MontyMcV
Observer
Hello All:
Thought I'd post up here on a version of a thread from a few weeks ago I had on 4x4Wire. On Memorial Day weekend, the wife's 2003 20th Anniversay Edition with only 34k miles smoked the rear diff. This ride is the wife's DD and fmaily hauler to the cottage. Meaning, no trails, let alone harder wheeling. When I crawled underneath (at the cottage) I see the DS half shaft has clearly slid out from the carrier some. The diff was making a horrible noise and to no surprise was low on lube. Luckily the little local hardware store had two quarts. The housing holds 1.7Q and I put well over 1Q in. Didn't make a difference though so off to the dealer after we limped it home. The dealer service manager was a surprised as I was with the situation.
Long story short is that as I braced for a battle with the third-party warranty company, I got a lead on my 4x4Wire thread to check the forums down under. Doing some searching on our Oz brethren, I find many posts about the same thing, the shafting popping and lube puking out. Clearly something is up with the cir-clips. They also talked about some superceded parts. From there I go to ASA and sure enough, new part numbers. Sometime in 05 Mitsu changed the flanges to have bigger grooves and a bigger cir-clip to match. The older flange part numbers are then superceded accordingly.
For anyone who wheels, and can handle basic mechanic work, you are looking at ~$200 in parts and two hours tops of your time, that it you go r-e-a-l s-l-o-w. Four bolts per flange and top off the diff (or, change it in reality just because). Do this and you will avoid having a major issue at the worst time down the road.
Thankfully for me the warranty company did cover it. Total cost for the warranty when we got the truck with 14k miles- $2200. Total cost for the dealer to put in an new loaded rear housing- $2200.
Hope this lucky-in-the-end experience of mine will help others avoid the same probabaly not-so-lucky-in-the-end experience for themselves...
Thought I'd post up here on a version of a thread from a few weeks ago I had on 4x4Wire. On Memorial Day weekend, the wife's 2003 20th Anniversay Edition with only 34k miles smoked the rear diff. This ride is the wife's DD and fmaily hauler to the cottage. Meaning, no trails, let alone harder wheeling. When I crawled underneath (at the cottage) I see the DS half shaft has clearly slid out from the carrier some. The diff was making a horrible noise and to no surprise was low on lube. Luckily the little local hardware store had two quarts. The housing holds 1.7Q and I put well over 1Q in. Didn't make a difference though so off to the dealer after we limped it home. The dealer service manager was a surprised as I was with the situation.
Long story short is that as I braced for a battle with the third-party warranty company, I got a lead on my 4x4Wire thread to check the forums down under. Doing some searching on our Oz brethren, I find many posts about the same thing, the shafting popping and lube puking out. Clearly something is up with the cir-clips. They also talked about some superceded parts. From there I go to ASA and sure enough, new part numbers. Sometime in 05 Mitsu changed the flanges to have bigger grooves and a bigger cir-clip to match. The older flange part numbers are then superceded accordingly.
For anyone who wheels, and can handle basic mechanic work, you are looking at ~$200 in parts and two hours tops of your time, that it you go r-e-a-l s-l-o-w. Four bolts per flange and top off the diff (or, change it in reality just because). Do this and you will avoid having a major issue at the worst time down the road.
Thankfully for me the warranty company did cover it. Total cost for the warranty when we got the truck with 14k miles- $2200. Total cost for the dealer to put in an new loaded rear housing- $2200.
Hope this lucky-in-the-end experience of mine will help others avoid the same probabaly not-so-lucky-in-the-end experience for themselves...
