Front driveshaft bracket broke?

[Lrndthehardway]

I sold our 03 Envoy to my buddy with what I thought was a broken front axle disconnect, he was crawling around underneath it today and told me he found what looks like a bracket that would hold the front driveshaft, had snapped or something, and allowed to driveshaft to come out of the front differential? He sent a pic, can anyone tell whats happened and suggest a fix? Thanks

 

[xavierny25]

Let me dig up some pic's but I think that's you front axle tail end ear that snapped off and cracked your oil pan too. Damn that looks a little crazy/scary.

 

[xavierny25]

Exactly what I thought tale end of the front diff.

 

[Mooseman]

So that would mean a new diff and oil pan unless the ear is intact on the diff. That would mean the whole diff got loose? If that's the case, the intermediate shaft, disconnect and axles would need to be inspected for damage.

 

[budwich]

wow.... this seems like an "odd design" .... of course, I don't understand why it is like that ... ie. why is a differential "attached" to the block in any form? This can't be that "robust" especially in any "severe" off roading or even "unexpected highway disruption".

It certainly doesn't look like an "easy fix".

 

[BrianF]

At this point I am wondering how that even happened. But at any rate, there is a lot of work ahead to get it safely fixed. If this was my Tb, it would be getting a 2wd conversion.

 

[northcreek]

wow.... this seems like an "odd design" .... of course, I don't understand why it is like that ... ie. why is a differential "attached" to the block in any form? This can't be that "robust" especially in any "severe" off roading or even "unexpected highway disruption".It certainly doesn't look like an "easy fix".

It is an odd design for sure. At first glance it appears to be a stroke of engineering genius but, it creates more problems than it solves.
Other manufacturers addressed the need for a lower stance 4x4 in more conventional ways. This is what happens when let the Engineers play without watching them...you get shafts running through your oil pan

 

[Lrndthehardway]

So the differential is bolted to the oil pan? In the pic would you say the ear looks ok in your opinion?

 

[Lrndthehardway]

He just told me that ear and all the stuff at the front of the ujoint is toast, at least I assume he meant ujoint because he said "that picture you see where the bolt and the little four star thing are, all that is separated from the differential now"