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35000 miles and Rear Axle Assembly is shot

Dauntless 7

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Got my Wrangler JL Sahara new in 2018. Less than a year in started hearing popping from the rear when accelerating from a stop and more so when turning from a stop.

Reported every time I took it in for a routine service appointment. Kept getting the “we cannot reproduce the fault” line.

Finally, just under 36000 miles and two years after first hearing the popping, they took me seriously, drained some fluid from the differential and found metal debris.

Removed the cover and found more metal and the fluid was like thick black mud.

Replaced the Rear Axle Assembly, covered by warranty.

New Rear Axle Assembly, that has less than 100 miles on it, does not pop but is making a sound like metal rubbing together that gets faster with speed, also mostly when accelerating and turning from a stop.

Its back at the dealership where they are pulling the Rear Axle Assembly again!
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cs2k

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This seems a bit unusual. So far, everything I've read point to the new generation Advantek axles being extremely stout and reliable. I'm sorry you got 2 lemons in a row. You should buy a lottery ticket with that kind of luck.

What tire size were you running on your axle? What caused the failure in your first axle? was it a particular gear that failed? bearings? seals?
 

blnewt

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Was it the M200 or M220 rear end?
 
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This seems a bit unusual. So far, everything I've read point to the new generation Advantek axles being extremely stout and reliable. I'm sorry you got 2 lemons in a row. You should buy a lottery ticket with that kind of luck.

What tire size were you running on your axle? What caused the failure in your first axle? was it a particular gear that failed? bearings? seals?
Tires, wheels and everything else are factory.
This jeep has been primarily a road vehicle with minor easy trail time when hunting or camping. And I am an easy driver.
As far as the specific axle version, I will have to ask when I check on her today.
 

CarbonSteel

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Was it the M200 or M220 rear end?
My money is on M200 (LSD). So many stories of these axles failing due to the limited slip discs shedding material and contaminating the oil. None of these Advantek axles should have extended oil change intervals. Oil is silly cheap compared to the hassle of replacing the axle and with the oil reductions and the temperatures at which they operate, early and often oil changes are a must.

Even the ELD (Rubicon) axles should have the oil changed early and often. The amount of metal being generated from 0 to 15K miles when combined with the "open" locking sensors is a primary cause of locker failure in those axles.

They produce more iron than any other axle I have ever used or had experience with. Most axles will taper off iron production by 15K miles subsequently producing less iron per mile despite longer OCIs. Not Advanteks. Case in point, compare my 2010 FX4 rear axle which towed 9-8K pound 45% of the miles shown versus my Rubicon:

Jeep Wrangler JL 35000 miles and Rear Axle Assembly is shot FX4 Rear Axle
Jeep Wrangler JL 35000 miles and Rear Axle Assembly is shot JL Rear Axle
 

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blnewt

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My money is on M200 (LSD). So many stories of these axles failing due to the limited slip discs shedding material and contaminating the oil. None of these Advantek axles should have extended oil change intervals. Oil is silly cheap compared to the hassle of replacing the axle and with the oil reductions and the temperatures at which they operate, early and often oil changes are a must.

Even the ELD (Rubicon) axles should have the oil changed early and often. The amount of metal being generated from 0 to 15K miles when combined with the "open" locking sensors is a primary cause of locker failure in those axles.

They produce more iron than any other axle I have ever used or had experience with. Most axles will taper off iron production by 15K miles subsequently producing less iron per mile despite longer OCIs. Not Advanteks. Case in point, compare my 2010 FX4 rear axle which towed 9-8K pound 45% of the miles shown versus my Rubicon:

Jeep Wrangler JL 35000 miles and Rear Axle Assembly is shot JL Rear Axle
Jeep Wrangler JL 35000 miles and Rear Axle Assembly is shot JL Rear Axle
AFAIK they only offer LSD on the M220 (Dana 44). I have the M186 front and M200 rear (darn it) and there was no LSD option.
 
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This seems a bit unusual. So far, everything I've read point to the new generation Advantek axles being extremely stout and reliable. I'm sorry you got 2 lemons in a row. You should buy a lottery ticket with that kind of luck.

What tire size were you running on your axle? What caused the failure in your first axle? was it a particular gear that failed? bearings? seals?
Tech said original axle looked like a bearing failure but that it looked bad enough when they removed the cover that they did not bother doing a complete dissassembly.

The replacement axle, after being removed and opened up, had a thick metal doughnut next to a bearing, on one end that was heavily scared. I think it serves to keep the axle aligned?

The corresponding one on the opposite end of the axle was completely smooth which he said is how it should look.

EDIT: Based on a photo the service rep showed me of the defective part, the damaged part appears to be a seal adjacent to the axle bearing on the wheel hub end of the axle. The scaring on the surface of that seal makes it appear that the seal was actually spinning with the axle and unless I am mistaken that seal should not rotate.
 
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CarbonSteel

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AFAIK they only offer LSD on the M220 (Dana 44). I have the M186 front and M200 rear (darn it) and there was no LSD option.
You are quite right; my fat fingers did not type what my brain told them to :facepalm:
 
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My money is on M200 (LSD). So many stories of these axles failing due to the limited slip discs shedding material and contaminating the oil. None of these Advantek axles should have extended oil change intervals. Oil is silly cheap compared to the hassle of replacing the axle and with the oil reductions and the temperatures at which they operate, early and often oil changes are a must.

Even the ELD (Rubicon) axles should have the oil changed early and often. The amount of metal being generated from 0 to 15K miles when combined with the "open" locking sensors is a primary cause of locker failure in those axles.

They produce more iron than any other axle I have ever used or had experience with. Most axles will taper off iron production by 15K miles subsequently producing less iron per mile despite longer OCIs. Not Advanteks. Case in point, compare my 2010 FX4 rear axle which towed 9-8K pound 45% of the miles shown versus my Rubicon:

Jeep Wrangler JL 35000 miles and Rear Axle Assembly is shot JL Rear Axle
Jeep Wrangler JL 35000 miles and Rear Axle Assembly is shot JL Rear Axle
From the window sticker I kept.

3B4ABA8C-7F9C-49F2-84EF-C6AA278DA7AB.jpeg
 

CarbonSteel

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From the window sticker I kept.

Jeep Wrangler JL 35000 miles and Rear Axle Assembly is shot 3B4ABA8C-7F9C-49F2-84EF-C6AA278DA7AB
Yep; and BLNewt said (and my fat fingers would not type) you have an M220 limited slip differential. When FCA gets it sorted out, change your oil early and often to get the crud out of the axle. I would run 75W-140 oil in it for extra protection.
 

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Yep; and BLNewt said (and my fat fingers would not type) you have an M220 limited slip differential. When FCA gets it sorted out, change your oil early and often to get the crud out of the axle. I would run 75W-140 oil in it for extra protection.
Based on a photo the service rep showed me of the damage in the new axle, the damaged part appears to be a seal adjacent to the axle bearing on the wheel hub end of the axle. The scaring on the surface of that seal makes it appear that the seal was actually spinning with the axle and unless I am mistaken that seal should not rotate.
 

CarbonSteel

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Based on a photo the service rep showed me of the damage in the new axle, the damaged part appears to be a seal adjacent to the axle bearing on the wheel hub end of the axle. The scaring on the surface of that seal makes it appear that the seal was actually spinning with the axle and unless I am mistaken that seal should not rotate.
Agree that a seal should not spin inside the housing, but unless all of the oil drained out, I would find it hard to believe that it was the source of the axle failure.
 
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Agree that a seal should not spin inside the housing, but unless all of the oil drained out, I would find it hard to believe that it was the source of the axle failure.
Service rep did mention that the axles come with no oil and have to be filled. So now I am wondering if the tech forgot to fill the new axle when it was installed. There is no evidence of a leak on the vehicle or the garage floor. These days NOTHING surprises me.
 

WXman

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This seems a bit unusual. So far, everything I've read point to the new generation Advantek axles being extremely stout and reliable.
Everything I've seen is the opposite. These new axles have had constant repairs in line at dealers for nearly three years now. Pinion bearing issues, axle seals leaking, fluid contamination at low mileage, it goes on and on. They're garbage. There's a thread on the JT side of the forum about the rear axles leaking and it adds new pages weekly. It's always on the right hand side, so it's likely a bad casting or production error on the assembly line.

The fact that the fluid gets ruined so quickly tells me that the new metallurgy is poor in the ring and pinion, or the backlash isn't quite right from the factory.

One of the things I did with 200 miles on the odometer is open up the rear vent cap by removing some of the cotton discs from inside. The pressure inside my rear diff can neutralize much more easily now and I'm still protected from water.
 

CarbonSteel

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Service rep did mention that the axles come with no oil and have to be filled. So now I am wondering if the tech forgot to fill the new axle when it was installed. There is no evidence of a leak on the vehicle or the garage floor. These days NOTHING surprises me.
This was the replacement axle? If it had no oil it would have failed within a few miles. Agree with you though--nothing surprises me any more. I do all of my own maintenance as I do not trust most dealers to know how to start the Jeep much less service any of the driveline.
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