possible dead front diff

[92_LSL]

My car rolls backwards when I put it in park, also the car has a horrible knocking noise coming from the front of the tranny.

[92_LSL]

Are you kidding me? No one knows what is wrong, wow, just wow......

[Sean486]

I'm sure this is not going to be much help, ...but I'll just comment that my car rolled backwards a lot more than normal in the months leading up to my transmission failure. (However I wasn't getting any noise). Whatever it is, it can't be good.

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by 92_LSL

Are you kidding me? No one knows what is wrong, wow, just wow......

You say it rolls backkwards when you put it in park, how far?
It sounds like either axle of front diff.

[92_LSL]

Once it starts rolling it dose not stop. I have to use the emergency brake to park it.

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by 92_LSL

Once it starts rolling it dose not stop. I have to use the emergency brake to park it.

Again, that could be either the front diff, or an axle,







or a broken parking pawl, or other trans internal.

[92snowmachine]

does it spin both front wheels if you put in FWD fuse and jack the car up? if not sounds like front diff, if it does it could be the park pawl is broken off. i've seen it on foresters before because someone shifted into park when the car was still rolling and that little piece just knocked around the transmission. not really likely but just a second option.

[92_LSL]

So found out that the front passenger side axle popped out. I proceeded to pulling out the axle completely and it came apart. I dropped the front diff oil and it was pitch black but had minimal metal shavings in it, the oil also had a burnt smell to it.

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by 92_LSL

So found out that the front passenger side axle popped out. I proceeded to pulling out the axle completely and it came apart. I dropped the front diff oil and it was pitch black but had minimal metal shavings in it, the oil also had a burnt smell to it.

With the engine off, and no chance of it being started, poke your finger up into the open drain hole, and feel around for teeth.
If you don't find any, GREAT!

[92_LSL]

Once I did this I found a lot. How often do the spider gears go ???

[1986nate]

Originally Posted by 92_LSL

Once I did this I found a lot. How often do the spider gears go ???

Only if you like beating on them going around corners basically. Or, if one axle is turning much more than the other because one axle is bad.

[92_LSL]

No beating. I just wanted to know how often the spider gears break as opposed to the ring gear and pinion gear.

[1986nate]

Originally Posted by 92_LSL

No beating. I just wanted to know how often the spider gears break as opposed to the ring gear and pinion gear.

That's why I mentioned if one axle was turning more than the other. Most times it is the ring gear or pinion shaft gear or both that sheer teeth off. The spider gears are prone to failing when one wheel is spinning much more than the other, especially with a lot of torque. So, if one axle has failed as bad as it sounds or as you say, popped out of the diff which is also possible, that would be a very good case of the spider gears failing. Also burnt, improper gear oil can cause problems as well.

[92_LSL]

Well the gear oil was only a year old, but at the same time I don't know how long It's supposed to last. I was running the car in fwd for a while because I was running two different sets of rims because I had a bent one in the rear. During this time I had really bald tires up front, plus it was raining a lot so the tires where constantly spinning off the lights.

[svxfiles]

Gear oil lasts almost forever.
I have never drained any that was actually bad,


unless the diff had blown up.