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You do not need the housing end spacer with your axles. Number five in the picture is a Strange specific option. We have the correct housing ends that we manufacturer to do stock or an aftermarket brake.
You do not need the housing end spacer with your axles. Number five in the picture is a Strange specific option. We have the correct housing ends that we manufacturer to do stock or an aftermarket brake.
So time for an update. I received the remaining parts from Strange early last week. HD Pro Aluminum center section with the S-Trac, 35 spline, and 3:89 gears. I also decided on running a lube locker gasket as Strange recommends the center section come out at 500 miles and cleaned along with new oil. The sealant usually never leaks but it’s a mess to clean sometimes. I also blasted and cleaned up my stock backing plates and powdercoated them black.
Last edited by Chrisingermany; 04-17-2018 at 04:58 PM.
1) Strange sent me the adapter and MWC sent me new reluctor rings. I most likely should have contacted MWC before pressing stuff on but with the few threads on here and a general knowledge I pressed the adapter on the axle first, then when I went to press the ring onto the adapter I could tell that it was going to be too far onto the axle and contact the back of the axle studs. A quick text to Eric and he said that I should have pressed the ring onto the adapter before pressing the adapter onto the axle and that the adapter was now most likely pressed too far onto the axle shoulder. What he said made sense, but it was still odd to me because most things I am used to get pressed onto something until they butt up or bottom out against another shoulder or something. The way he said the adapters go on you have to stop at a certain point but still make sure the ring is even all the way around. The main issue here is the rings have to be pressed far enough on the axle to clear the bolts that attach the backing plate to the axle, but not to far as it contacts the wheel studs. After thinking on it a while I pressed the rings on with the grooved side facing the other way and didn’t have any problems with them that way.
2) The second problem was with the axle length. Strange sent me a 30” and a 33” axle and with the width of the S-Trac, the 33” axle was about a ¼” too long. When I tightened down the passenger side backing plate to the axle end, the axle would bottom out and wouldn’t allow the axle/center section to spin. I got ahold or Eric through the messenger at like 9 or 10pm his time (awesome of him to reply that late) and he said it happens every now and then and I just need to cut off a ¼” piece of the end with a chop saw. I didn’t have a chop saw available at the house, so I used my air cutoff wheel and went to town. About an hour and a half later it was ¼” shorter and fit in the housing just fine. Not MWC fault but a pain either way (I’m sure it is for them when it happens as well).
3) This last one has nothing to do with MWC or Strange but was a problem for me nonetheless. I’ve had 3” dual over the axles on the car for a bunch of years. This was a custom setup I had done back in like 07’ and cleared the MWC watts link awesomely…..the fab 9” housing, not so much. I have an appt with an exhaust shop tomorrow to see if they can move some stuff and give me some more clearance.
Overall, I am extremely happy with the rear. I have all the heat cycled complete and am about 100 miles into my 500-mile break in. I was looking back through some old emails the other day and came across one from early 2010 asking Eric about housing, so its something that I have wanted for a while and I would do it again for sure.
I called MWC yesterday morning and have the 3.5” alum driveshaft on order. I have no doubt it will be here later this week or early next. Midwest Chassis more than kept their word on having this rear to me in plenty of time for LSfest West in May.
Thanks! It's been a long journey....and getting longer.
So I stopped at the exhaust place today and more bad news. He said he can probably free up some space but he is going to have to order some mandrel bends and wants to wait until I have my larger driveshaft it to ensure adequate clearance. Not sure that's totally bad news, the cost just seems to keep going up.
Little update:
Still getting the break-in miles. I'm just under 400 miles so just about finished. So far no gear noise so that's good. I've had the coilovers in the rear raised a little over an inch to get the clearance needed to get the miles on it. Took it to my exhaust guy late last week and had the exhaust reshaped over the axle and also gain me some driveshaft clearance. Still running the stock driveshaft with the adapter u-joint hoping the replacement shaft gets here today. I leave for LSFest this Thursday, so cutting it close but everything should work out pending driveshaft arrival.
looks good. what gears did you get? i paid the extra for the us gear and i have a howl/whine once its warmed up. it mixes with the exhaust so its tolerable. also does your 4 channel abs work? i hope it does.
looks good. what gears did you get? i paid the extra for the us gear and i have a howl/whine once its warmed up. it mixes with the exhaust so its tolerable. also does your 4 channel abs work? i hope it does.
I did the 3:89 US Gears. 4 channel so far is good but it does light up the dash every so often when I go above 70-80.
Forgot to update last week so some more pics:
I received my driveshaft Wednesday afternoon. Was planning on leaving for LSfest early Thursday so it was nice to get the last piece of the puzzle. I also didn' have access to a lift that quickly so I built some crib blocks and changed the driveshaft, gear oil, and engine oil.
Last edited by Chrisingermany; 05-08-2018 at 02:02 PM.
Just got back from LSfest West and had a slight issue. I am hoping its from the breather and not the axle end as well, but as I was loading up the car after running the road course there was gear oil all over the drivers side axle end and a inside the wheel. I got back late last night and the car is still on the trailer, so as soon as I get it off and get a chance to inspect I'll update. Other than that it ran great. no gear wine or anything like that so far. I did notice a bit of a hum at the drag but I think I still need to mess with my pinion angle just a bit.
looks good. what gears did you get? i paid the extra for the us gear and i have a howl/whine once its warmed up. it mixes with the exhaust so its tolerable. also does your 4 channel abs work? i hope it does.
I went with the same gears (US Gear 3.89's) and I too have a slight howl at acceleration. It started on my final heat cycle. It's not bad though, and it isn't consistent. I expected there to be some, but hopefully it doesn't get worse.
all 3 of us paid extra for no noise with the us gear, and all 3 of us got noise. mine is consistent whenever there is a load at cruising speeds. let off the gas goes away. get back on like 10% and the noise comes back. they did advertise it as best chance of no noise i think, so no guarantees.......mine hasn't got worse. its silent until it warms up.
chris, i too have it coming out of the breather but not enough to get on the inside of my wheel. it is significant tho. covers the shocks and sway bars. i guess its normal. guess thats why the breather is there, but not sure why these have it and the 10 bolt doesn't.
and chris, that is the same as my abs issues. drive at 85 for about 2 minutes and id almost bet u will get solid ASR OFF and ABS INOP. also wanna scare yourself a little? take it up to 100-110 and lightly brake in an attempt to slow down, but make sure ur on a straight road with nobody around. your abs will begin to pulse the brake pedal and you won't have much braking power at all for a few seconds until you drop below 80 and your sensors begin reading accurately.
Most guys that auto-x or run a road course or thinks they will do some spirited street driving with corners swap out the vent for a barb fitting then run a looped hose higher up off the chassis to keep from vent spill. It is tapped for 1/8th" NPT. The 10-bolt has a vent as well it is in the center by the pinion.
As for gear noise a 9" is prone to a little gear noise do to design because the pinion is trying to climb the ring gear then add that with a fabricated housing over a cast housing. I have always put that with the new factor, every time we install a new part we listen to it like a hawk for anything we feel is out of the norm and hone into every little noise or creak. It is human nature and I do it myself.
We can also discuss the 4ch a little bit. The 4ch added to the housings is 100% everything that comes off the factory 10-bolt. Same backing plates, same tin shield, and same sensor. The only option that is different possibly is if you purchase an aftermarket sensor ring and they are very close to identical to a factory ring except for finish. Some things I have found to solve the issue that may arise from the code tripping is make sure the ring spins 100% true and the sensor may need to be shaved where it rubs against the housing going into the backing plate, make it so it isn't forced in and slides in straight. Beyond that it is hard to understand why some trip codes and others do not. Granted some are do to gear ratio changes added in with tires that are not the same rolling diameter will also cause an issue.
Hope that helps a little and if anyone has questions please feel free to contact us. (309)382-6252 or (309)583-0199
I am still running my car with the 3:90 ratio in the tune from the 10-bolt and haven't changed my gear ration to the 3:89. I know that's a very minor change but I wanted to do that before I got too worried about the ABS issue. I also was cruising on the road course this last weekend and was at speeds well over 120 and I don't remember the ABS being an issue at all, but I'll keep an eye on it. I just hit my break in miles right before LSfest so I really haven't done too much spirited driving here locally yet (including freeway miles).
I am still running my car with the 3:90 ratio in the tune from the 10-bolt and haven't changed my gear ration to the 3:89. I know that's a very minor change but I wanted to do that before I got too worried about the ABS issue. I also was cruising on the road course this last weekend and was at speeds well over 120 and I don't remember the ABS being an issue at all, but I'll keep an eye on it. I just hit my break in miles right before LSfest so I really haven't done too much spirited driving here locally yet (including freeway miles).
well maybe ur good then since u did higher speeds and could still brake.
MWC, i forgot about the vent the 10 bolt has i remember now. it has a cap on it that just kinda spins i think. im not upset about the gear noise. as u said, by design the 9 inch pretty much asks for noise. also im not sure how gear ratio has anything to do with it for 2 reasons.....many people swap 4.10s on a 10 bolt and have 0 issues with abs after and 2, if the wheels are the same size all around, then the front and rear tires will rotate at the same speed regardless of the gear size which is all those sensors are looking for. u guys shaved the sensors for me since i shipped them with the backing plates. i just wish i sent in my oe reluctors. thats the only possible thing in the system that is different as you mentioned already. and many people like to say o pinched the harness then when swapping rears. i have an issue with my pass side rear. if i disconnect the sensors, and move the harness to the opposite wheel, the problem jumps. which means the problem isn't with the wheel speed sensor harness. (if the problem was with the harness, the same wheel would still read wrong even tho i moved the harness, indicating that one side of the harness is no good). i forget who i talked to i think it was 01REDSSA4. he said he used the same reluctors in addition to everything else and he still has codes. so 100% same parts that worked on the 10 bolt, but they didn't work on his aftermarket rear. im over it at this point. sorry about the hijack op.
Still no ABS issues that I have noticed but I have a very short 40mph max speed drive into work so no real over 70 speeds very often.
I did manage to get the rear all cleaned up and the gear oil was deffenently from the breather. I have been running the Lucas oil and that stuff is super sticky and was a pain to clean. I also installed a barb with a longer tube up into the frame rail in front of the fuel tank.
I also dropped the rear coil over to a ground to fender height of 27"
Exhaust seems to clear just fine so far.
04-03-2018, 05:47 PM
