NHTSA Complaint #745921 — 1998 CHEVROLET PICKUP

WHILE VEHICLE WAS MAKING RIGHT HAND TURN PASSENGER SIDE AXLE ASSEMBLY COME OUT OF DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING. AXLE CAME ABOUT 24 INCHES OUT OF HOUSING BEFORE VEHICLE CAME TO STOP. AFTER DISASSEMBLY OF WHEEL HUB /AXLE ASSEMBLY FOUND RETAING CLIP FOR AXLE NUT HAD WORKED OFF OF DIFFERENTIAL AND ALLOWED AXLE NUT SHAFT KEY TO COME OUT OF AXLE NUT, THIS IN TURN ALLOWED AXLE NUT TO COME OFF AND AXLE TO COME OUT OF DIFFERENTIAL . THIS DIFFERENTIAL HAS NO RETAINING "C" LOCK ON AXLE SPLINE END AS PRIOR YEAR MODLES HAD . THIS AXLES ONLY MEANS OF BEING SECURED TO DIFFERENTIAL IS THROUGH THIS VERY WEAK RETAINING CLIP I WOULD CONSIDER THIS AS INSUFFICIENT CONSIDERING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO A VEHICLE AND IT'S OCCUPANTS IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *AK