Noticed a small hole in my rear differential. Looks like the cover was welded onto the truck. Is there any way to replace the cover or patch the hole?
I don’t think you can replace it since it’s welded. You might be able to patch it with JB Weld for now, but in the long run, you’ll probably need a new axle—either from a junkyard or a dealer.
Flynn said:
I don’t think you can replace it since it’s welded. You might be able to patch it with JB Weld for now, but in the long run, you’ll probably need a new axle—either from a junkyard or a dealer.
It’s actually a pretty common issue, and you can replace it—but you’ll have to weld on another diff cover. It’s a pain. I did it on my ‘03 4Runner, and it took a couple of days to clean everything up, grind off the old cover, and get it done. JB Weld is a temporary fix… might last a few days, might last a few years, but eventually, the rest will rust out too.
Belzona!
TacomaTales said:
Belzona!
The blessed algorithm provides.
Like others have said—clean it up, grind off any rust, and use JB Weld. Don’t rush the prep work or the drying time, or it won’t hold.
Landry said:
Like others have said—clean it up, grind off any rust, and use JB Weld. Don’t rush the prep work or the drying time, or it won’t hold.
Did this on my ‘03 Sequoia. Hit it with a grinder, JB Weld, and kept driving it for another 30k miles before a bunch of other issues forced me to move on to my current truck.
Either get a new axle or grind and weld it.
Had to deal with this before. My temporary fix was to clean off the rust, JB Weld it, and then coat it with Flex Paste. Turns out the previous owner did the same thing because I found the same rubbery layer when I first checked it. Not perfect, but it held up for a couple of years before I sold the truck. If you can weld, that’s the proper fix. And as always—make sure you can get the fill bolt off before draining the fluid!
Going through this right now. Mine isn’t too bad, but I drained it, cleaned it, and patched it with JB Weld. Then I covered the whole diff in POR-15. It worked for two years, but now I’ve got a small drip again. Got a new cover, just need to find someone to weld it for me…
I’ve got an ‘07, and at this point, probably 10% of my rear diff is just JB Weld. I honestly can’t believe it’s still holding together.
I welded one at work, but from the inside. Stupid design.
Maybe try drilling and tapping to 1/4-28 and sealing a stubby bolt in with Loctite or RTV?
Oof… not good.