Hall of Shame

If you do anything long enough, you will begin to see things that boggle the mind.

If you do anything long enough, you will begin to see things that boggle the mind. Let us share a few lessons from the past — and hopefully a few laughs too!

After 195 combined years of drivetrain work, we've seen U-joints welded solid "as a fix," drive shafts balanced with hose clamps and hope, differentials run dry until the gears polished themselves into modern art, and 4x4 mods that turned a truck into a very expensive lawn ornament. People love to see how other people have messed up their equipment — it makes everyone feel a little better about their own.

Below is a small sampling straight from our shelves. Every one of these came in the door — and most could have been a cheap fix if they'd been caught early. If it's making a noise it shouldn't, bring it in before it earns a spot here.

Got a story (or a mangled part)?

Bring it by either shop — the best ones end up here.

Sparks 775-331-4500 Fallon 775-867-2617
Exhibit A Through I

From our shelves of carnage

Tap any photo to see it full size. Warning: some of these made grown mechanics wince.

A shelf of failed driveline parts
The shelf of shame — a rogues' gallery of parts that gave up the fight.
A ring gear with chewed-up teeth
A ring gear chewed down to scrap. Run a differential low on oil and this is how it ends.
A differential cover with a hole torn through it
When the gears decide to leave early — straight through the diff cover.
A differential cover split open
That's not a factory vent hole. A cover that lost the argument.
A differential housing with daylight showing through
You shouldn't be able to see daylight through a differential housing. Yet here we are.
A cracked cast-iron differential case
Cast iron isn't supposed to do that (crack outlined in yellow so you can find it).
A twisted and welded drive shaft
A drive shaft twisted like a licorice stick — and yes, someone tried to weld it back.
A sheared-off pinion gear
A pinion gear sheared clean off. Notice the threadlock that didn't get the memo.
A snapped pinion yoke
A pinion yoke snapped at the flange. It let go all at once — they usually do.

Keep your rig out of the Hall of Shame

Strange noise? New clunk? Call us before it becomes a story we tell.

📞 Call Sparks 📞 Call Fallon