Tired of OEM diff, better gear options?

[circut]

Hey guys. First off thanks for all the help with the diff swapping help. The whole thing went in and out without a hitch. But to my dismay, the 'new to me' diff' is still making the noise. I shoulda known better then to get a 20k mile diff from an SS off ebay :8^(. So I think I'm just gonna upgrade to a better set of gears in the diff . I think it's called a 'clutch basket.'

So could anyone recommend a better one to use? Something so I can do burnouts, but not to the extent of super performance racing things. Just a daily driver, with a little more torque.

Also, if anyone is in the chicagoland area or knows someone who can align the gears properly, I can deliver the diff assembly taken out of the car, with axels and all. I don't have the tools, time, or know-how to align the shims and all that..

Lastly, could there be something else that I'm missing here? The sound it makes is a metalic whirling noise when I pick up speed. Can anyone offer me any advice on what I should do next?

So thanks in advance!

-Erik

[blackthunder50]

What kind of car is it and give some info on it. Many members here have different gear setups, so you'll get plenty of feedback when they know what car you have.

[circut]

Its a 2002 chevy camaro Z28 5.7l. Its the 35th aniversary edition. 6speed manual with abs and traction control.

Pretty much everything is stock. And I have 2 differentials, one stock and one from a z28. So the stock diff is already out of the car with the axles.

-Erik

[Injuneer]

Did you replace it with a used one because the original one was making noise? And now the used one is making (the same??) noise?

Are you sure its the diff that is making the noises?

There's not much you can do to the stock rear, but the October 2006 issue of High Performance Pontiac magazine has an article on recommended upgrades, using Yukon gears, etc. Might be worth picking up a copy of the magazine. Your probably looking at $1,000.

[circut]

Did you replace it with a used one because the original one was making noise? And now the used one is making (the same??) noise?

Are you sure its the diff that is making the noises?

There's not much you can do to the stock rear, but the October 2006 issue of High Performance Pontiac magazine has an article on recommended upgrades, using Yukon gears, etc. Might be worth picking up a copy of the magazine. Your probably looking at $1,000.

Yes. The stock one was making a winding / whirling sound after about 62k miles. Since money was tight at the time, it was cheaper to get the whole diff from another camaro and put it in. Well every place wanted 800$ for the stock one, so I found one on ebay, and the same sound is there. Also when it first started making the noise, i took it to the dealership and they told me i needed a whole new diff for 1400$.. So 450$ for an ebay SS with 21k miles seemed alot better at the time..

Well now this one appears to be busted, so I'm hoping i can just buy some good drive basket (or whatever those diff gears are called) and take it + the original diff and have them do the alignment of the gears and that.

Everything is already disassembled, so I could just drop off the diff gears and the diff itself, with axles.
I'm hoping I can find a shop that can take the diff and put these things in it properly:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Camar...QQcmdZViewItem

-Erik

[Injuneer]

Might be worth getting a second opinion. Dealer may have been misleading you on the problem. Why not check the U-joints?

Not sure what the "basket" is, but possible noise sources include axle bearings, carrier bearings and pinion bearings that can make noise. The ring and pinion gear mesh can cause noises due to damaged gears or simply faulty setup. Crush sleeve could be over compressed. Pinion seal could be bad. Not likely that its something in the carrier if the noise is there when you are travelling straight ahead.

Have you checked the torque arm for damage? Incorrect pinion angle can damage u-joints and pinion bearings.

[circut]

Let me just describe in detail the problem I was having. After a 2k mile road trip to texas, we were on the highway and I started to notice a 'winding / metallic rubbing noise' as we were slowing down. Thing is, when the car is in neutral rolling at any speed, the sound goes away. But after I put it into gear and press the gas, the car starts to accelerate, and the sound starts up again. So after putting this new diff in there, its the same problem. Engine braking, and accelerating make the noise. But if the car is sitting still and I rev the engine up (like <5k) there's no sound whatsoever. So I'm conviced its something in the diff.

This may be an irrelevant test, but when I put it up on jack stands with tires on and all, I put it into 1st and got it up to 20-25, but didnt hear the sound until i let it start to slow down.. Not sure what that means, but i wouldnt rely heavily on it as a symptom or fix...

On the last differential I changed the wheel bearings and the sound was still there. When I swapped out the diff, the little 4 bolt plates on either ends of the diff were attached on both diffs. These are the 4 bolt plates which you put this other disk thing on, which you then plug the traction control thing into.

Where are the U-Joints? Does anyone have a picture of them?

There sounds like there's quite a few things that could be going wrong with this car, so I think I will take it up to some shop and have em re-assess the problem.

Also guys, bear in mind I am by no means a mechanic. I can take stuff out of the car, and put it back in as a whole. But when it comes to custom gears and their ratios, lining things up with shims, tolerances etc, i am a complete noob. All I would like is for my car to run, and if possible a little stronger back end so when I need to light up some tool in a ricemobile -- i wont feel bad for my rear diff. I'm not sure if this is even an option, but is there any shops / people around who would assemble the diff (gears + axles + all that) and then I could just put it into my car?

Thanks though.

-Erik

[Injuneer]

The u-joints are in the driveshaft... one at the tranny end and one at the differential end. They will make noise under load, and they may be silent under no load.

[toddwirges]

It is fairly unlikely that you would get the EXACT same behavior from two completely different differential assemblies. I mean it is possible, but there would most likely be some difference in the tone and volume or the behavior modes between the two diffs.

I think you should cut your losses and find a driveline shop, fork over the $50 or whatever they want for diagnosing the problem. You may find it is something as simple as a U-joint or brake problem.

Rebuilding a 10 bolt is very expensive. A new posi (carrier) costs upwards of $400, gears run about $150, and bearing/rebuild kits are another $100. Add in fluid and seals, plus labor, and you're staring at a $1,000 job. That is why people don't rebuild 10 bolts.

Worst case buy it from a boneyard with a 30 day warranty.

On another note, your car came with 3.42 gears. If the replacement diff was from an automatic SS, it should be 3.23's which would mean your speedo and odo are off now. If it was a manual then you are all good.

On the same note the ebay link is for a 2.73 set of gears. Those will suck bawls on a M6 car, it'd be terrible. And the carrier is different for 2.73's. If you want a donor carrier/posi, it needs to be from a 3.23 or 3.42 stock equipped axle.

[circut]

It is fairly unlikely that you would get the EXACT same behavior from two completely different differential assemblies. I mean it is possible, but there would most likely be some difference in the tone and volume or the behavior modes between the two diffs.

Well originally I was going 80 on the highway. I was pulling off to get some gas and I started to hear a metallic rubbing sound. I wasn't using the break, I just let off the gas and let the car start to slow. well I did a little roadside test, taking it out of gear (while the car was going like 65) and reving it up, no sound. But when I put it into gear and started speeding up, the sound started up again.

I think you should cut your losses and find a driveline shop, fork over the $50 or whatever they want for diagnosing the problem. You may find it is something as simple as a U-joint or brake problem.

Rebuilding a 10 bolt is very expensive. A new posi (carrier) costs upwards of $400, gears run about $150, and bearing/rebuild kits are another $100. Add in fluid and seals, plus labor, and you're staring at a $1,000 job. That is why people don't rebuild 10 bolts.

Yea, First I took it to one chevy dealership and they said it was the differential that needed to be replaced. Quoted me at 1400$ parts + labor.Money was tight, so I gave em the finger and left. Which led me to ebay where I found the diff from the SS. Which STILL appears to be making the same noise.

Worst case buy it from a boneyard with a 30 day warranty.

On another note, your car came with 3.42 gears. If the replacement diff was from an automatic SS, it should be 3.23's which would mean your speedo and odo are off now. If it was a manual then you are all good.

170009133552

That was the item number. You'll need to have an ebay account to see it, but basically he says its a 3.42. So I'm good if he knows what hes talking about.

On the same note the ebay link is for a 2.73 set of gears. Those will suck bawls on a M6 car, it'd be terrible. And the carrier is different for 2.73's. If you want a donor carrier/posi, it needs to be from a 3.23 or 3.42 stock equipped axle.

Ignore that link, I just wanted something to show what I was talking about. I have no idea what that little coconut sized gear thing is, so I just found one that looked like it and put it up here.

So to sum everything up, the problem could be from:

1. Bad differential gears
2. Bad driveshaft
3. Bad brake rotors / calipers (or that plate that mounts on either ends of the drive chasis)
-- But I doublt it since i only hear the noise when the car is in gear and I'm slowing down or speedin up
4. ????

Is there any possibility this could be a transmission problem (dear god please say no). I mean I wouldnt know how to test that out. Tomarrow I'll be taking it to a shop here and hopefully he can tell me whats ACTUALLY going on.

And lastly, can someone recommend to me a site where I can find aftermarket parts for my camaro? I think as I replace things I'd like to move away from stock stuff, as its gonna get harder to find, and driving like I do, it's prolly not gonna last as long as it ordinarily would.. I'm not looking to take it to the track or soup it up to be some beastly machine, but I would like to have hardware which can take a beating, and not cost an arm and a leg.

Thanks guys.
-Erik

[circut]

Also, as a side note:

1. I jacked the car up yesterday so the rear end was in the air, and the tires were off the ground. I noticed that when I turned the driver side wheel, it turned about 1 inch before it 'caught' and the passenger side wheel turned. Tried it both directions, on both sides, with the same results.

2. There seems to be a 'sweet' spot there as well. Meaning that if I'm going say 30mph - 40mph, there is a point where if i put my foot on the gas, the sound goes away. But if i press or release the gas within like a quarter inch, the sounds starts up again.

I dont think this is a driveshaft issue though. Everything there seems fine. I'm thinking I'll research replacing the U-bolts in the diff, then take it to the dealer.

If I need to rebuild my diff, can anyone recommend me a tough one, within the 800-1500$ range?

Thanks

-Erik