Alright, you guys have really helped me out in the past. Let's try it again.

1997 Firebird, 3800, zero options (not even cruise), auto, 207,429 miles. I don't even know if it has ABS...but the center caps on the rims say ABS 8). This is the wife's car, so I don't learn of problems until several months after they start. I just learned about this problem as we traded cars last week.

When starting normally from a stop there is a nice noise from what I'm sure is the rear of the car. Hard to describe, not a grind, not a knock, but sounds more like an exhaust system rocking and rubbing/squeaking, almost like metal rubbing on metal, but with a squeak noise. Squeak, squeak, squeak. About half way through second or once into third gear I don't hear anything at all. If I take off REAL slow and easy it might not do it at all. The noise does NOT speed up as the car picks up speed, so it doesn't sound rotatational like a gear, axle, or driveshaft. If I turn sharply to the left and start from a stop I can hear a faint clicking and the squeaking noise subsides. Wife tells me it has been doing it for six or eight months now. Cannot find a loose exhaust or obviously failed suspension mount/bushing. All four rims are NOT bent, good tires with lots of tread and balance out nicely with min weight.

Safe to assume the rear end is on its last? If so, cheaper for me to rebuild it or search the junkyard? If the r&p are salvageable, anybody know of a good, cheap rebuild kit with seals and bearings (price?)?

Don't guess these six banger versions had a limited slip? Figure there is zero chance of that, but hoping one of you experts tell me it could and perhaps the limited slip needs rebuilding (clutch pack anyone?).

Make matters worse: next month or so we're picking up a family car as our first baby is due mid April. Don't want to put a bunch of money in the Firebird as it will be for sale pretty soon. Just drive it and see if it will go another month or so?

Sorry for the Colin Powell (long post). Thanks for reading the whole book I wrote.

 

PS: searched for about an hour on here and didn't find a rear end problem thread that seemed to match my problem. That's why I started another rear end thread. Hope nobody minds.

Thanks.

 

please dont double post. pick up a one piece driveshaft from a z28 and take that two piece shaft out of there.