Help diagnosing diff problem

[What's_nitro?]

Are you sure it's the diff locking up and not the out-drive and/or dogbone? There is still action in the diff when you turn from either side, so I would think it would lock from both sides if it were the diff. Maybe a set screw is loose on a drive cup? I'm not real familiar with the 8's so forgive me if I'm way off.

[JThiessen]

No, I'm not cetain. However, I noticed it as I was replacing the inner bearings. The drive cups are held in place with a cross pin, which is retained only via the bearing.

After I first posted, I went back and forced it past where it felt like it was sticking. It didn't take much extra force to get it past that spot. I noticed as I was trying to turn it that the truck was trying to rotate up. So I'm wondering if one of the outdrives coming out of the diff is slightly bent. And that's kind of how it feels as I rotate either of the drives - tight for a spot then loose for the remainder of the rotation.

I first noticed this whole thing last fall AFTER I had sent it off a 15 foot sea wall (onto sand) a couple times. After that, the truck would periodically stall out on me, and the tires were locking up when I let off the throttle.