Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Blew my rear diff on thursday, driving up a carpark ramp of all places
After pulling it out looks like 3 teeth stripped from pinion gear which then munched up the crown gear.

I was just accelerating up an inclined ramp in the carpark and bang crunch. There has been no noises from the rear diff, no whining, it was full of oil, no water

What I wanna know is why this happened? I would have expected an axle to break first if it was force related i.e. giving it some, but I wasnt. The lack of any noise and the suddeness of the break makes me think it was possibly just fatigue.

I dont know a whole lot about the inner workings of a diff but could it have been a collapsed bearing or possibly a bent rear axle causing movement?

Can anyone shed some light on this?

Pics


3 teeth missing from pinion gear


Found the teeth

If there was no noise beforehand and it went all of a sudden, then its most likely a foreign object got caught inbetween the crownwheel and pinion, and it was all downhill from there.

Foreign object. Or a stress fracture that has slowly grown over time. Check the broken areas for differing colour, indicating an older fracture. I have seen diffs hold up to insane abuse, only to break driving along someones driveway to the shed. If you got some pics of the base of the teeth that have broken post them up. Carnage pics are cool

Layto....

weird, sounds silly but all the bolts are still in it arn't they?

my diff is welded and has been for 3 years, it has copped punishment i cant blow it, im running 31's, even after snapping 4 axels and driving over an hour each time to get home(im supprised it didnt pick up any of the pieces of broken axel and chew the centre out) sounds lick a bolt has came loose and chewed it up or u r running some 37's with rockhopper gearing and are a complete nutter