So I attempted something I’ve never done before last week, changing the differential gear oil in a GM Corporate 10-bolt live rear axle. Not as fun as I thought it was going to be. I assumed there might be a low drain plug to allow the draining of the gear oil, but no, you have to take off the differential cover to drain the gear oil.

It was fun getting my hands dirty though, seeing as how I’m behind a computer most of the time.

Funny thing I also did some maintenance to the rear diff today and yesterday on my friends car, but an oilchange wasn't enough (he had already tried that).
The diff was making alot of noice and he could get the car to reverse.

Yesterday we removed the rear differential and gearbox (they are bolted together in the rear on this model):



Here is the problem, a hole where you can see the crownwheel:

We haven't opened the diff yet but we could here that some metal ballbearings was rattling around in there.

So today we went to the junkyard and removed the whole rearaxle from a simillar car:


We hope to have his car running again this weekend or the next week.

Neat, I find such things to be fascinating. I hope that all goes well finding a replacement and that the car is easily put back to pristine working order.

The rear diff on my truck is original, and to the best of my knowledge the gear oil has never been changed, it was the original gear oil put in by the factory workers during assembly. It would induce a slight bump when making slow turns (left or right), but now with fresh gear oil, it operates smoothly again.

The only thing it does not do properly is lock. The truck came with the optional G80 Eaton "Gov-lock" automatic locking differential (ALD). If it was working like it should, the diff would lock-up 100 percent, locking both rear axle shafts together, reducing axle shaft slip to zero.

Mine will try to lock, but fails to engage fully. It will let one rear wheel slip (spin) whilst the opposing wheel remains stationary. Basically its operating like a open differential. I suppose later on I’ll have to get it rebuilt. If I locked and unlocked as many times as it has, I guess I wouldn’t lock right either.

Nice to here that it worked out for you and that the oil change solved the problem.

The replacment (that you can see in the last picture) have (ofc) an open diff. We will remove the diff cover and weld it shut making it lock 100% at all times.
This operation will put some strain on the mechanic in there but it will also make the car more fun when it goes side ways on an icey lake this winter and the pros outweigh the cons

Ahh, I read too fast, thinking the rear end in the bottom pic was from the car. I see now, so you already have the replacement. Good to know.

Welding the axle shafts together will give good traction indeed, and will lock the torque distribution to 50/50 between the rear wheels.

Stress on the mechanics might not be a issue if it’s heavy-duty enough. But tire/tyre wear and scuffing will be a issue on pavement (if its ever driven on pavement for a long time).

Sounds like fun either way.

I think vehicle maintenance is the main matter for car owner. The maintenance should be cost effective, is that profit for car owner.

The gearbox we put in one year ago had a small noice and the way my friend drives didn't exactly help, he likes to torture the car by going sideways and throw in the gears... The diff couldn't take the stress and one week ago the diff seized up completly.

Exactly one year has passed and it was time to change the diff and gearbox again:

Yikes! Maybe he should change his driving style to be a little softer?

Funny that this got brought back up today as I also replaced the rear differential fluids today... But it was an all day thing for me as I replaced the Front Diff, Rear diff and transfer case fluids as well as the Automatic Transmission filter and fluid in My 2003 Jeep Liberty as well as changing all of those in my wife's 2004 Jeep Liberty. I also Changed the rear differential fluid and manual transmission fluid in my "spare car"- a 2002 Jeep Liberty (it is 2WD) The Libertys have no drain plug on the diff covers either, so I had to pull them, they also don't used a formed gasket for the diff covers (or for the Auto tranny pan either- which is odd) so I had to use RTV. I have to do this about once every 2 years to each of these Jeeps (Jeep specs 30,000 miles or 24 months for all of these fluids (and the tranny filter) both my wife and I put about 12-15K on each of our Jeeps a year, so I just do all three about the same time every 2 years (the spare Jeep only got driven 8,000 miles since I changed the fluids in 2009 but I went ahead and did it anyway so they were all done)...but it made for a LONG day today!

The front differential fluid in the Chevrolet has never been changed. It’s been checked over and over, but its still good and at the full level. Still has that pristine gear oil appearance and texture, also no metal shards are present. It’s the original gear oil the workers poured into it at the factory 25 years ago.

Three Libertys??? That's three more than you should have.

I just think they are driven by sorority girls or at least where I live.

I doubt sorority girls drive Libertys like mine, With the lift, 31 inch Good Year MT/R Kevlars, ARB Air Lockers front and rear, ARB bull bar and Safari Snorkel my KJ is more than capable and I would say that it will go anywhere that your Montero can go.

and technically I have four Libertys (5 Jeeps total as i sold my 98 ZJ)

My 03 Renegade with my 77 Renegade:

*drooling over that ’77 model*

I understand snorkels, but could never understand why some company’s make them way taller than the vehicle’s roof. Think about it, you would drown before the vehicle did... Yours stops at the roof which is nice.

I am glad that I have the snorkel, but it doesn't even need to be as high as it is, I know I will not be taking it that deep in the water The deepest I have taken the Liberty was during Hurricane Irene when water was just cresting over the front edge of the hood (I still have water in my fog lights as a souvenir Some of my past Suzukis/Trackers have also had snorkels and I have taken them up to the windshield in water but they were much simpler/cheaper vehicles with much less electronic and computer controlled equipment.

as for the 77 it needs a few things and I like it but I didn't build it I bought it like it is (which is a first for me) It is a lot of fun though. I got it from a family friend who built it for rock crawling out in California. It is geared way to low to daily drive though.

here is a shot of all of the Libertys together, the blue one is my wife's, while the dark green one is the "spare car" The Light Green one with the orange hood is actually a DaimlerChrysler pre-production model of the Renegade but it spent its entire life in Michigan (most of it on a backlot rotting away) so it has a lot of rust on it. I will be turning it into a strickly off-road toy (topless/doorless)

nice collection

I was forced to drive the rounded-line in 30 inches (762 mm) of water the day after tropical storm Nicole (2010) hit the area. Not the most fun thing I have ever done, but Big Grey didn’t seem to mind.

I turned off of the main road that I live on, onto a dirt road (the only road open at that time, as the state workers and police were closing other conjoining roads down from flooding or complete washout) with farm fields on both sides, which at that point looked like a huge pristine lake that you could go fishing or boating in.

I drove slow and steady, so not to push too much water. The door seals held up pretty good to be factory original. No water came in. Big Grey doesn’t have a snorkel, just the factory high-rise air intake.





Took this photo after the water fording, no problems, just a lot of dirty water grime on the wheels, tires and lower portion of the body. Took a while to clean all up under the chassis.

@Tonkatracker: are these all electric cables, wich are hanging at the outer side of the walls?

unfortunately yes most of them are, that and cable TV. I just purchased this house in August and am in the process of renovating it. The house was built in 1901 but was 'converted' to 3 separate apartments in the 1977. The house was updated in 1994 but still split into 3 apartments. I am currently working on making it a single family dwelling again, that and I will be adding 10 feet to the back of the house and a two car garage (the garage will actually go where the two green Libertys are) Once the house is done I will only have the one electric wire going down the back of the house to the power meter (since this area has above ground power lines this is unavoidable)

Sounds interesting. Be sure to post a picture when it's finished.