Went on a long snowmobile trip pulling trailer with truck.Anyway last Monday the truck was in 4 wheel drive when it made a strange clunk & felt a shudder going about 55 mph on a slick road.Stop in town & truck smells like burning clutch.Went to take off & a constant clunk is heard from drivetrain when in 4 wheel drive.Drove truck 1300 miles home & looked at it today on lift.You can see the front differential pinion has way to much play & the seal is leaking fluid.My only worry is I have damaged the ring/pinion besides trashed bearings.Anybody else have this problem or repair.

BTW truck is a 01 HO.

 

You may have gotten a little water in the front diff or a seal started leaking and the oil got low and took out everything. How far did you drive in 4x4 on the hwy at hwy speeds? That's hard on things too.

 

If you have pinion play you got problems! If you know what you are doing tear it down and evaluate the damage, if you don't know what you are doing find someone who does! if you pull the carrier and screw up your shim stacks you go back to gear set up 101 that constant clunk you heard was most likley the pinion getting too deep taking a bite from the ring gear...$$$ sorry for your loss!!!

 

$$$$$$$$$$ is right,to the tune of around 2K.Seems a previuos repair to the front-end may be to blame.Remember last owner said he had a right u-joint & pinion seal replaced by local dealer.Anyway they destroyed the right side stub shaft threads & did not get the pinion preload correct.Big time disappointment right now.May sell truck after this.Not trucks fault but I cant afford another repair bill like this.

 

Get a load of this one. Company bought me new 2500 hemi work truck, hit rock out in mine bent the front diff cover, oil came out, front end exploded on highway, company paid $6033.78 bill from dealer for new front axle and (ball joints ????) and I still got my job LOL...