Is my Dana 25 Toast?

[Steve]

I just installed new axles in the front driveline. Now myDana 25 is behaving in what I think is a strange manner. A not-so-good sign is that when I took the cover off of the differential, there was an asbestos gasket.� Here is what is going on that has me confused and thinking that the differential might be bad.

I verified that the new axles are engaged with the gears in the differential. I verified this by turning the each� axle while holding the respective gear in the differential.

When I spin the yoke from the driveshaft the gears move around in the differential but the axles do not spin. So, is it time for me to head down the rebuild path?

[garage gnome]

It just sounds like the carrier is spinning around the spider gears. Put some tires on it and set them on the ground. Betcha can't spin it then. 

[F Bill]

Or set one wheel on the ground and turn the shaft. The wheel in the air should turn.

With both wheels in the air turning the pinion shaft should turn at least one axle shaft. Your spider gears will allow the wheel that is harder to turn to sit still and the other wheel will turn faster.

If you don't have your cover off it might be worth taking it off and looking inside to see just what is happening. At the very least you should be able to figure out how it works, and if there is something not happy in there you might find it.

An asbestos gasket really means nothing other than someone has some asbestos gasket material they used.

Here's hoping you find something simple or nothing wrong at all.

One thing you might take a good look at is the positioning of the spider gears in the carrier. If one got dropped out of the carrier (can you even do that?) the diff may not work.

[Steve]

Thanks guys. All is well in differential land. As you can tell, I am learning about this stuff as I go.

Steve

[garage gnome]

That is why you ask the questions and we are here to answer them!