shurtual86

For that price I'd buy a better differential and still have some gas money, a eaton diff is about $500 on AM

cpotts13

It has always made some kind of noise ever since i have owned it.. I will open the fill hole and stick something down there to check it out.. But it definitely hasn't been long.. there isnt any spots where i park it.

Honestly I should have done this a long time ago. but they are seriously getting harder and harder to find..

But with that you would need new axles as well..




You know I feel like i may be seeing a cobra in my not so distant future..
I feel like where my car is now it would need alot of money annd work to be as fast and solid as a 03/04 cobra that it almost isnt worth it idk..


I am leaving for basic in july and probably wont need my car till early 2014. Maybe I will have enough to do the whole drive line in one shot (clutch, ds, built rear end) then drive it like that.

Who knows..

cntchds

IRS is pretty sweet... Night and day to how my rear end was with the Watts link even. Just a much more comfortable and reassured feeling while driving.

Unless you are going to drag with it, I'd suggest finding an 01. I think it is perfect because it has the 31 spline like the later 03/04 units, it has extra stiffening compared to the 99, it doesn't require a new U-Joint like the 03/04 do to attach to your driveshaft, and you can usually buy them for 99 prices since they don't come from a Termi. Best of both worlds. The halfshafts got significantly stronger in 03, and they used the carbon clutches in the later diff as well, so if that is important to you, keep it in mind.

The IRS wasn't that bad price wise for me. (I picked mine up for 600 IIRC) The problem was the other stuff. The exhaust was another 100. The shocks were another 150. Tires rubbed on that bolt, so had to get the low profile one from MM. Just nickled and dimed. If you can get the entire thing in one go, and you will save a lot of money that way. I keep seeing them around me going for 700 complete, and some even have FTB bushings on them. Keep your eyes peeled and you could find an IRS for about what you would pay to have your solid built up.

Just food for thought.

cpotts13

After doing a bit of investigating on a strange popping noise I have been hearing from the back right to my car, I found pretty much what I expected...

I lifted the rear of my car and grabbed the left rear wheel and wiggled... and it had play in it... the lugs where torqued.. but when I shook it the whole axle moved...

Do you get what I am saying??

So is it a bad diff? I believe it is....
How hard is it to pull the diff and rebuild it?

cntchds

I think more likely would be the axle bearing(A pain in itself).

Open up the diff, yank out the c-clip on that side. Pull off the brake on that side, and I believe that's when you can slide the axle all the way out. I could be missing steps. I did it four years ago on my 94. Then you are going to need a slide hammer to yank out the old, and a good sized socket/something to ensure it presses to bearing in correctly.

cpotts13

That could be it but I hear a clunking grinding like noise when I turn under 5mph. It makes me believe something weird is happening with the spider gears.

It may more beneficial to just replace the diff with a 31 spline unit along with the axles. How hard would that be? After all I'm not removing the pinion or anything...

cpotts13

Well just placed a order with late model and american muscle..
ordered:
-mini gear install kit(shims, pinion seal, marking compound) from lmr
-royal purple gear oil and friction modifier from lmr
-frpp wheel bearings from am
-frpp diff rebuild kit.


Looks like this will make for a very fun weekend.. lol not.

any tips on installing any of this?

I know i will need a slide hammer for the bearings, but any other special tools?

cpotts13

Let me just tell you about my horrible luck...

As I was driving to work yesterday, a can of spray paint was gushing on the side of the road from a puncture in the side. I couldn't slow down or switch lanes so I drove straight through a misty wall of black spray paint. Stopped as soon as I could but it was already dried. At least 60% was covered.

So today I purchased some supplies and went to work.
Tried the clay bar expecting it to be the one stop solution. Boy was I wrong. It didn't work for crap.

So I had to resort to spraying my whole car with bug and tar remover-_______-
I promptly washed it after words don't worry.

Waking up tomorrow early to quick detail it before a nice coat of wax!

shurtual86

You it did come off with the bug and tar remover? That sucks big time

cpotts13

Yes it did. I used turtle wax bug and tar remover that was "clear coat safe", let it soak for a bit and whipped it clean off.

cpotts13

Alright guys! the rear end re build has begun!!
I got most of the way done today and I am going to finish it up tomorrow.
I replaced the pinion seal, it was leaking, only a little but a little is to much.
I didnt take to many pictures of that but let me tell you, changing that was a b*tch!, but i finally got it! I will post all the online resources I used o the first page
Let the pics begin!

New is the top one clearly


there she blows!


driversides out


passengers aswell


the old clutch pack


empty diff


And here was the biggest shocker!
one of the carrier bearings was completely chewed up!
So I went and bought new carrier bearings, but couldnt have them pressed on tonight because all the shops where closed


and this is where i left off, letting the carbon fiber clutch packs soaking in the rp gear oil (with friction modifier) over night, i will resume tomorrow.



So far i am happy i did this myself, it has mostly been trouble free (knock on wood)

cntchds

Nice.

I have never gone that deep into the rear end, and I hope I never have to. I was wondering about how the install process was at upgrading the clutch packs to the carbon ones from the Termi's, so if you wouldn't mind going into the process of how-to I would be grateful. I didn't even know that you could yank out the diff without messing with the pinion. I am fairly sure that what scared me the most was worrying about getting it all adjusted right when you throw it back together. Is the pinion the hardest thing to "set" or is it all in need of adjustment to get it all set back together?

cpotts13

I would definately say the pinion is the hardest part of the 8.8!
I in no way would be able to adequetly explain how to do this process so i will include links..

here are some key things:
-your pinion is held in by the pinion nut, as long as that is tight the pinion isnt going anywhere and the specs arent changing.
-you will not need to reset the backlash, you will reuse the shims that were on both sides of the carrier.
-EVERYTHING is side specific, like the bearing caps and shims



I just finished, i stopped typing and finished the work. It seriously took about 10 hours of work with a buddy to change the pinion seal and to rebuild the diff, with more skilled hands it wouldnt have taken as long. \\

Drove it around the neighbor hood and all seems well, i will report back when i feel confident enough to let it loose.

http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/5o...5ohtech001.htm
http://www.mustang50magazine.com/tec.../photo_01.html

conv_stang

Glad to hear everything went well. I just was never up for changing gears or rebuilding the rear myself. I drive to hard to take a chance on breaking it and spitting an axle out

cpotts13

Over the past few month I have been mulling over a tough decision in regards to my car, and now I think I have had my moment of clarity. In the long run I will end up spending alot more money starting with a base such as a Mustang gt, so with that being said, at the beginning of next year I will be selling my car to invest in one of the following:

-z06 c5 corvette
-6.0 gto
-ws6 trans am
-f body ss camaro
-03/04 Cobra

It saddens me to come to this conclusion but it is the best route.

shurtual86

Maybe the corvette and for sure the Cobra, if you can find decent one, the 06 GTOs are alright but I think they're ugly and just plain looking. The camaro/Trans am are faster stock but again, not the best looking.

outlawmack

I bought my son a 96 camaro for his first car and I drove it till he got his license, then I bought my 95 mustang. The camaro is a pain in the butt to get in and out of because the seats sit on the ground. And if someone parks to close forget it. You gotta be a contortionist to get in it. I hate driving it now that I have my mustang
The gto isn't bad. I was looking to get one, went and drove it but wanted to "think about it". They sold it the next day
If it were me. I'd go 03-04 cobra then gto

cpotts13

I have decisions to make. I have test driven a ss camaro before and that sucker was fast!! like lightning fast!

steven46746

100 more hp over your 4.6, it's gonna feel faster. You can get a f-body, just don't turn into a "ls1 guy"

Dbranham

Corvette - fast, smart, looks great

Parts aren't cheap for them, hard to get into

Gto - fast
Ugly
Camaro/trans - fast
Ugly and hard to get into
Cobra -