amish_Z28

Today while taking my girlfriend home the rear end let out a couple of big pops under heavy acceleration. I had no idea what was going on. After backing out of her driveway I shifted into drive and gave it moderate throttle and it did again only alot louder and I could definetely feel it. Then finally after work after warming it up I put it into drive and when I gave it gas (moderate again) it did it again only this time it was much worse and I could definetely feel it.
I emailed spohn about it and the person who replied said it was time for a new rear end, this is kinda what I was thinking but was hoping it could be something easier. If this is the case what rear would you suggest? Keep in mind that a little while down the road I will be putting a bigger motor (about 400hp) and a six-speed in.

Thanks
Nathan

aklim

All we can do is pretty much what the guy at Spohn is doing. Making a SWAG. The best way is to take out the Driveshaft and see if the U joints are good. Next, have a DS shop check the DS for straightness and balance it if not. Now you get to pull off the cover of the rear and and see what you have. If you have metal pieces, where are they from? You could have just broken a gear. In any case, it is good to check the DS to make sure that it isn't a problem. You could have broken something in the pumpkin but check it out before shelling out the long green.

If you are going to make power in the future, try a Ford 9 in. You could go with a 12 bolt Chevy. Both will have to be fitted for your car which some companies like Moser Engineering offer.

By the way, I don't think that the problem is in your DS unless the U joints are bad but it needs to be checked anyway.

BOTTLEDZ28

I would pull the cover and see whats up. If its the gears then you will see it. I had this happen to my 97ws6. the sound wasnt so loud at the beginning of the day and it eventually got louder. It sounded like I had something in my tire. Finally, the rear exploded at about 60mph and the tires locked up for a brief moment. I about **** my pants. I pulled the cover and a hand full of metal chunks came out. what I am getting at is don't procrastinate on finding the problem because if its internal, it can cause a distaster all at once for you and you may loose control of the car. as for replacing the rear. That all depends on how much you got to spend. Just repairing it is the cheapest but it might not last long. The Strange 12 bolt is nice and so is a ford 9".

aklim

And let me guess, he happens to have one in stock that he will let you have for a small fee?

Beware salesmen who seem to have what you need. If your rear end is broken, you need to find out what is broken. You can fix most anything but the case itself. What is in it? 2 axels, bearings, oil, diff and gears. If it is popping, it could be the U joints. If it is grinding, it might be the bearings or gears. Take it apart first and see what it is. Since you are going there already, I had suggested that you check the driveshaft to make sure it is true and the U joints are good (they should move smoothly from end to end with NO notchiness). In case of doubt, replace.

If your bearings are bad, replace them ALL because you will find that replacing say the carrier may not solve the problem and you will have to have it out again to do the pinion bearing or vice versa. Also do the axel bearings and seals if you are going there. Buy a kit from Jegs to do the entire rear end. They are all Timken made bearings anyway.