Is Front Differential Bad?

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RenoReno

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Hey guys. I picked up a Rampage MT off of ebay for a great price, with very little run time on it. There might be an issue with the front diff though and I'm wondering if anyone can shed some light on it for me. The seller has turned out to be a d bag and is no help.

With the car sitting on blocks, the left front wheel free spins. All the other wheels when turned, give a little resistance and move the center drive shaft. Spinning the left front wheel results in no movement of the driveshaft at all and there's no resistance. There is also a little lube leaking from the left side of the front diff and the diff cups are not tight against the diff housing. Bad front diff? That's what I'm thinking.

What's the best option for fixing it? Just purchase a whole new front diff of rebuilt it with components off of ebay or from the redcat site.

Thanks in advance for any insight and advice.
 
If the dogbone and diff cup turns with the wheel and you get no movement at all in the drivetrain, I'd guess the diff is defect.
If you block the center drive shaft and turn one of your rear wheels forward, the opposite wheel should turn backwards.
Same in front.
I don't know if your car has a center differential, but if it has one, and the front diff (or dogbone) is defect the car will not move.
If there is no center diff the car will move, but only with help from the rear tyres.
Take it apart and check it out!
 
David SWE said:
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Take it apart and check it out!
Click to expand...

Thanks David. Gonna do just that. Waiting for new diff cups to come in the mail first. There's a retaining pin that goes through the small end of the shaft of the diff cup. The hole in the shaft is apparently a weak point and they have a propensity for breaking when doing donuts. I may go ahead and order the front diff gear set while I'm at it, since they're not real pricey. If the gears have any damage I'll have the components on hand to do a proper repair. I'll be sure to post back what my findings are and the outcome of the repair.
 
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