Horrible Grinding Noise.. Possible Rear End?

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#11

06-21-2010, 07:09 PM

chipjumper

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Join Date: Jul 2008

Location: WI

Posts: 36

chipjumper is an unknown quantity at this point

I have great news - after consulting with an aquaintance who builds race cars, he recommended that I just "tighten up the pinion nut". So I finally got a chance to crawl under her today and before I even loosen a u-joint strap I notice something strange - something shocking --- the whole pinion shaft was loose. I could move it up, down, left, and right. I couldn't believe it. The exposed threads were exactly what I had wrote down - 2.5 and it was tightened up exactly where it was before. So I took my 1/2" breaker bar and a bigass metric socket and turned it almost two more times. Boom, took it for a test drive and its quiet like it was before I started this whole project.

This is still a ****load of rotational play (when I turn the yoke) but it doesn't clunk or make odd noises anymore. I'll post a video soon.

Thank you all for your assistance.

#12

06-21-2010, 07:46 PM

Gimpy Blazer

Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2009

Location: Keller, Texas

Posts: 845

Man, I hate to tell you but check your local yards. I replaced a rear end in my S10 truck and paid $150.00 for it. They pulled it too. As Dan 128 says just get the right ratio. It'll be on your RPO codes inside your glove box. A 3.42 is GU6 while G80 is Positraction for rear ends. Changing it is really easier than tearing the axle apart.

#13

01-09-2021, 12:14 AM

Monkeywrench71986

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Join Date: Dec 2020

Location: Rockport Tx

Posts: 35

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Quote:

Originally Posted by chipjumper

TJ knew what was going on; if you give too much to the lazy, it'll all collapse.

I did a cursory eBay search and found a local vendor that has at least 10 3.42 G80's in stock. Some allegedly with only 7k miles on them for $300 to $450. I'm going to tweak this a little more before I buy a used one.

The noise is only when I let off of the accelerator. I just remembered something interesting - when I put the yoke back on and tightend it exactly to the original location, it seems that the yoke is not as close to the diff as it was before. Did the yoke move forward somehow? Is this possible? How hard is it to just replace the crush sleeve?

crush sleeve is NOT to be reused as I no longer is able to keep preload on pinion, magic number is .006- .10 .008 being the prime setting a dial indicator will get you there. It you don't have a dial indicator use oil soluble paint and three full rotations, and see where load side is "shoe" pattern should be in the center of ring gear, clean "paint" again and reverse this time pattern should be approx same spot. All this should be done w preload set on pinion. Outside edge of ring thicker shim drivers side and thinner shim pass this will take a little trial and error if you arent good w decimals. (Thank god for calculators. Once paint pattern is center on both sides of ring and pin install axles fill and test. Replace ALL diff and pinion bearings races seals. And you should be good. Just did this by eye and ear all done ended a bit loose side but .009 but in range. Hope that helps.