broke it transferred alot of energy into the pinion gear. This has been known to break ring or pinion gear teeth. It also puts a huge radial load on the pinion bearings and could possibly have bent the pinion gear. It's likely the housing is O.K. but it sounds like it's time for a rebuild of the gears/bearings.

 

[joe_peters]

My guess is the 8.8 broke 1st, locked up and cracked the bellhousing before the u-joint snapped. Lets see some pics once toy open it up.

I'm not sure which came first, the chicken or the egg, but I would put money on the 8.8 blowing up first and taking out the rest.

 

[benulis55]

no, the u-joint snapped, now the 8.8 is noisy as hell....some serious grinding going on. the u-joint was very bad, clicking and knocking for a long time before it broke....obviously my fault for not replacing it sooner

the 8.8 still drives, i think it just chipped a tooth...i drove it last night and today, it just makes grinding sounds wen i let off the gas

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

...i drove it last night and today, it just makes grinding sounds wen i let off the gas

hmmm something just does not add up here.

 

[asp]

sounds like a good reason to go to 4.88

 

[T3hk1w1]

I wonder if it might have somehow damaged the trac-loc.

 

[Suddenator]

no, the u-joint snapped, now the 8.8 is noisy as hell....some serious grinding going on. the u-joint was very bad, clicking and knocking for a long time before it broke....obviously my fault for not replacing it sooner

the 8.8 still drives, i think it just chipped a tooth...i drove it last night and today, it just makes grinding sounds wen i let off the gas

Count the teeth, bet there are 2 or 3 missing, but they don't go far.

 

[-96JeepSpeed-]

When the u-joint broke it transferred alot of energy into the pinion gear. This has been known to break ring or pinion gear teeth. It also puts a huge radial load on the pinion bearings and could possibly have bent the pinion gear. It's likely the housing is O.K. but it sounds like it's time for a rebuild of the gears/bearings.

X2, same thing that happens when you break a axle shaft.

 

[Deadman 94 xj]

Sounds like the crush sleeve is toast. The gears are probably fine but won't be for long if you keep driving on it.

 

[benulis55]

ill be opening it up this weekend to see what the damage is

whats the crush sleeve? thats related to the pinion bearing somehow right? sorry i am unfamiliar with gears

 

[RCP Phx]

Its the spacer between the front and rear pinion bearings.Its used to set the bearing pre-load.