I'm already starting to piece together the last running days of this
Dak. After having a chance to get to know it in the privacy of my
garage and to let it know that everything is going to be ok... it spoke
its silent words of pain to me.
I have not pulled the diff cover off the rear end just yet - but I did
jack it up and pull the axle shaft out (with the wheel and drum still
bolted to it) and discovered that the splines are perfectly intact. The
end of the axle does not look like a soft serve cone twist... - I'm
hoping it just a broken C-clip - like I suspect. Once I get the diff
cover off I'll know exactly what I am dealing with.
Much to my dismay - this truck has 9 inch drums. I'm thinking this
could be my first upgrade - considering I have a spare axle. I might
just swap the axle shafts in anyway - as they are a 5 bolt pattern - and
I could ditch the 6 bolt pattern. (front end would be as simple as
changing out the hub/bearing units)
I discovered why the rear end let go as well... tell tail pieces of
melted rubber fantailed out from the wheel wells, horizontally... back
to the rear bumper. Its evident that from the pieces of melted black
rubber, and the obvious lack of any tread on the rear tires... (I mean
drag slick smooth)... that the previous driver was engaged in a bigass
burnout.
I pulled the trans dipstick and was puzzled. The fluid resembled old
motor oil. It smelled like tranny fluid - but was more gold in color
than anything resembling red ATF. I'm wondering if some idiot didn't
put engine oil in the wrong place. Wouldn't shock me, I've seen dumber
stuff before. As with the rear end, I'll know more once the trans pan
has been dropped.
It would also seem that I have a bad fuel tank sending unit - as I added
some gas to the truck and the needle didn't move and the idiot light is
still on... granted I put in only 2 or 3 gallons, and that may not have
been enough to raise the level on a virtually empty tank.
Ok - time for sleep!
-- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rocks are for skipping... I'm all about the mud 75 Honda CL360, 89 Dakota, 89 Dakota 4x4, 95 Dakota 4x4, 01 Ram 4x4 http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/ AIM & Yahoo: SilverEightynine
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