well i been milking my rear end i new it had a leak well i went on a hr long trip and the bottom of the pumpkin seal blue and leaks pretty bad. didnt relize it and driving down the road and the rear end locks up so i drove the truck in reverse home im tearing into it now hoping its a spider gear.

 

Buy a new one at the junkyard. Will cost you around $100-$150.

 

ouch

 

a spider gear wouldnt make the rear end lock up. the chances are that something broke and got stuck in between the ring and pinon.

 

Unless he has a LS.
Could be a piece of clutch material jammed it up.
But most likely the bearings froze.

edit to add
Which also means the axle bearings are gone.

 

Hey kids.....what happens when you don't top off your fluid on something you already know was leaking???



You end up with no fluid and overheated ring and pinion gears....then....carnage!

 

also, the seal shouldnt just blow out unless the bolts were loosened or taken out. if something broke, it could have sent it right through the cover.

 

YUP!!! Seals on that don't just "blow out". It isn't a pressurized cavern.

I think we need more info here.

 

even if he has limited slip it shouldnt have locked up. unless he was going around a sharp corner, then it could.

 

It's an '87. It's a wonder it didn't rust thru before now.

 

actually to get technical, it is pressurized. thats why theres a vent tube. if the axle wasnt vented, it would blow out pinion seals and axle seals. but definitely not the diff cover seal.

 

good call! rusted through cover, leaks out all fluid, smokes bearings.

 

***! lol. Because it's vented, it's no longer a pressurized part. lol. That's my thought. anyway.... carry on. lol.

 

touche

 

To the OP, takes pics of the inside of that thing, I gotta see this.

 

well somhow it wasnt the diff like i thought there is some color in the metal from getting hot but i think its the adjuster in the wheel it fell few days ago and i guess its just now causing probs

 

there is some ware on the teeth but nothing weird for a 23year old truck.
i think im going to buy this just in case 1987 ford p/u for parts 100$ for the rear isnt to bad