So, I tore down my front diff to see about repairing the hole I cut when I installed the lift kit. Apparently jb weld doesn't work too good.

I noticed some concerning cracks on the inside. I was planning to have my buddy try and weld the hole up, but if the housing is all cracked, I'm gonna have to source a new housing.

Anyone who has been inside their front diff, did yours look like this? (other than the large hole I cut accidently lol)

 

At first look I thought it was just superficial casting cracks but looking closer some of those are pretty deep.

 

That differential is toast. I can hook you up with a cast iron one if you decide you need it but they aren't cheap.

 

That's what I was afraid of. Looks like a junk yard trip is in my future

 

Looks like fatigue cracks. What has me wonder is the deformation. Some cracks seem to bulge up while around the sealing ring it seems to go down.

Has it been in an accident? Or offroading and been hit by something?

 

No accidents that I know of (I picked the truck up at 237k miles, so who knows about what happened before) and I've offroaded it a few times, but it's had a skid under the diff ever since I put the lift kit on. It's possible it could have taken a blow before that, though

 

Yikes!