Life sucks! Front wheels locked up! Tranny?

[es250nut]

I'm driving to work Tuesday AM going a steady 35Mph (not accelerating no braking) and suddenly the front wheels locked up, bringing the car to an abrubt stop. The engine was still running and the tranny still seemed to be engaged, but I couldn't get the car to go forward or reverse.

Fortunately for me this happened in front of a tire shop and they were able to bring out a couple of floor jacks and get the car off the road. While it was up on the jacks we tried to turn the wheels but they wouldnt turn. The brakes were not locked as there was some give in the wheel/axle connection.

After rocking the tranny from Drive to Reverse a few time the wheels started turning again but there was a clicking/grinding noise coming from the built in tranny differential. So I would guess something broke loose in the differential housing jamming in the splines, locking up the entire thing.

The question is: 1. Has anyone else had this happen on a A540 style tranny? and 2. How hard would it be to replace/swap the differential gears out, or would it be easier to just replace the whole tranny?

[Eye8Pussies]

woah....lucky it didnt' happen on the highway.....

and I'd say it'll probably be easiery to go to a junk yard, find a tranny and do a straight swap

[amerikim]

If your differential went out, they still got to get the thing out to fix. Do the numbers, I got a rebuilt tran for $8++ with $250 install. If you repaired the tran and something else in there goes out..your 2nd repair will exceed the cost of a rebuilt. And, rebuilts come with warranty.
I will post about how well (or not) my replacement trans goes.

Or you can be like some of the others here and do the 5 speed conversion which is way cool.

[mobes]

Where in Idaho are you?
If a tranny from a '94 V6 will work, you can have mine for cheap. I just swapped in a manual so it is just sitting around. It has 170K on it but never had any problems and always shifted perfect.

[es250nut]

Originally posted by amerikim
If your differential went out, they still got to get the thing out to fix. Do the numbers, I got a rebuilt tran for $8++ with $250 install. If you repaired the tran and something else in there goes out..your 2nd repair will exceed the cost of a rebuilt. And, rebuilts come with warranty.
I will post about how well (or not) my replacement trans goes.

Or you can be like some of the others here and do the 5 speed conversion which is way cool.

Why do a conversion when I already have one with the 5 speed? Besides the car it happened in is the one my wife normally drives. (Good thing I was the one in it when this happened.)

Originally posted by mobes
Where in Idaho are you?
If a tranny from a '94 V6 will work, you can have mine for cheap. I just swapped in a manual so it is just sitting around. It has 170K on it but never had any problems and always shifted perfect.

I live in the area around Lewiston. But I might just take you up on your offer. PM me.