Full Floating Rear Axle Housing

ANSWER : Hello. Usually the entire axle is replaced when there is a serious failure with the differential or one of the axles. Usually a failure of this degree will render the vehicle undriveable or immobilized, or at the very least will produce noticeable symptoms. If there does not appear to be any leaks, or noises from the axle housing then I would ask the service adviser why he is recommending an axle replacement.

ANSWER : Aloha. Ah – the infamous "it’s all gone" excuse. To be quite blunt, you’re being ripped off. If a professional mechanic can’t explain what exactly is damaged with any mechanical component, they are taking advantage of you. I would get your car back and contact a different mechanic. Or, feel free to send us some information about the symptoms your car is experiencing that led you to take the car to the mechanic in the first place. Maybe we can help diagnose your issue and allow you to bring that info to a different mechanic. Mahalo.

ANSWER : Im sorry to tell you that the bearing housing is not generally replaceable. Once it’s damaged or dented, it’s nearly impossible to fix. You can check with a local rear end builder or hot rod shop to see if they can weld a new axle tube on. It might be less expensive to get a used rear end from a donor truck at a scrap yard.

ANSWER : With the age of the vehicle, a worn / failed pinion seal is the most likely cause. Inspect the pumpkin and cover for any damage. If it is apparent that the pinion seal is leaking, make sure the pinion bearing is inspected for excessive play. A worn bearing can eat through a new seal quickly. Have a certified technician inspect the axle and if found to be the cause, replace the pinion seal. Have it done as soon as possible. At the same time, have the axle seals inspected as well. Low gear oil level in the axle will damage gears and bearings in no time.

ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in. I recommend buy the Toyota OEM part. Although we could go into high detail as to the precise technical differences amongst the various and competing aftermarket seals you are describing, such will not change the conclusion at all. Generally speaking, aftermarket parts are NOT as good as the factory OEM parts. Large car manufacturers spend hundreds of millions of dollars, indeed billions, developing the technologies used in these vehicles and ALL of the parts are extraordinarily carefully engineered to fit very precisely and perform specific functions. In the aftermarket, they try to duplicate that, but more often than not, it does not work. Toyota OEM quality in particular is not duplicated well, if not at all, in the aftermarket.

ANSWER : There is a special axle remover tool or a slide hammer that can cause the axle to release from the housing.

ANSWER : The leak on the axle seal may be minor if you did not notice the level to be low when you checked it. I cannot say it will last for 2 and a half hours of driving, since this is when the differential will get the hottest and may leak worse. I suggest having a mechanic diagnose your oil leak and have it repaired before going on the trip, since a cheap repair now may become an expensive repair if you drive it and the rear end locks up after it lost all its oil.

In the meantime, feel free to read more on differential/gear oil in this article.

ANSWER : There are a lot of things that can cause what you’ve described: a faulty fuel sending unit in the tank and the tank is actually full, a stick ORVR valve not allowing pressure in the tank to leave when fueling, or a saturated charcoal canister that cannot let the excess pressure in the tank escape. Are you able to fill an additional $10 in fuel after it cuts off? If so, then this may be a malfunction in the evaporative emission system not allowing pressure to leave the fuel tank when filling. If it cannot take more than $10 at all, then the fuel tank may be full and the sending unit is failing and providing a false reading. I strongly suggest acquiring a qualified technician to perform an inspection due to the volatility of fuel. A certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect the fuel problem and advise you on repairs.