Today I finally got back to this and jacked both back wheels and removed the suspect wheel. Put the truck in drive and let the rear wheels spin. The flange is definitely out of whack!

Now, I've looked through my Haynes manual and it's as if that part doesn't exist to them. How the hell do I replace it? I've looked but don't see any way to do it except maybe for starting at the differential and hoping to find some kind of lockring in there. Can anybody point me in the right direction?? Thanks.

I'm glad I found the culprit, or at least 90% of the problem! Thanks Swartlkk

 

Dammit, just found the part online and the instructions in the Haynes manual...it's gonna require opening up the diff and pulling out the C-lock from the end of the axle shaft.

That means this is going to wait until October when I'm back from Europe and get some more loot.

Is it a pain in the A to drain/open/close/refill the rear differential??

 

It isn't very difficult at all to do on an open diff. A bit more involved for the G80 diff if you have it.

Just make sure you get the fill plug off first. If you can't get it out, you have to find other means of filling the diff. An alternative is to fill it through the vent line, but that is an VERY slow process.

 

How would I know if I have a G80 diff? It's an ordinary 1998 4dr 4x4 4.3 V6. I've never heard anything special about the diff on it.

Thanks for the info on the fill plug too!

 

RPO code sticker on the inside of the glove box will show G80 if you have the G80 diff.

 

one thing that gets overlooked is the 4 wheel drive if it does not disingauge it can cause a bad shake at high speeds check by jacking up front tires start engine then then see if tires move freely if not something is not dis connecting properly when truck is in 2wd make sure truck is in 2wd before starting also keep truck in park

 

Thanks, I looked in the glovebox and as I suspected, I don't have the G80 transmission.

Thanks for the suggestion Rusty, but I know the 4wd works properly, and I've already jacked the rear wheels and spun them without the front going anywhere. The axle shaft is housed, I've seen it wobble.

I am going on a Euro trip in Sept. and probably won't be doing anything with this until after I return from that. Thanks for the help and I hope this thread helps other people out too!

 

I'll stick with the tires. I had what I thought pretty new goodyear tires on my 2000 4x4 LT blazer when I bought it in 2002. But at around 65 or so, it would start to shake and by 85 forget it. So I took the truck down to a friend of mine who works at a tire shop and ask him to blance them. He did..Still shook at the same speeds. Retired in 2002 and move to AZ and the wife drove the blazer and I drove the moving truck. Not much of a problem because the moving truck wouldn't go that fast..hahahahaha...Got here to AZ, driving the blazer down I-10 and the shaking started again at 65. So since my A/C was acting up (Still under warranty) I took the truck to a chevy dealer and they replace the A/C and I had them look at the tires for balance. They have this machine that turns the tires a 1/4" at a time until the tire is balance (Expensive and a lot of time). Well, come to find out 3 of the tires could not be balance and the forth was so-so. Now a reg balancing machine can not pick this up only the machine they had at the dealers. Since my tires were almost new but probally (sp) 2nds I rode them until the tire was gone (1 is my spare now) and I put on some Michelles that work just fine.