I blew my rear up

[Fatstang]

just got from limping my car home from the track:( The track was really hooking and now i have a problem. The rear sounds like a ******* helicopter. I don't know what it is? I think i sheared a tooth or two off one of the spider gears, sounds like a consistant clunk. When put the car in neutral and let the car coast, the sounds isn't there, well besides my howling 4.30's which always been like that, the clunk is only there when there's a load on the car. What do you think it is? I don't know what happened, but i think it happened on my last run:( I didn't notice the sound until i hit the road out of the track. Is it my ring/pinion, spider gears, pinion bearing? The car has 9k on it, but the carrier was used and now has close to 80k on it. I plan to limp it back to my house tomorrow (now at fiance's home), and start to open it up and see i what can find. It's a 31-spline t-loc. Now where can i find the best prices for maybe a truetrac carrier, ring/pinion, and everything to go with it?

[Greg@GLD]

Sorry buddy... :(
Glad you made it back to town ok though...

When you get noise under load, it's usualy the pinion bearing. If you broke a tooth off a spyder gear, that can make a similar sound.

Open it up and see what ya find.

We broadcast a few of your passes during our live feed anyway. ;)

[quietflow]

Sorry to hear Steve! Hope its nothing to serious!

[Fatstang]

I think i want to replace my Richmond gears out with some FRPP gears even if they are fine, where's the best place i can get the best deals?

[dufkis]

Like I said when you called it's prolly the pinion bearing.

[BBATCO1]

richmond- frpp one in the same.....

[Fatstang]

Then if they are fine, i guess i should save my money. I'll have the rear opened up sometime today. it sux that its such a nice day out and the car is out of commission:(

[Nick 1]

Glad you made it home Steve. Sorry to hear your misfortune. Hopefully it's nothing to serious. TTL

[Torch Red GT]

sorry hear about your car steve

[Ghost]

it looks like he took off 2 teeth from the ring gear

[Fatstang]

yep. Whew! That **** does stink!!! Well, so far i did was drop the cover, remove the drive shaft, and loosen the pinion nut. The culprit was the ring gear, i sheared two ring gear teeth. There are not side by side, which is probably why the car was still driveable. The teeth are within one of each other, picture 3 teeth, i sheared the outer ones. I haven't removed the carrier, i'll do that over the weekend, but i imagine the pinion has a little carnage from the ring gear. I found the one tooth laying on the bottom of the diff. but can't seemed to find the other one But the carrier looks fine, but while i'm at it, i'm still going to get a new carrier for peace of mind.
For sale soon: 31-spline T-loc

[upngo50]

look down the axle tubes after you pull the axles out and see if you can spot the other tooth. You gonna want to find all the stray pieces to prevent any addition carnage happening to the new unit after you install it.

[Greg@GLD]

Get a drip pan and place it under the pumpkin, and spray brakekleen or carb cleaner thru the axle tubes on both sides. Take a rag, and a broom handle, and push the rag thru the tube from the axle side, and shove the broom handle thru so the rag cleans the inner diameter of the tube and forces out any metal shavings and gunk, etc and falls into the pumpkin. Do this for both sides. When you have the pinion gear out, look down in the bearing area also.

[Twirkin50]

It almost sounds like the Gear lash could have been a little loose with the noise you have had while driving. Could be wrong though, but gear lash is very important. Good luck on the fix and it could have been worse!!

[Fatstang]

Well, just finished up tearing everything apart. Turns out i didn't have Richmond gears which i thought i bought (used thru Ebay), they were FMS I removed the pinion nut and the the pinion didn't want to come out, i thought soemthing else was holding it in so i didn't want to force it. After making a few calls, it should come out i was told, so i was a little more forceful and it came out, and behind the pinion is where i found the second tooth! I cleaned evrything up, but i will clean it out more next week. The pinion bearing failed too, the cage of the bearing fell apart with the little rollers. I got lucky that there wasn't that much carnage! Hopefully in 2 weeks the car will be on the street again.
I have a 31-spine T-loc for sale, still in good condition, with fairly new carbon fiber clutch packs - $80.

[Greg@GLD]

After making a few calls, it should come out i was told, so i was a little more forceful and it came out, and behind the pinion is where i found the second tooth!


:flg: Told ya you'd find it down there...

[Fatstang]

Sure did, thanx Greg. I need to buy more Brake Cleaner today, i'm going thru it fast!

[quietflow]

I got your message this morning Steve, glad you got it out alright!!!

[Greg@GLD]

I just noticed the part about the pinion bearings.. The needles probably got caught up in the pinion/ring and that is what broke the ring gear.

[upngo50]

I just noticed the part about the pinion bearings.. The needles probably got caught up in the pinion/ring and that is what broke the ring gear.

Most likely the case. I think a bearing broke in my rear @ the last RSD up here. Rear has been clunking kinda weird since then. Hopefully can find time to tear it apart this weekend. Wish I had some cash, I would buy Fatstang's 31 spline unit. I need tires before I go making changes out back. I would like to try some 3.73's too, but @ 100 a pop for 4 tires I am $$'d out.