I looked at everything and it seems okay to the eye nothing obvious, what could cause this constant clunking when the car is in drive? how do you spot a bad u joint?

 

Ive read a bit about tranny mounts needing some love on our 3rd gens.

 

does clunk when you take off or is it a constant noise?? if its a clunk like 86 said probably your tranny mount u can check your joints by grabbin the driveshaft and seein if the shaft will move at the joint area if it does probably a bad joint

 

I'd replace them anyway if you have some miles on them and they are stock, or old...sometime when you accelerate you can hear a tinging sound, that's also a indicator of a bad u-joint....but a clunk might also be a bad trans mount. I'd replace the u-joints anyway (if you never had one come out before, you'll know why I say replace it anyway if you do)....but the clunk might also be play in the rear end...which sometimes occurs.

 

It is a constant noise when moving, like a card in a bicycle wheel, the thing is it didnt really give me the warning signs of bad u-joints, it just went like that after an intense burnout, It is possible i stripped the diff, as that is the only original part in my drivetrain including the shaft.

 

I would check the joints for sure....also pull the diff cover and take a peak at the gears...better safe than sorry

 

I pulled the shaft today and the u-joints are good not many miles on them, but it looks like the yoke with the shaft that goes into the engine kinda ``clangs`` on each other a bit. I don`t dare lie under the car while the wheels are spinning to look at it to see if it is hitting itself. It is possible the yoke may have got switched but doubtful. I took the shaft to a shop he recommended grinding it down a bit so i will try that and buff and paint it while it is out see what happens tomorrow. I checked my diff and you cant really hear it while turning by hand and there was about three quarters of an inch of play maybe a lil less. i put the car in gear with the shaft out, so now the tranny has been eliminated, I am thinking of trying to turn the wheels real fast to see if it makes a noise while in the air. i dunno how ill do that yet tho. What would be involved with taking the pumpkin cover off in my parking lot.

 

if it clunks with speed, as in gets faster the faster you go.....STOP DRIVING IT

i kept on driving mine like that and the pinion gears shatterd and blew out the side of the chunk

on the plus side i got a new rear with a LSD and better gears

 

You know it does get faster as it goes, so what would that be saying that was the problem, because my driveshaft looks like new now i got her all painted and grinded. I t77am guessing ill find that is the problem tomorrow. Where to go from there. I can`t just bolt in another diff from another chevy cause that stupid torque bar from diff to tranny, so what is the best cheap fix for a diff.

 

get a new ring and pinion gear from jegs or summit, you got to know what your doing to install, otherwise i suggest you find someone who does know......not a shop they will charge an arm and leg, but maybe someone who wants to do a ring an pinion swap on the side

whats going on MAYBE is there is a crack in your pinion gear, thats whats making the noise....

kinda sounds like a u-joint is hitting the tq arm or something like that right???

thats how mine sounded, it got worse and worse.....then boom the pinion shattered, sending a piece of it through the side of the diff

if you go with a ring and pinon so yourself a favor, if you got 2.73's go up to a 3.23 or better, only thing is you will have to get gears for 3.08 and lower carrier, there is a diff in carriers, serries as they call them series

a series 2 is 2.59, 2.73; 3.08 etc etc
a serries 3 is 3.23, 3.42, 3.73 etc etc

you can get 3.23 and higer that will fit a series 2 carrier


if this seems crazy to you look at this post

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tran...make-posi.html

i posed some real helpfull pics on it for a guy and they may help you out to

 

thanks alot, and yes thats exactly how it sounds like. tomorrow ill find the problem for sure.if it is the diff i definitely want to upgrade to limited slip, maybe even a complete set to upgrade to rear disc brakes while im at it. What gear set would be good for a T5 with a 350 and all the bolt ons?

 

Yeah i put the driveshaft back in, it is the diff that is gone.

 

whats your year and model???

factory 5 speed???

that way i can know what stock gears you are running

 

Its an 83 Trans Am it had the 305 with a T5 factory, T-roofs pw,ac, and thats about it. It now has a 355 with rebuilt original T5.

 

I got to thinking when I pulled that driveshaft out, I buffed it and painted black to match the tranny and engine, It came out looking pretty good. I am thinking of pulling all of the suspension pieces fuel tank and differential, and refurbishing and upgrading what I can. Is there good pieces that will fit in my factory diff upgrading it to limited slip and beefing it up to handle the 355ci chevy working it. I also like to bag my car so durability is a must with everything. I basically beat my car like a red headed stepchild but shower it with presents afterwards. So what can a guy keep inside that housing, It is difficult because that damn torque bar. I wish I could just bolt a chevy truck diff in. I would like to just paint mine up nice and put a nice cover on it with new internals.

 

Ok I need help now, I am a rookie when it comes to differentials. I took my cover off today and it has a ball the size of a kiwi of metal shavings attached to it. Very fine metal powder like a mud texture. I wasnt to sure what to look for. The pin I suspected, looked fine. But the middle ring gear has a missing teeth and im not sure but feels like teeth used to be on the one passenger side of it but maybe not.

Question is where do I go from here? Can I upgrade whats in there to keep costs down since motor is too strong for stock but would kind of be over kill to buy a whole new diff wouln't it?
Ive seen eaton limited slip units at the shops, can I just get one of those put in with new axles with more splines at the most and be good to go?
Whats cost for some solutions?

Any help would be greatly appreciated before i hit the city tomorrow with a wad of cash.

 

if there is teeth missin its trash, id get a new carrier, new ring and pinion gear and maybe or maybe not higher spline axles.....when you get your new carrier you can get one with higher splines, but you got to get higher spline axles to so that will raise your cost some

make sure whoever does it knows what they are doing!!

i suggest jegs or summit for your parts