The car is a 5 speed, TPI G92 with the 9 bolt rear. The problem -- okay, the car was in storage for 2 1/2 years and it runs fine BUT when I am moving slow (less than 10 MPH) or decelerating, there is an occasional nasty metal on metal clanking sound. It is worse when the car is in an incline/decline position. It sounds like metal on metal that is clanking...or when decelerating, it sounds like something is still spinning and slowing down out of sync. Accelerate and the problem goes away. I am hoping the driveshaft is just banging against the tranny or undercarriage, but it sounds like the tranny might be going. Mechanic inspected the bottom, but found nothing. Said the tranny mount is just fine. Car only has 20,000 miles on it. Today I felt a vibration in the shifter with the clanking sounds...it was out of gear. Oh yeah, this usually happens with the car OUT of gear and in neutral...as I slow to a stop. When I hit the gas, sometimes I hear a clank too. Any thoughts? Or, any ways I can give a better description? Short drives for a few miles get me no sounds. Longer drives on I-5, or drives up large hills get me the horrible sounds.

Anybody?????

I've had similar experiences. 85TA with a T-5. I liken the sound to a lift hill on a roller coaster. Sure sounds evil doesn't it? Someone told me to service the rear with GM posi lube, and then go out and do figure 8s for a bit. My rear noise seems to have gone away, but the clunk when the clutch engages the drive train remains. Not sure why yet. My mechanic thinks it may be excessive lash on the pinion, but I haven't had him open the rear yet. I too have a vibation I feel in the shifter... my 'harmonic' point seems to be between 70-85. After 85, I feel like I'm driving out of it. But, at 75 it hellacious. Had the DS replaced and then balanced. 4 sets of universals replaced. Tranny rebuilt, rear end gutted and rebuilt (axles were good) tried differend wheels and tires... next is an aluminum DS. Maybe that'll help. I installed Spohn torque arm(with xmission xmember mount) and LCAs and panhard rod. Sway bars front and rear too. What this did for my vibration is change it. Not eliminate it. My guy thinks messing with the pinion angle may help since setting it to Spohn specs did make a difference. I'll say though, I feel your pain (and vibration!) I hope a lighter mass DS may make the big difference.

Thanks for responding.......Nobody else seemed to want to say anything. I finally got the car to make the sound again after I took it on a 160 mile road trip. Again it only has this problem after a long trip. The tranny shop couldn't find anything wrong when they test drove it. This time when it happened the shop wasn't open so I drove it right to the guys house. He said the sound is definately the rear end. Funny you should mention the clunk sound as the clutch engages. Mine does that too. I will respond back to this post after he repairs the rear.

Bozo

After opening the rearend and allowing all of the metal to flow out we discoverd the 9 Bolt Posi Carrier is the cause of all the nasty metal on metal sounds. Thats gonna be expensive.......So if anybody else does a post about this type of problem look to the rear.