D44 Toast?

[Recon 78]

The day after a wheelin trip I looked at my D44 and it's leaking from the pinion, all 4 lower rosettes, and the long side tube where it meets the housing.

Is it trashed?

 

[Bent77]

Maybe not. Did you take off any sweet jumps?

 

[Recon 78]

didnt get any air
just mud ruts and some steep hill climbs

 

[Bent77]

Gonna have to clean it real good and double check for cracks

Most likely overfilled and got to warm, vent tube plugged. Pull the front cover and take a gander

 

[Recon 78]

Gonna have to clean it real good and double check for cracks

Most likely overfilled and got to warm, vent tube plugged. Pull the front cover and take a gander

last Summer I put a spartan in my 12 bolt and wheeled all summer it worked great and survived
this spring I put one in the d44 and wheeled twice then this happened
overload? 36 in tsl's

 

[Recon 78]

filled to bottom of fill hole
75 90w synthetic

 

[Bent77]

Might've gotten too hot.

Might be pissed and melting from the inside out

 

[Recon 78]

ok
will fill with conv 90w
and look for cracks and such
thank you for the tips

 

[454Sub]

Leaking plug welds and where the tube presses into the housing is a sign of the tubes starting to loosen up.

I never understood why they didn't fully weld the tubes in. It would make it much more difficult to fix should a tube bend but you would need a mill either way in the end.

 

[Recon 78]

yeah I figured the tubes have moved/flexed
just a matter of time till it fails

 

[454Sub]

Just weld the tubes or fill the plug welds in again, replace the pinion seal and run with it.

If you feel a 60 is what you need keep an eye out.

 

[Recon 78]

thanks
shopping for a d60
hard to come by at a reasonable price in my area (chicago suburbs)

 

[454Sub]

Yes it will. I live in So IL and I ended up driving 1.5hrs for my 60.

 

[Recon 78]

nice
glad you found one
just not many available near me
the quest is on!

 

[sweetk30]

i am east of you buy a lot of hours drive time . but i have a 60 with 4.10 gears ready to install.

but you prob wont want to drive that far . . .

try plug welding the tube holes after gear oil has leaked out them . . . .

 

[Blue85]

Did you dunk the axle underwater? May be filled with water. If the innards look OK upon inspection, clean and grind all around the tube/pumpkin interface and weld that up. Of course, do some verification that your caster is still about right first and that the tubes haven't backed out a bit.

 

[AV8TER]

last Summer I put a spartan in my 12 bolt and wheeled all summer it worked great and survived
this spring I put one in the d44 and wheeled twice then this happened
overload? 36 in tsl's

You have a Spartan in a 44 with 36s? From the looks of your profile pic you wheel this rig so you might as well start looking for a 60. When it comes to busting 44s with lockers there are those that have and those that will. Just a matter of time.

Is the oil leak at the tubes dripping on the ground or just getting wet at the seam?

 

[Recon 78]

I know 36's on a d44 is not ideal, thats my son in my profile pic I've owned this rig for 20 yrs and it's survived when it was open.
shopping for tons now.
I actually thought I would bust an axleshaft/u joint or grenade the carrier not stress the housing

 

[Recon 78]

no deep water
not leaking on the ground, just at the seam