Any axle Jedi's in the house? 2002 Tahoe

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Brokenoldfart

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Rig: 2002 Chevy Tahoe 4x4.

Apologies for my long-winded first time post! I'm new to this forum.

A friend on mine has this Tahoe and I'm trying to help fix the rear axle.
The bearing on the rear right decided it wanted to run free and explore the world... unfortunately the bearing did some significant damage on the way out (see pics). As you can see the housing is cracked in 2 places on the top and underneath there appears to be a chunk missing out of the housing. The seal is also part way out. You can lift the entire wheel upwards a couple of inches. Obviously the bearing is completely gone (as is all the oil).

I had planned to put in a new bearing, but when I seen this - I stopped disassembly. If it wasn't for the C-clips holding the axle inside, I'm certain the tire and axle would have ended up on the highway.

Question: Is this axle completely wasted, or is there a way to replace the outer housing on that side? Welding is above my pay grade as it were. I am not a Chevy owner, so I don't know much about them or if you can repair the axle tube, (or if it would even be cost effective). With the mess the bearing and oil left behind, I would say it's time for a whole new rear-end, pumpkin and all. I haven't pulled the cover off, but I can only imagine what it looks like inside. And WHERE did those bearings go? Some came out the seal I think but not all of them. I'm betting the differential and/or ring-pinion took some damage too.

I have been looking at used axle assemblies and they aren't terribly expensive. I even found just the axle housing, but I don't know if a person can swap their existing differential into a different housing without re-aligning or shimming, etc. I have worked on just about every other part of a car from engines to transmissions to full timing jobs on Tritons. You name it and I've probably done it on a car or truck. One thing I have not dealt with are axles (other than a simple bearing replacement). When it comes to dealing with ring and pinions and setting them correctly - I KNOW NOTHING JOHN SNOW!

Thoughts? Does this axle belong in the scrap pile, or ? What should I be looking for on a used axle? Does it need to be an axle from a 4x4 Tahoe only, or will a different model swap in? I think the axle in this 2002 has a 3.7 gear ratio. It's an automatic transmission.
I'm trying to verify exactly which axle it has. I haven't been able to trace it with the VIN alone and it doesn't have a tag on the axle itself. Again, I don't know how Chevy does things.

I have read as much as I can to learn about the Tahoe and it appears bearing issues are pretty common on these types of Chevy axles. I'm guessing it's because of the design. The roller bearing has no inner-race and uses the axle itself as one. I didn't even know they were building axles with those types of bearings. They've always been tapered and/or ball type.

Thanks!
 

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Bill 1960

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That axle is scrap, junkyard axles are plentiful and reasonable. You don’t want to be moving the internals over, that would require a complete setup and likely it would be noisy resetting used gears even if a skilled person does it.

Get the same gear ratio and just bolt in the whole assembly. One with the G80 LSD option is desirable.

Are there any large oversized tires or abusive off-road use involved? If so there’s options to upgrade that other members are more expert in than I.

The ratio is probably 3.73. GM uses RPO codes found in the sticker in the glove box to identify build options. Find that and post a picture and we can tell you all the options.

4x4 or 2WD use the same axle. Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade. I am not as well acquainted with that generation to know if the Suburban or XL bodies used the same suspension. Pickup trucks won’t fit, they use leaf springs.
 
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Fless

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As @Bill 1960 said, RPO codes are inside the glovebox lid; get the Gxx codes. Post 'em up or see this post for the equivalent diff ratios:
 

Joseph Garcia

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Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.
 

rockola1971

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I agree. That rearend is junk. Id just buy a salvage yard rearend for it since they are really plentiful and already setup. Change the differential oil, pumpkin cover gasket and itll be back in business. Before you even call around to find your replacement diff, start spraying all associated bolts with break free or liquid wrench. If you open up the brake lines be prepared to need a tech II or equivalent to perform the bleed procedure. It will not gravity bleed like an older vehicle because of the ABS manifold. If the rearend is a 3.73 then you are in luck. They are as common as 5.3L engines.
 

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