Been riding on my 3.73s for about a month now...typical howling behavior. However, as of late, there's been alot of things popping up. First, I'll randomly get a ABS INOP or LOW TRAC light, even though i wasn't breaking and i was on a clear and dry road. Also, been hearing loud popping noises coming from the rear when i first start driving and sometimes when i turn. So, I popped the cover today, and here's what the rear cover looked like



Next, i rotated the wheels to listen for any grinding noises or something. In the vid, i rotated the passenger wheel first, then the driverside wheel.

View Video on FQuick

Any cause for alarm? Gears still good? Should i look elsewhere for the popping noise?

 

About two months ago I hydroplaned my camaro backwards into a curve at 50 mph. After that Everytime time I turned to the left or right my rear axle would pop. When I took my differential cover off it looked just like yours! When I hit the curve it shoved the axle into the differential stripping the spyder gears. So I think you spyder gears are stripped up. It looks like you have a torsen differential. Also it could be your pinion, possibily when your ring and pinion was set it my not have been set right(no disrespect). keep in touch I just went through all the 10 rear-end problems.

 

all the internals (ZT posi, ring/pinion) were transfered from a 4-channel axle into my 3-channel...so unfortunately, I can't say how they acted before they were transferred into my car. There was minimal amount of play once we got everything in. Is there any other way the spider gears could be stripped? I've never hit anything with my car, so I'm tempted to rule out that possibility...but, with this type of problem, i need to cover all my bases

 

Your magnet looked just like mine! I have the same symptoms.

I figure that the posi is finally dying in my axle, yours is probably going the same route. Sorry.

 

Like he said I think its your differential, all I can tell you to do is take the differential out, take it apart a see if it looks stripped. You will know! All of the metal shavings you have I had and they all came from my differential. Check out your axles if their good check out the pinion and if thats good it's a 99% chance thats its your differential.

 

alright...haven't taken the differential apart yet to check for stripped spider gears, but let's say it is on it's way out...what would be the best way to fix it? I'm tempted to just buy another posi and slap that in, but what made my current one go bad? Are the gears improperly set up? I'm not gonna put a new posi in if it's just gonna go bad another two months down the road, and it would be an opportune time to get some 4.10's in there....

 

welp, I put the cover back on, filled it up with oil, and drove a bit to see if the noises went away...they didn't...as a matter of fact, they got louder and the popping became more violent. I get home, and this is what i found



guess it's time to rebuild the rear

 

More pics of the carnage






Basically, my bearing said "**** you" and seized itself up

 

That's fricken' awesome. The things I have to look forward to...

Sorry 'bout your diff man...

 

i looked at the diff...just need new bearings, ABS ring and cover...

 

at least i can really look forward to puttin an my 3.73's, stall, etc.....sorry to hear though man