26 replies to this topic

[crazyman03]

Ok, so apparently I did a good one today. I ripped the rear diff out of the bushings on the (name??) mustache bar.

Let me explain, This took real skill - I'm actually quite peeved about it because I wasn't screwing around off roading or even hot-rodding it around. I was at one of my betting facilities today, (Softball country, over off of 72ndish and Pecos for those of you in the area) and I was backing up along-side the building and was going to turn at the end and park to look at some emails. Look at my mirrors.. nada. I'm going at about "idle" speeds, nothing fast.. then WHAM!!!

I get out expecting to've hit a concrete pole or.. something.. anything. Nothing. ?????? I look down and see the curb of a little parking island that they had wrapped around the building. It went strait through between my tires and was just short enough not to hit anything EXCEPT, the very bottom of the rear Differential.


Now, I have a vibration when i speed up and slow down. After some inspection, I believe its due to the rear bushings on the diff that hold it up on the mustache bar (???)

My question is, has anyone ever done what I just did? And is there any better way to, or an alternative to replacing those bushings? the stealership wants 100 bucks for the pair.

pictures:







All the more reason to want to lift it.. since i'm too flippin low to the ground!!

edit: part number for the bushings is: 41322ac040

-Justin

Edited by crazyman03, 09 July 2012 - 10:32 PM.

[crazyman03]

ok.. sooo.... I dont think it was those bushings. I went ahead and just strait-bolted the diff to that mount and now I still have the vibration, but not as "sloppy" if that makes sense. its much more of a stiffer vibration.


anyway.. I was curious with the carrier bearing.. is there an actual bearing in there? if i take the shaft and move it in a circle.. maybe 1/4 play in a circle.. is that bad?

I was doing a bit of searching around there.. U-joints look fine.. drive shaft looks alright. though, i did see a lot of wrecker yard marks on a lot of things down there :-/


-Justin

[Ricearu]

carrier bearing should not have any play. you may have broken the rubber bushing in it. and if you don't fix it soon, you will need to replace the drive shaft because the u-joints will be shot.

[crazyman03]

just spin? no up/down/left/right movement?


-Justin

[Ricearu]

Just spin. it should have very little udlr play. it should wiggle a little but that is just the rubber bushing taking up for vibrations. if it moves you will feel vibration while moving. Likely when the diff slid forward, it broke the rubber bushing around the carrier bearing. Likely... check it closer, hell, drop the two bolts out of the thing and have a better look.
Oh, and don't let the yoke slip out of the trans or you may lose some trans juice.

[crazyman03]

hmm.. I will have to look a bit more then.. probably either late tonight or tomorrow. IIRC, it did have a lot of play in it that made me and a buddy both go *woah* for a second. though, another friend said that it would have some play in it.. though he's a mistu. guy.


-Justin

[crazyman03]

Ok, yea... I'm thinking its the Carrier Bearing.. I did a bit of a video.. you tell me if i'm crazy?




-Justin

[Ricearu]

looks like too much play to me.

[Fairtax4me]

I think mine has about that much play in the rubber bushing, It's pretty soft and you can move it quite a bit with little real force. But you could have damaged the bearing or, I'd bet you more than likely damaged a U joint. Either way, you'll need a whole prop shaft, as neither the carrier or any of the U-joints are replaceable.
It's also possible that the transmission and/or motor mounts were damaged if the driveshaft got jammed forward into the tailhousing of the trans. I don't know how far the diff carrier brace can move, but if it moved far enough forward to completely dislodge the rear bushings from the cross member then it certainly moved enough to take the slack (which is only like 1/2") out of the slip section of the prop shaft where it slides into the transmission. It would jam, and force the transmission and engine forward. Then if you drove it that way, the U joints would certainly be worn from the stress put on them.

It also probably damaged the output shaft seal on the transmission.

[crazyman03]

Hmm.. Well, there's a wrecking yard that I was going to go to today to get the rear glass. Hopefully the entire Drive Shaft from the tailhousing to the rear diff are there.

One thing that I ran into when i removed the current bushings (just the center parts.. not the entire bushings) that they were brittle and probably have been out for a while I think.

when I inspected everything down there though, nothing really looks shifted forward. I looked at the 2 other bolts that hold the diff mounts to the frame.. looked fine. the carrier bearing also didn't look like it was jammed forward. though, the bushing on it would've taken the blow.

Uugh, i need someone who knows what they are doing to look at it and tell me what i need to replace. The bearing sounded right but I dont have any money to be throwing at the car..


-Justin

[ShawnW]

Bueller?

[Ricearu]

well if the rear diff isn't hanging right it could cause the vibration if the U-Joint is past it's operational angle. hmmm...

[crazyman03]

Bueller?

Dude! I tried calling you and left a message lol I even stopped by and talked to someone (names are not my strong point) who said he does your axle rebuilds.


I'll stop by tomorrow again... What time you there in the morning?


-Justin

[Fairtax4me]

Dude! I tried calling you and left a message lol I even stopped by and talked to someone (names are not my strong point) who said he does your axle rebuilds.


I'll stop by tomorrow again... What time you there in the morning?


-Justin

That would be Marshall I believe.

[ShawnW]

Im here after 2pm these days. I have a 1 year old by myself in the mornings and I work really late on customer cars after hours. Marshall left me a note and a voicemail-its all me not being good at calling back just busy during the day.

[crazyman03]

Haha! Yea, I rather have that same issue.

I'll stop by after 2 and see where that takes us. That red '97ish impreza is still at the wrecking yard just up the way from you, so if I need any parts I can just run up there..



-Justin

[crazyman03]

Well, I got the new bushings in. I was debating making a writeup for it. removing them and pressing the new ones in without taking the cross member out was.... interesting.

I still have a slight vibration only between 60ish through 70ish..

I got a call form your shop shawn.. i still might stop by, mainly to say hi and check the place out.



-Justin

[crazyman03]

pictures of some of the quest...



-Justin

[ShawnW]

Holy cow, I have never seen any that bad.

[crazyman03]

Ok, I take that back. There's still a vibration and it starts around 30ish. I'm thinking I'm going to drop the drive shaft and try the FWD fuse to see if it isn't my rear diff causing the vibration or maybe the drive shaft.

I at least think the drive shaft is in decent shape. only problem is now that i spent 100 bucks on those stupid bushings, i dont have the 30 bucks to get a new carrier bearing and/or the drive shaft



-Justin

[crazyman03]

ok.. I dropped the drive shaft and put it in FWD. ZERO vibration. I realize that the bushings likley needed replacing, but I (financially) would've liked to put it off.

question, if it was the carrier bearing, it would still vibrate right? I'm thinking i'll probably replace them both anyway. have to wait for funds though.




-Justin

[Fairtax4me]

Check the U joints for play.
More than likely the carrier bearing itself is OK. Unless the bushing is ripped or otherwise obviously physically damaged it's probably OK.

[crazyman03]

Yea, The carrier bearing appears to be in "ok" shape. Didn't see any play in the drive shaft but i did notice that one of the joints kind've popped when you flipped it a certain direction. wasn't really much at all but i guess it wouldn't take much at all to start a vibration.


Thanks for the help!


-Justin

[crazyman03]

So, I think I still have that vibration, even without the drive shaft. Would it be likley that the transmission is causing the vibration? Did I just screw my transmission with what i did?


-Justin

[crazyman03]

So with the dry weather we're having around here.. Its either going to be a very dry winter or its going to dump. Since I haven't gotten around to figuring out

I went to put the drive shaft in and, well, I'm a dork - I cant believe I missed this. There's a little divot in the drive shaft. Likley either I hit it hard enough it caused it itself, or sent the shaft upward to a support stamping the divot into it.





basically, i've been driving around in FWD mode because I'm lazy and haven't had time to figure it out when it was staring at me the whole time.


-Justin