Well pulled out of the parking lot at safeway and boom bang boom. Blew the diff in the transmission! Put it in 4wd to finish crossing the busy street and jacked up each side independently with it in gear and free spin with a slight click.

So after blowing a few diffs in my time I am pretty cirtan the spider gears simply failed. So will it be worth having it rebuilt? and or I'm down in salem oregon any referring is welcome! I've never paid for work on my vehicle kinda nervous even tho ill be removing and installing it myself.

It is the D/R 5 speed I removed from an 85 gl wagon. Had 250,000 and I pulled another 33,000 before the 28" swampers had there way with it.

Advice or help wanted!

I'm no expert but i haven't really heard of anyone blowing front diffs you sure thats it?  I would say just find another lower mile transmission and swap it.  There are still lots around.

Get yourself another tranny, and once you've swapped it out, pull the old one apart. It's much less stressful to do a job like that when you don't need it done. See if you can fix it, if you can, you have a spare!

some say at this stage to check your hubs drive splines first. Also seen a week old CV joint split in half at highway speed crippling vehicle until RWD selected

If the front diff was blown, the rear axle would get no power since the rear drive is driven by a take-off shaft from the front diff.

It crackeld poped and banged all the way home. Cvs r fine hubs are good. I believe it simply blew the spiders and the ring and pinion is still fine. This same thing happened when I blew the diff in my datsun but it didn't drive home. If anyone's got a dl 5speed laying around I'm lookn. Thanks all.

It kinda went smooth strait but any slight sway or turn and it sounded like my transmission was going to exploded. It was jerking hard enough to bark the 28" swampers on both sides on my slow voyage home. Not sure how to explain it but I know what broke just gotta have the ol brat goin again!