Cracked front axle housing

[wws944]

(I'd posted this in the transmissions sub-forum a week ago, but got no responses. Hopefully reposting here is ok...)

We discovered the front axle housing in my '96 K1500 Suburban is cracked. Explains why my 4WD hasn't been been as reliably engaging and disengaging as it should be. It seems to be GM part number 26033235, and not available new. It there a cross reference or other source of this part? Or should I just start scouring PickNPulls or other wrecking yards for a (hopefully good) used unit? Anyone have a good used one laying around?

1988-1997 GM Axle Housing 26033235 | Auto Parts Express

OEM 1988-1997 GM Part # 26033235 - Axle Housing

www.gmpartsonline.net

 

[df2x4]

Check car-part.com if you haven't already, they index salvage yard inventories across the country.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

the front axle housing in my '96 K1500 Suburban is cracked.

If you can't find a replacement, you should be able to get it welded.

 

[geeeee89]

Junkyard or craigslist. Super easy to find and not expensive at all

 

[wws944]

If you can't find a replacement, you should be able to get it welded.

So welding it is an option? A mechanic friend thought that might be the case.

Sounds like I should start looking for a junkyard one too. And yes - car-part.com is a great resource.

 

[wws944]

Update: while we found an axle extension housing, when we got into it, there was more broken in the front diff than just the housing. So to make a longer story shorter, I now have a front diff/housing allegedly from a '97 Tahoe installed.

The problem now is that the replacement has a different actuator/sensor design than my '96. My '96 has separate sensor and actuator, whereas the '97 has a one-piece integrated actuator/sensor.

Has anyone tried building a wiring harness to go from the two-part design to the one-part design? Or is there an off-the-shelf harness available to do the job?

 

[Schurkey]

Is that the difference between the thermal actuator and the newer electric-motor actuator?

There's a retrofit harness for upgrading vehicles that came with the thermal unit, to the newer actuator.

 

[alpinecrick]

Is that the difference between the thermal actuator and the newer electric-motor actuator?

There's a retrofit harness for upgrading vehicles that came with the thermal unit, to the newer actuator.

I'm thinking that is what he is referring to.......

 

[alpinecrick]

Update: while we found an axle extension housing, when we got into it, there was more broken in the front diff than just the housing. So to make a longer story shorter, I now have a front diff/housing allegedly from a '97 Tahoe installed.

The problem now is that the replacement has a different actuator/sensor design than my '96. My '96 has separate sensor and actuator, whereas the '97 has a one-piece integrated actuator/sensor.

Has anyone tried building a wiring harness to go from the two-part design to the one-part design? Or is there an off-the-shelf harness available to do the job?

The factory thermal actuator is the same for all the GMT400 K1500's and K2500 to my knowledge. The spare factory thermal actuator I bought for my 91 K2500 fits my 96 and 97 K1500's.

There is a aftermarket option of an electric actuator that requires a different wire harness, although I think some have jury rigged the wiring and made it work. The electric actuator is better, that's what I have currently in both my GMT400's, although it doesn't like to be immersed in water for very long.

 

[wws944]

This is odd then. My original axle extension housing has two threaded holes - one for the actuator, the other for the sensor. I bought a replacement from a place (West Coast DIfferentials - seem like great folks) that is identical. Unfortunately when we got the truck up on the lift and removed things, there were parts in the front diff that were also broken.

West Coast Differentials couldn't get me a replacement front diff with the correct gear ratio for some time, so I bought a used diff and its extension from a different place. The extension housing only has a single hole - and the actuator which fits in it has the sensor integrated as a single unit.

We tried using the two-hole extension with the replacement diff. But there were internal differences such that it wouldn't work. In the interests of time, we used the one-hole extension just to get the truck off the lift and driveable again. No 4WD, but at least no fluid leaks from the cracked housing either.

So my options are either:

1.) Figure out the differences in electrical connection to use the integrated actuator/sensor, or

2.) Source another front diff designed for the extension with separate actuator and sensor holes.

I'd like to do #1, as replacing everything a second time would be a PITA. Fortunately I'm not under any great time constraints.

Maybe I'll take some photos and post them.