nipper

well lets get your tires fixed first. only thing back there that runs at one constant speed is the fuel pump. nipper

Rear differnetial will devlop a loud roar that changes volume with speed. That hum is ominous. Center differnetial you will get torque bind. nipper

i havent done it in years, and not on a sooby. Its not that hard, do a search here, and dont forget you have to make a human sacrifice to the mechanic gods the first time (scrape a nuckle) nipper

its meant for an emergency only. a flat on a major highway is an emergency, its even considered a 911 emergency in some states. Thats its only purpose. Well that and some crash protection. nipper

One other thing, the donut is only an emergency tire, they are not rated for speed or any great distahce, and are not all that great in the wet nipper

you have 4 struts, 2 per axle, Since they get replaced in pairs, its safe to assume they are both as equally worn, one just decided to make noise while the other one decided to (maybe) take a tire with it. Thats assuming the bulge was from a seperated belt. nipper

If you have stayed with the factory size tires, you will be fine, just make sure its properly inlfated. If you have change tire size, you need to buy a full sized spare, it will fit in the sooby. nipper

actually depending upon the tire bulge they can be related. If you have a an already compromised tire, then have a strut go bad, it cha break the belts in the tire. Loud themping can be a broken or blown strut, broken sway bar, bad bushing or loose exhaust system, all need to be checked nipper

If it ran fine before you did "X" then afterwards doesnt, go back and double check the work. Yes you can be off by one tooth and run oddly. nipper

aww shux, dont make me blush... besides im easily amused, and amazed at what the sell in poor excuses for auto part stores... thought i missed a new product nipper

check the tires, but unless you ran with a smaller tire on one side of the axle, you should be ok. LSD will fry and become a live axle (no diff operation) if you cook it. Your LSD is a vscous coupling, which like the AWD will die a fast death. nipper

If it is an automatic change the tranny fluid asap, if it is a manual cross your fingers and hope. Also see about getting a spare that matches all the other tires. I'ld be more worried about the AWD unit slowly chewing itself up. Rear diff it it starts to devlop a whine or a roar you know youve done damage, as a drastic tire size differnce could do a lot of damage in the driveline, period. nipper

hehe from reading this list all this time, i tend top beleive people stomp on the pedals a lot... i know i do for the hell of it on snow and ice In a manual i would start in second gear on snow and ice to avoid wheel slip. nipper

when the interval says x # of miles, that is based on 12,000 miles a year. SO if the interval is 60,000 miles thats 5 years. You have to remeber that these things are by milegae or month, whichever comes first. nipper

what model year and mileage is this? Did the donut have the same circumfrance of the other tires. I'ld be more worried about frying the AWD unit then the diff, unless the diff was a viscous rear and the tires didnt match. Diffs tend to roar when they die, and irs a slow painful process. You will want to have the diff lube changed if you honestly think thats what was smoking. WHat did it smell like, as gear oil ha s a rather unique smell. nipper

get one wheel of each axle on ice, and one wheel on solid grounds, then you will spin and not move. All 4 wheels on equally slippery surfaces will wpin, since the torque goes to the wheels with the least traction. on ice its all of them. nipper

http://www.cars.com/carsapp/boston/?srv=parser&act=display&tf=/features/mvp/vpedia/viscous_clutch_popup.tmpl A limited-slip device that uses heat-activated viscous fluid to transfer power between two driveshafts Serving the same duty as a limited-slip differential, viscous couplings are most often used in all-wheel-drive systems in place of a conventional center differential: The viscous coupling connects the front and rear driveshafts and allows them to rotate at slightly different speeds during turns. But when the rotational difference between the axles increases, as when the pair of primary drive wheels slip, the viscous coupling then binds the axles together and transfers power to the opposite axle and wheels. “Viscous” refers to the fluid encased in the device, a silicone gel so sensitive to heat that it thickens and expands in fractions of a second. Metal discs on the opposing driveshafts rotate in this fluid, more or less at the same rate. When one set of discs spins significantly faster than the opposing set, it “shears,” or churns, the fluid. The resulting friction generates heat that causes the fluid to thicken and expand, which transfers the rotational force of one axle to the other, even though neither shaft is ever directly in contact with the other. The viscous fluid thickens and thins so quickly based on incremental temperature changes that a well-designed coupling can vary the amount of power it transfers to match the demand. Viscous couplings are simple but effective devices that require no sensors or computer control.

Gently pry it out, i do it from the top and bottom. If you have never done it before, its only 4 screws to remove the beel and see how it is actually held in. There is enough slack in the wires so it pops out easily enough Dont force it, be gentle, or do as i said. nipper

no upper balljoints, and ball joints cause the car to wander. 1- Check the torque of the lugnuts, over tighten them and you can warp the rotors 2- are you sure the new rotors were flat 3- inspect and rotate the tires, look for cupping or broken belts 6- check your cv joints 7- inspect wheel bearings nipper

your due, you almost have ten years on that belt and you should think about it. At the very least remove the covers and inspect the belt, look for fraying and crakcs. nipper

heheh look up torque converter on the net, its 2:1 and they have gone as high as 3:1,2;1 thats the number its been for since the things have been invented. Thats the reason VW semiautomatics didnt really have 1st gear, and powerglides only had two gears, the torque converter is so good at multiplying torque its not needed http://auto.howstuffworks.com/torque-converter1.htm http://www.drive.subaru.com/Fall02_TorqueConvert.htm http://www.tciauto.com/tech_info/torque_converters_explained.htm nipper

torque converters multiply torque 2:1. Automatics actually seem easier to deal with in alot of situations then manuals. Only time a manual is better in special situations is when you can engage the starter in low gear to help you get out of a bad situation instead of using the clutch. nipper

Man do we know what they cost, they range from 800-1200 depneding upon location. I've heard some rediculous prices for VC from some bad dealers. My awd unit was 950 at 185,000 miles so im not complaining, thats a good run. Service life for the wuoto seems to be anything over 180K (educated guess) but can go far beyond that. On the manual till you drive on your first flat. The auto as long as the fluid is changed regularly they seem to last. nipper

not really, the tires get just as hot driving down a arizona highway in summer, in fatc its probably less tressful as there was no load on them. nipper

There is also an internal spool valve, which everyone seems to forget, along with internal seal failure. Thats just a seized universal joint. nipper