worm drive rear axle horror story!

[Ford Truck Nut]

so tonight i pulled my AA wormdrive apart and found it to be completly junk! The bronze gear has chunks missing out of it, one tooth is completly gone, 3 cracks and 2 of the bolt holes in it are broken out. somone had shimmed the inside of the diferential with a chunk of metal to tighten up the spider gears, the tapered bearings fell off when i pulled it apart and the thrust bearing at the rear of the worm was missing a ball and the metal balls retainer was gone.....glad i got it apart! AND IT STILL WORKED PRETTY DECENT!!! i was just going to install a highspeed worm andgear!

[macswoods]

DAMN !!! Hope there left to rebuild with the high speed parts. luck be with you. Mac....

[Stakebed]

Ouchies! Someone (not saying you) prolly ran around with low oil for a long time before you got the truck...

[JIM DOLAN]

be sure to try to save your rear bearing as I found them almost impossible to find