I posted earlier about a weird shudder/hop I've developed in the rear end. I was thinking back to my trip home from ME and some of the weather I passed through (rain, freezing rain, snow etc. plus very cold temps). One morning at the hotel, I started the truck to pull it up to the door to load and it wouldn't move. I just figured it was frozen to the ground so I put it in 4WD and pulled out. Back acted sort of weird and I took it out of 4WD and it wouldn't move again. One back tire was spinning (on ice) and the truck didn't move. Back into 4WD and under the canopy at the door. Loaded it up and went to go again (in 2WD) and the truck wouldn't move. I'm thinking I've got a frozen rear brake, so I drop it into 4WD to break the ice - now all 4 wheels are on dry pavement - and after a nice resounding thunk, everything seems fine. Test the brakes and they work nicely. Back into 2WD and off we go.<br><br>Then I get my rear end (only fender bender speed) hit about 800 miles later and after getting home - another 800 miles or so - I shut down for the night. Two days later when I head to work, the rear end is doing it's strange hopping thing every time I start off from a stop. Today it occured to me maybe it was something in the limited slip... so, back to the original question: Can you break a LSD mechanism?<br><br>Kind of long story to ask a simple question... sorry and thanks.

 

I had the same thing once on another vehicle that I owned, it ended up being a bad U joint that would fill with water and freeze. When you went to leave again you would have to break the ice in the cup to get it moving with a bit of throttle.<br><br><br>Just a thought........<br><br>Good Luck<br><br><br><br>Jason

 

Yes it is possible but most of the time that I have seen they have been abused, like spinning out on pavement all the time. I know that the hopping thing is a sign of damage but unless it is abused their should be no problems.....This was a problem ford had with the dana's on there trucks. When you would have a load that was pushing 10,000 lbs or more they would hop while taking off. Oh did you check the fluid from the plug to see how much was in it? On our 94 3500 dodge forgot to get all the shavings out and forgot the fluid. Rearend lasted 4000 miles till it locked up.<br>Chase

 

A little off the original question..but...I have the anti-spin diff. Is that what DC calls lsd or is it posi-trac ??? <br><br>tia<br>wk

 

Yes it is.<br>Chase

 

I have never broken a LSD, but I have wore them out. If one axel turns and the other doesn't...it usually means that the LSD is wore out. In your case, 1998 truck, I would suspect that one axel might have some stripped splines. I have seen that and it does have the symptions you describe.<br>John

 

I would check your brake shoes. Some times it's possible to bend your brake shoes or backing plate when they are frozen. Also check your spider gears in the diff and make sure they have all the teeth. the only way to know is to look.