Broken Rear Diff / Build Date Please

[frogeye]

eventhough previously said:

I have an early build date. I changed the oil in both my diffs this weekend to Mobile 1 Synthetic. The rear had a little sludge and two very small shavings and the oil was very dark. The front diff also had very dark oil, no shavings but much more sludge. The t-case oil on the other hand still looked pretty. Nothing has broken yet. I don't wheel the FJC very had (have a FJ55 for that) so hopefully she will hold out on me.

Sounds good. I'm running Redline Shockproof synth in the Tcase, front diff, and rear diff.

[Karpi71]

I have a build date of 3-20-06, no problems yet but I have a few questions:
1) Are the majority that broke AT or MT?
2) Do you have a Rear Locker?
3) Did anyone's break while using the locker?
4)Was your A-trac engaged when it broke?

I am not sure if any of this matters, just trying to get info,

thanks,

[gpwdFJ]

I know it is six pages, but the answers to most of your questions are in there.

So far the majority that have reported broken diffs were early build date Automatic transmissions. There is on Manual Transmission that reported a blown rear end.

A-Trac and/or the locker being a contributing factor is still unknown. Most people who have blown the teeth off the O-ring have been climbing and had some wheel spin or bounce that caused teeth to sheer off when the wheel actually gets traction quickly. Others howerver have had it break while driving on pavement, so there really is not a safe way to drive to completely avoid it.

[grnguns]

ropedrag previously said:

Ben and Delray, Sorry to hear that two more friends have made the list.

I'd hammer the hell out of the dealer for all expenses. Toyota is betting on the fact that this defect (anyone want to argue that it's not?) is limited to a known number of FJ's and they are playing the numbers game by not having a recall. Heck they could actually replace a large percentage of the known number and still come out ahead in the long run. And you can bet the vendor that actually made the gears is paying the bill anyway.

Interesting to see that it's mentioned in a photo caption in the May/June issue of 4WD toyota owner on page 32.

I'm wondering how far this will eventually go and how damaging it's going to be to the FJ perception (real or imagined).

It really concerns me too, I would hate to read an addition to this thread where someone got killed due to the third member going out someplace. If the randomness happens on the freeway at 70+ MPH it could take one of our friends. Does it have to go this far? Whom ever manufactured the ring and pinion should be band from the art and business of casting and machining parts that hold someones (our) lives in the balance.

Who's to know when those gears were made and by who? The differential build date is just the date when the differential was put together, it doesn't mean that is when the gears were made. Were the gears laying around in the corner because they couldn't meet tolerances when sales were tight? I usually don't assume but the breakages that have happened in this thread take me from assumption to reality.

I hate to think that a big giant like Toyota is holding out for possibly the "known" numbers involved in this malady, to have the ring and pinion replaced. Boy!...that sounds like a giant pinching the penny to save god knows what. Ninety nine percent of my driving miles are at freeway speed.

I have 23800 miles on my FJ the manufacture date is: 02/06; my differential build date is: 2/20/06.

[mattmettalia]

Well my diff broke yesterday ,i was wheeling at deer valley , was rock crawling heard a grinding noise and then no rear drive, this sucks took me two days to get towed out by anthoer wheeler , thanks jason, i had it towed 100miles to placerville toyota , he said thay may not be coverd the damage because it has a allpro lift and 34s , im back home now in santa cruz he said he would wait for the feild rep to take a look at it and let me know , i live 180 miles away , and yes its an automatic , early build date any sugestions let me know, by the way i also snap the cv trying to get out with just front wheel drive . hope thay fix all this only 12,500 miles
matt

[Athena]

Our rear diff was covered with 35" swampers, OME 3" lift, and a whole bunch of aftermarket items... I honestly will say from all the others it really is the dealerships discretion. Please make note that as soon as "abusive" comes into the conversation... walk out.. because as soon as you are marked as abusive then you're flagged in the system..and maybe even with other regions.

[bernd]

1 Poser just popped his diff on Hells Revenge. 06/06 build on diff. Vic if I'm wrong post up.

[1poser]

Bernd, THANKS! again for helping me out of Hells Revenge and for posting this thread!

I just looked and it's an 06-03...I hadn't realized that there was this problem with the FJ's...I have over 49k miles on her and I guess I really haven't pushed her to the limit until today.

I'll tell everyone something though...I'm glad it happened to me while I was with a GREAT GROUP of people!!!

It was a climbing situation with wheel-hop then BANG...just like the vid on page 1.

I'll be taking it to Toyota of Motrose in Colorado on the way to the Summit, hope they'll be understanding and cover it under warranty.

Dale, Bernd, John, Jerry, Shoroun (spelling sorry), big kudos for being there!!!

[MoabRat]

1poser previously said:

Bernd, THANKS! again for helping me out of Hells Revenge and for posting this thread!

I just looked and it's an 06-03...I hadn't realized that there was this problem with the FJ's...I have over 49k miles on her and I guess I really haven't pushed her to the limit until today.

I'll tell everyone something though...I'm glad it happened to me while I was with a GREAT GROUP of people!!!

It was a climbing situation with wheel-hop then BANG...just like the vid on page 1.

I'll be taking it to Toyota of Motrose in Colorado on the way to the Summit, hope they'll be understanding and cover it under warranty.

Dale, Bernd, John, Jerry, Shoroun (spelling sorry), big kudos for being there!!!

I have about the same miles. I would think it would be covered under the powertrain warranty. Fingers crossed for you. Is it an auto?

[1poser]

Moabrat, thanks for the support! Yes, it's an auto.