M816 axle problems!

[Alredneck]

Howdy all, we picked up the O.D. Green wrecker the other day pulled the drive shafts and flat towed it with a deuce to FOB Talon its new home for the time being. Yes I know shouldnt of towed it with a deuce but hey its all I had at the time. Any way the transfer case wont stay in high range for anything but that is another thread. After we got the driveshafts hooked back up it went straight to recovery duty getting the loader unstuck. After several long attempts between using the boom and the drag winch we were able to get the loader free. One thing I noticed while my dad drove the truck around getting into position to pick up our shipping container, was that the rea most axle didnt seem to be pulling and that when ever the truck drove over the rough ground the second axle ( which would actually spin tires ) would make a load metallic chunking sound. When the front and front rear axle would spin the rea most would just sitt there. The intermediate shaft is connected to that axle so it make me thing the second axle is broke, or has serious issues. I have replacement axles from a couple M54 cargo trucks, will these axles have the same gear ratio? I believe the only way to fix the wrecker is part out a M54 which I have two to choose from but one I wasnt planning on. Any ideas, thoughts are much appreciated! Thanks Captain

Also no side comments on towing a wrecker with a deuce are needed, its done and was done as safe as possible and not something done all the time! Thanks

 

[AMGeneral]

Captain,

The axles are the same ratio in the M54 and the 816,it's a bolt in swap.If you don't wanna part out the M54 I have a couple 5 ton rears out back that I could pull the diff on.

 

[area52]

drain some oil out of the diff and see if it has chunks or junk in it. Pull the axle shafts and see if they are damaged at all. Then go from there on replacing anything.

 

[Alredneck]

I thought about a broken axle shaft as there is a lot of vertical movement sometimes when the truck is rolling on the front rear axle. But how is a broken axle going to effect the pinion from turning the rear intermediate shaft to the the rear most axle? Cause while the front rear does spin it does make that chunking sound ( alot with the vertical movement ) but the rear most does not spin at all. I have a M54 for parts, but had a guy wanting to buy the axles and really could use the money. I have another M54 but didnt want to use it for parts.