Rear End noise

[97ss497]

No I'm not talking about bad gas

I started to get a whining noise coming out of the rear end area this past weekend. I've only got about 300 miles on the BMR stuff shown in my sig. It sounds like gears meshing to me and gets higher pitched the faster I go; its definately coming from the back passenger side. I torqued all the suspension bolts/nuts to the prescribed torques. The tires are brand new Firehawks that were balanced prior to installation. I have a polyeurathane torque arm bushing but put at least 300 miles on the car with no whining present; now all of a sudden I have this whining noise. Any suggestions???

[Joe 1320]

My bet is the pinion bearing starting to fail. It would increase in fequency and volume as road speed increases. The urethane componants will simply transmit more noise.

[fastTa]

Unfortunately polyurethane does produce more noise, but a noticeable "whining" noise like you describe is not normal from the rear end.

Check it out.

[97ss497]

Well, it's been over a week now and I've railed on the car at least a dozen or more times and the whining isn't getting any worse. It sounds like it's coming from the passenger side; I don't think it's a rear wheel bearing because I've made wide turns while braking in a mall parking lot and the sound doesn't get better or worse.
My ABS/INOP light comes on also (when I shut the car off and restart it doesn't come back on until I drive for awhile). I'm wondering if the rear wheel speed sensor reluctance wheel is somehow mucked up (my car doesn't have traction control) and is causing the whine and the ABS/INOP light to come on.....???? F-body Gods please help....

[N20LT4Bird]

I cant see the ABS causing this. I agree with pinion bearing. I drove mine with a bad pinion bearing for a year and a half and it didnt get an worse, so beating on it wont necessarily help diagnose the problem.