I've got a full Detroit for a 30 spline Dana 44 that had the housing chewed up by the pinion when the bearing failed. The damage appears to be only cosmetic, but I want to know for sure before layin' down the money to have it installed.

It's been pulled from the housing. I've read the info on TracTech's site on testing the unit when it's still installed. Has anyone bench tested theirs using this same method or is there another way to check its condition?

Since there was a ton of metal shavings in the bottom of the housing, it'll need to be cleaned well - if it checks out ok. I've been told you shouldn't disassemble it. Will a good bath in brake cleaner do it? Should it be soaked? I don't want any contaminates to come out and damage the new bearings, etc.

I ran all this by TracTech, but haven't heard back yet.

EDIT: Here's all that TracTech had to say:
"I would take somewhere and have it cleaned, better to be safe than sorry."

I know you can send it in to Trac Tech and they can check it. I bought mine used and it had just come back from them saying it was alright since the guy thought it was broken.

The guy ran it for 3 weeks, heard noise thought it was broken :rolleyes:, sold it to me for $100 and he got a limited slip. :D

Now would be a very good time to familiarize your self with how a detroit is assembled. I broke an axle on Jackhammer this weekend and learned that there is a little ridge inside the detroit that keeps the broken splined stub (usual place for axle failures) from being able to be pushed out the other side. I had to take the whole thing apart on the trail and get the stub out. Be careful everything is spring loaded and will explode on you. Get a diagram from the Tractech site. Also, two or three extra hands will aid in disassembling as will some heavy grease to hold the washers in place.

I would buy the detroit from the guy on "approval," meaning that if it checks out OK, he will get his money.

Thanks

SeanP

That's the arrangement we have. I do want to verify the locker soon since I know the seller still owes his mechanic for the overhaul of his Dana 60.

Didn't find an exploded view of the locker on the site. I'll drop them another email.

Thanks for the info.

Jimmy

Originally posted by SeanP
Be careful everything is spring loaded and will explode on you. Get a diagram from the Tractech site. Also, two or three extra hands will aid in disassembling as will some heavy grease to hold the washers in place.



I second this. You will find it lots harder to do this yourself, it takes another set of hands.

There really isn't much to go wrong with a detroit. Either the internal plates and side gears are clean with no fractured teeth, or they are completely hosed and broken. It is quite common, however, for the internals of a detroit to get hosed if an axle breaks as the force from the bound wheel gets transferred to the other wheel/axle. I guess I got lucky this weekend in that this didn't happen.

Zip ties are your friend when reassembling it. They will hold the spring loaded sides together while you bolt it.

SeanP

ahhh one more reason to spool the diff :flipoff2: