OK, it happened, had to  back off a steep hill today, foot sort of slipped off clutch and I knew something would break.. and it did.. just busted the "ear" off the rear of the front diff.. split it in two actually... it's still ok in forward, but trailing throttle, or reverse, or engine breaking down big hills will pull it out and allow the pinion flange to rub on the bell housing? (I think it's the bell housing.. anyway.... it's broken

Has anyone had ANY luck welding, stregthening or fixing this problem?

I saw a picture in another thread of a front housing that was totally armored, and welded with aluminum plate all around it.. 

I would like to just go ahead and put the steel housing in it, but there aren't any in junkyards around here.. how are they from Hawk's or something?   I will have to use my old carrier right? OR, will my ring and pinion fit the GV housing and carrier as is?  ( I GET CONFUSED on this, I have read the article before..)

Crud.  Now I know why so many people either do a SAS or gooti beefier componants.. I baby my Trackick in the rough stuff and still break it fairly easily.

 I have a guy that can weld aluminum very very well..   I would like to go steel, but I really can't afford it right now.. I also don't want to buy a new front housing, why spend more money on weak stuff... 

CRAP!

LOL..

Well, this is going to have to wait a couple weeks to get fixed, I have other concerns at the moment.  Guess I will take a break till I get this sorted.

There is another way if you don't mind doing some fabbing and that is to modify a Sammy housing. It's a bit of mucking around but it does work. A whole lot easier is to get a GV steel one. Also have a look at Izook in the tech archive for another option with the alloy housing.

Better have that sucker fixed before the 3rd!

Whats the 3rd?

Bill

Whats the 3rd?

Bill

http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=11384.0



I can't imagine it will be broken for a month... that's just not like me..... lol

OK, it happened, had to  back off a steep hill today, foot sort of slipped off clutch and I knew something would break.. and it did.. just busted the "ear" off the rear of the front diff.. split it in two actually... it's still ok in forward, but trailing throttle, or reverse, or engine breaking down big hills will pull it out and allow the pinion flange to rub on the bell housing? (I think it's the bell housing.. anyway.... it's broken

Has anyone had ANY luck welding, stregthening or fixing this problem?

I saw a picture in another thread of a front housing that was totally armored, and welded with aluminum plate all around it.. 

I would like to just go ahead and put the steel housing in it, but there aren't any in junkyards around here.. how are they from Hawk's or something?   I will have to use my old carrier right? OR, will my ring and pinion fit the GV housing and carrier as is?  ( I GET CONFUSED on this, I have read the article before..)

Crud.  Now I know why so many people either do a SAS or gooti beefier componants.. I baby my Trackick in the rough stuff and still break it fairly easily.

 I have a guy that can weld aluminum very very well..   I would like to go steel, but I really can't afford it right now.. I also don't want to buy a new front housing, why spend more money on weak stuff... 

CRAP!

LOL..

Well, this is going to have to wait a couple weeks to get fixed, I have other concerns at the moment.  Guess I will take a break till I get this sorted.

Here's that article.

http://www.zukiworld.com/month_090103/feature_sidekickdrivetrainimprovements.htm

Yeah, the article does seem a bit confusing...  As I read it, the GV front third matches closest to the 'Kick aluminum front third as does the XL-7 steel front housing.  To solve the problem, it looks like you take the "guts" out of your aluminum third, stick it into the GV third, then stick it onto the XL-7 housing and then plug everything back in.

But they refer a Samurai front carrier, too...  I guess the Samurai carrier with it's 4 pin spider gears and the extra machining was added in the article for extra strength and would possibly be optional.  Probably a good option for hard wheeling, though 

Finally, I have an aluminum front third housing laying about that I snatched the 4.625 R&Ps out of that you can have (!) for shipping.   

PM me.

Hope this helps!

Was a steel offered in an earlier model... If you tell me what to look for in a junkyard, I'll do some searching in my area...

ERock

Was a steel offered in an earlier model... If you tell me what to look for in a junkyard, I'll do some searching in my area...

ERock

From my experiences, there is nothing but Aluminum on all TracKicks.  Only in the XL-7 and GV do you find Steel components... Maybe they exist in the Sport models, but that's just a wild guess.

Ack, thanks for the offer. I may just take you up on that, as finances are close right now.. getting ready for summer..


Will the steel third housing bolt up to the alumium axle housing?  I doubt it, but if I could do it in stages, I could probably afford to order just the third housing for now...

If not, then, ack.. I would really love to take you up on the offer...

THANKS!

Regarding swapping the Sami Carrier into the GV third, this is done primarily so you can fit the Sami Lockright into the front diff.  I'm sure the steel carrier is a bit stronger too if you are really hard on them.

The steel housing will bolt up to the alloy....and the Sport has alloy housings too.

time for the strait axle!!! now you have an exuse to really upgrade

The 3rd are interchangable. THe Steel came out in some early GV's (V-6, 5 speed I believe), and in most of the XL-7's (but not a few of the early ones) If you are junk yard hunting just tale a magnet with you to check. You do take the guts out of your diff and place it in the steel 3rd and that can bolt to an aluminum, steel or Anvil housing. The Sami carier is to fit a locker in the front as mentioned above, There is a comparison alum to XL-7 in http://zukiworld.com/month_110103/feature_zigsbeef.htm

HTH, Zig

ah, that's good news.. Now to try to find a steel 3rd housing..  Good to know it will bolt up to an aluminum axle housing..  IF, I can find one, I can do it in stages, and get an anvil, or XL7 stee axle housing later..


BUT, I might still need that aluminum 3rd Ack!!


Maplebar, I am a bit confused on your post, I think you might be calling the 3rd member housing a carrier?? not sure..

Well I am no where near a mechanic, but I think I got the right terminology (or at least what is commonly used around this board).  An optional upgraded when doing diff work is to replace the Sidekick carrier with a modified Samurai 4 pin carrier.  The Samurai carrier is a different design (4-pins and steel) and there is a Lockright and Detroit locker application for them.  You can then install your R&P, Sidegears and a locker with the Samurai carrier into your GV/XL7 Steel diff and bolt that to whatever axle housing you want (stock aluminum, GV/XLY steel, Anvil).

Here's the article using a Sami carrier, Detroit locker and XL7 axle housing
http://www.zukiworld.com/month_090103/feature_sidekickdrivetrainimprovements.htm

Here's the article using a Sami carrier, Detroit locker and Calmini Anvil
http://zukiworld.com/month_110103/feature_zigsbeef.htm
This is also where they mention that the XL7 3rd member has beefier mounting tabs than the GV and is therefore a stronger upgrade option.

One more 3rd member and Carrier upgrade article, Front end upgrades with Hagen.
http://www.zukiworld.com/month_020103/feature_frontendupgradeswithhagen.htm