Do I need to drop the rear diff. to get the fuel tank out of an '86 GL 4x4?

The car has a massive shuddering coming from the rear at anything above 25 mph. Up to that point it's quiet and smooth. The previous owner pulled the car with all tires on the ground and took no special precautions. Has my rear diff eaten its' lunch? I drained the fluid and found no filings or chunks in it. Any help always hugely appreciated.

 

Doug in ABQ

Do I need to drop the rear diff. to get the fuel tank out of an '86 GL 4x4?

 

Yes - and the hanger.

 

The car has a massive shuddering coming from the rear at anything above 25 mph. Up to that point it's quiet and smooth. The previous owner pulled the car with all tires on the ground and took no special precautions. Has my rear diff eaten its' lunch? I drained the fluid and found no filings or chunks in it. Any help always hugely appreciated.

 

Doug in ABQ

 

Doug - you probably have a bad u-joint or a bad rear axle Double-Offset-Joint. The diff is likely to be just fine.

 

GD

i agree about the bad u-joint. you can swap in the rear half of the driveshaft from any manual or automatic ea82, since the rear halfs are all the same lengths between drivelines and it contains both u-joints.

 

otherwise if you need to pull the gas tank you can do it by dropping the diff down from the hanger, but it does not have to come entirely out, or undo any of the axles.

 

i yanked the tank out of my sedan and towed ot to the junkyard witht eh diff and axles just hanging there by the pivot bolt.

Do I need to drop the rear diff. to get the fuel tank out of an '86 GL 4x4?

The car has a massive shuddering coming from the rear at anything above 25 mph. Up to that point it's quiet and smooth. The previous owner pulled the car with all tires on the ground and took no special precautions. Has my rear diff eaten its' lunch?

 

 

If you are concerned about the rear diff, and you think the diff might be the cause of the shudder, why do you need to remove the gas tank???

 

Where you trying to pose the opposite question? (can diff come out without removing the tank??)

 

The diff can come right out, no need to move the tank. Unless you think the tank is somehow causing the shudder???

 

At any rate I'm going to vote for driveline problem and not a rear diff issue. (they seldom ever have problems)