This isnt subaru related but the welded diff is often discussed here.I have a 83 saab 900 for a demolition derby car.its FWD.The front diff is welded because last year I exploded an axle and that was my night.tommarow I need to drive/tow it so it can get vinyled.Anyway I tried to drive up a steep uneven hill.it couldnt make it up.In the dirt I could tell the right tire was doing alot of spinning to get up the hill,but it didnt seem like the the left tire was really doing much work.In fact the right tire had laid down a pretty good stripe up the hill,and some dirt was on the freshly painted side.left side tire and body is clean.So Im like it must have broken a weld.I jack the front wheels off the ground and both spin in the same direction when turned.one thing that was kinda weird is the tires would spin about 3/4 of the way in either direction then suddenly bind up.So whats up?does the diff need to be welded again or something?I am just used to having something with a welded diff fight with both tires to get up.

your welds are more than likely blown. i've never blown my own welds in a diff, but i have had a diff that someone else welded, do that. it's broken and under pwr it won't catch, but under friction from your hand it'll catch just a little. if there is a difference in movement, other than the slack in the splines, your diff is blown... 3/4 of a turn isn't loose splines.

I'll see how it drives when I have to drive it on pavement tommarow,if the welds are broken then I will stop in at a shop with a hoist and weld that sucker SOLID.

 

the other news is that hill that the derby car wouldnt go up(in 1wd?) the subaru pulled it up.with street tires no less.first tried it in FWD and the front end started hopping,so I put it in 4LO and it just pulled the car up the hill with no drama at all.The subaru was closer and my truck is such a pain to back down that narrow steep hill...

 

I didnt think that was possible a lightweight vehicle pulling a heavier vehicle up a hill...

 

subaru is like 2500 lbs before I stripped the interior,Saab is like 3000 lbs before I stripped the interior and added like 100 lbs of steel back into it...

turns out that a axle exploded and wedged itself to the inner cup.the inner cup on a saab is kinda hard to see unless you actally get under the car..shame that the axle that exploded was bought less than 3 weeks prior...musta gave me the wrong axle

turns out that a axle exploded and wedged itself to the inner cup.the inner cup on a saab is kinda hard to see unless you actally get under the car..shame that the axle that exploded was bought less than 2 weeks prior...musta gave me the wrong axle

you can weld the diff just from under the vehicle? how do you get access and such to the gears for welding?

 

good thing it was just an axle, that should be easier than the diff welding i'd imagine and it might even be under warranty (if you don't tell them about the welded diff!)

 

and some dirt was on the freshly painted side.

fresh paint for a derby car? wow, you're intense!

the fresh paint is Sunrise Red.It comes in cans(not spray paint) I just did the rustoelum roller paintjob so that the car looks presentable for my sponser(my mother's bussiness). looks really good..I will take a pic of it when final vinyls and decals are put on.

 

 

As for welding the diff,the engine is longitudinaly mounted.However the clutch is toward the front of the car,backwards compared to RWD vehicles.The transaxle sits under the engine.so that the differential ends up being in the exact orientaion as a rear diff on a subaru,or rwd car.There is just a bolt on cover for the diff,unbolt that and its easy access for welding,providing you have a floor lift or put the car on its side or something...

 

makes for equal length halfshafts...