got a 8.8 w/ 4.88's and 35"s and a richmond gear lock right unit. im in a toss up of what broke!

skittle of what happened. i found some mud to play in, played in it for a few secs and hopped back up on the road. nailed it and it took off like a dog until i felt a thud and the right rear tire lit up.

im thinking my axle shaft went and popped on me since i can spin only the right rear, even in gravel.

 

If the L axleshaft had broken, the L tire would be leaned over, and it would come out of the housing & the truck would fall over to that corner within a mile. If anything broke, it's inside that lunchbox locker. That's why it's not advisable to use them with oversize tires. Too much torque, especially when you get frisky. Whatever kind of diff you decide to use, it needs to be a FULL diff - not another mini like that. For more info, read this thread.

 

alright, thanks for confirmation. this is better than snapping the shaft.

oh well time to drop the lunchbox locker as ye call it and step up to a full on detroit locker in the rear. i learned my lesson. thinking about doin a detroit truetrac up front as well.

main reason i asked is the 9" i have on the rack in the garage has a plate that will hold the shaft and outer bearing in place. i was really considering droppin the 8.8 and putting the 9" from a 75 1/2ton truck thats 1" narrower under my truck.

 

The 8.8" is physically stronger than the 9" in most ways, and you'd open up a WHOLE NEW can of worms if you put that old axle in. It doesn't have an ABS sensor, for one thing.

 

http://www.richmondgear.com/0002pdfs/8221002.pdf

my current bible and im thoroughly confused on how i managed to get my pinion shaft in the carrier and now im unable to get it out??? seriously though i have to grind about 1/8th to 3/16 " off the ring gear to pull my pinion shaft out now... yet i got her in there somehow... not adding up

i finally popped the lid to see whats going on, still cant quite figure out what my problem is... it wont lock the drivers side in unless im messing with it via screwdriver. after a few mins of doing that i watched parts shift toward the passenger side. now the passenger wheel isnt being driven... spring issue or too much wear on the pinion shaft?

 

Did you put the shaft in from the other side of the carrier?

The second paragraph is too confusing to follow what you're talking about.

 

ah i finally got the pinion shaft out. took a bigger hammer and more determination.

2nd paragraph is referring to the meshing gears of the lock right units. they work in halves as you know...

i tore it all apart, inspected it and reassembled it with washers between the springs to try and stiffen it up in hopes of driving both sides... no luck it just makes the ratcheting noise extremely loud.

second thought of it, the lunchbox locker looks to be warped... none of the teeth mesh fully.