Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

I noticed when putting in my U-joints that my rear diff has quite a bit of play in it. I believe this is why I get a "clunk" sound when I shift, its the rest of the drivetrain catching up.

Is there anyway to fix this conveniently? Is this bad?

mwill15

iTrader: (24)

That all depends. The "slack" you are talking about is your backlash. You would usually want this to be around .008" - .010" (Assuming you have a stock 7.5" 10-bolt). It is measured off of your ring gear. Excessive backlash is a good sign that you are on borrowed time.

It's a very easy fix... time for a 9" lol. Seriously though, it would probably require new gears, an install kit, and someone to install it.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

right, exactly what he said. prolly time for a rebuild.

Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

the car has been this way since I bought it. I guess I should be easy on it until I find a way to fix this issue then.

Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

Well, to clarify, the "slack" I'm talking is when you turn the yoke. It takes about 20* of turning for it to begin turning the wheels. There isn't any play up or down/ in or out.

mwill15

iTrader: (24)

That's correct. Your pinion should never moove in/out or back/fourth. If you have 20* of rotation on the pinion, it's time for a new rear.

Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

I don't think its that extreme, I'm not really sure at the moment. No other symptoms of the rear dying though.

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

The majority of the "slack" you are describing comes from where the splined axle stubs slip loosely into the side spider gears in the diff. If the gears were responsible for it, they would be screaming bloody murder. This also makes the clunk.

Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

So what you're saying is this is normal and I'm overreacting because my rear isn't making any other noises.

MeentSS02

iTrader: (11)

My stock 10-bolt always had a bit more "slack" than I thought it should, but it was dead silent. My Strange 12-bolt has less slack, but the gears whine like a banshee - granted, I know the two aren't related, but that 10-bolt was good up until the day I sold it. I'm not sure what has happened to it since (it went in a car with a turbo and an automatic transmission), but I wouldn't worry too much about it.