I discovered some fascinating things about where that broken piece comes from and why it fell off. It looks to me like it was improperly installed at the factory.
I put pictures there of the exploded diagram of my 9.25" axle, and highlighted how it should be installed.
I then made VERY detailed pictures of what remained from the part that broke (adjuster ring lock), and how it LOOKS like it was installed backwards and broke, probably as I was driving home from the dealer on Day 1.
I want some opinions on this shit, specifically
- It is really wrong? Or am I confused?
- Is it covered by any sort of recall or advisory, given that my pickup is a 1999 pickup
- Did the problem with the LEFT adjuster lock, in fact, could possibly cause my problems with the RIGHT outer axle bearing?
- Just how f***ed I am here, can I possibly get by with just replacing the right outer axle bearing and perhaps changing the oil a couple of times and installing some rare earth magnet to collect metallic dust over the next month.
Your collective help has been INVALUABLE to me and I cannot say enough to express my extreme gratitude to all contributors so far.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
i