Ok guys, It is 9/3/08 and I am finally back. I've been checking in from time to time but hadn't been back to toyota service in awhile. I asked while I was there about the center diff, because you guys say it doesn't exist on a 01 tacoma. The advisor said it's really what I would look at as being the "rear diff". I crawled under the truck this morn to verify it and I could tell that it was new looking at the rear.
Now I am concerned about the issue where at the same time I had to have the right rear wheel bearing replaced. I believe it is leaking oil, grease or whatever is back there. The inside of the right rear wheel has a film of nasty looking oil stuff all over the inside of it. I asked them at toyota to check. Advisor said that tech looked and saw no signs of leaks. Well, this morn while under there, I wiped it off best I could with paper towels, so now I'll look again in a day or 2 to see if it's oily again.
Now guys, I hate to ask again but if you read back to the first of this and see where I am asking if you think the diff. could have been damaged due to the wreck, please think about it again since we know for sure it was the rear diff. Although my truck was hit on the left side, and it was hit hard, could it have bent or un-aligned something that caused the diff problem to finally come to a head. Parts and labor, 2K was a lot of money. I could atleast get the parts money back from my insurance if ya'll can think of a way that this could have actually been caused by the accident.
Please gimme your advice. Thanks guys...