Has there ever been a "bad" differential?

roccaas

roccaas

Well-known member
Excepting transaxles, early FWD (especially GM), and some early Limited Slip differentials, these devices seem to be pretty much bullet proof through the years, technology and models, especially for Black Iron cars like ours.

Has there ever been a consistenly poor differential (sort of like electrical systems by the "Prince of Darkness" - Lucas) where one would consider trading out for a better piece of equipment, or avoid that car model/manufacturer?
 
The early 6-cylinder Chevrolets were notorious for broken rear axle shafts. Unlike the sturdy roller bearings in Model-A and early V8 Ford hubs, Chevrolet had an assembly in which the weight was carried directly by relatively small ball bearings on which the axle shaft rode. It was not a good design for the weight of the car, although the axle could be replaced on the side of the road simply by removing the broken one and sliding in a new one.

My father's first car was a 1929 Chev 4-door that he bought in 1939 for $65. Before he drove off the seller pointed out a new spare rear axle shaft under the back seat. Some time later he found out why it was there.
 
ursus is right on
those early chevys were horrible
I broke one just driving out o driveway onto the street
my cousin was harder on his and could tell right from left in a pile of axels at the junkyard
he replaced dozens
 
Some of the English vehicles we got in NZ partically Zephyers would snap axels like carrots, Had a pile of them , every time you did a burnt out would break one at the splined end about 2" out of the carrier. built a insulated rod to slide in hook to arc welder . able to fizz it on the end & pull the broken piece out. Then off for another drag,
 
A local fellow ran a '17 Dodge Brothers Touring. He always carried spare axles under the back seat and was quite proficient at changing them along the road.
My parents bought a brand new '71 Olds Delta 88 and had to get the ring and pinion changed out the first year. Sometimes there is just a bad egg in the basket.
 
There were several automakers using trans-axles (rear-wheel drive) back in Teens & Twenties; Studebaker for sure, and I believe Packard up until they brought-out the Twin-Six in 1916. I believe there were a few others...
 
Heard several "broken axle stories" abotut my Grandad's '30 Chevy coupe.

Dad had the rear axle shaft break and come half-way out of the car on our '57 Rambler Wagon....
 
Understanding there is a bit of thread drift here - Back when my dad had a 1941 Cadillac, starting in 1951, there was a local Cadillac mechanic, Robert C. Wood, who said that the 1939 Cadillac had a tendency to break a rear axle around 100,000 miles. Accordingly, when his '39 60 Special reached around 95,000 miles in the early '50s, he put in new axles.

Regards,

Dyson
 
The early Toyota 4X4 trucks were kind of hard on rear ends.They were a carbon copy(except they were metric)of the old Jeeps.They put more power in front of them,turned the revs way up,and the chucks would give out.The good part was that the front axles used the same chuck and ratio,and where they were only in use part time,almost every truck in the junkyard had at least one good one in it.Dodge trucks eat rear ends on a regular basis.I walk through the yard here in town and see 15 or 20 Dodges sitting with no rear ends.When they are making a load of scrap they chop the rears out of the Dodges,and if they are solid,the rear half of the frame too.Those frames like to rot off in the rear.I have bred quite a few of those back together.Ford,GM,all the foreign trucks just get scrapped with the rears in them.All in all,most rears are pretty bulletproof now.The Dodge rears are just Dana rears,same as Ford or GM,but I feel it is the big tires they equip them with.That is a lot of mass to start and stop.As for transaxles,Subaru is the most hunted,and Honda is a close second.
 
azmodela said:
What's wrong with transaxles? Everyone I've had was bullet proof.
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I'd guess you didn't have a 1980 Chevy Citation (recalled transaxle, then the FLYWHEEL bolts came lose-on my dime), 1982 Olds Cutlass/Ciera, etc. Bad Transaxles. 1995 Taurus, bad "motivator" according to the FORD rep who picked up half my $2,300 bill.

I'll stay with a 9" Ford rearend, lasts forever.
 
80s Jeep cjs Big tires snap small axles. My 51 Studebaker pickup the spider gears shattered.(Big Block 4 Speed Ford implant)
Grand Pa allways carried a spare axle or two with him for his chevy when he drove home to West Va. He had a stick with a rope snare on it to grab the broken end and pull it out. I heard that story everytime we took him to West Va.
Wick
 
Ditto on the 28-29 Chevrolets ,Dad had a 28 truck ,he said dont let out the clutch to go forward if you are rollin back,it'll twist the axel ever time,he always carried a spare.I bought a 29 chevy coupe ,never had a problem but soon as I sold it the buyer broke an axel.
 
roccaas said:
I'd guess you didn't have a 1980 Chevy Citation (recalled transaxle, then the FLYWHEEL bolts came lose-on my dime), 1982 Olds Cutlass/Ciera, etc. Bad Transaxles. 1995 Taurus, bad "motivator" according to the FORD rep who picked up half my $2,300 bill.

I'll stay with a 9" Ford rearend, lasts forever.
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Oh god no, I'd never own a Citation! Same with a Cutlass, Sierra, Taurus, and a long list of other American sedans from the 80's and 90's.

My VW transaxles have been great, 40 t0 50 years strong!
 
Studebaker almost went broke back in the teens fixing the differential problems from the EMF days.. Interesting, I hadn't heard of some of the other troubles mentioned, learn something new every day..
 
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