Hi everybody. I have an interesting problem. I think the gears in my rear end have finally bit the dust. I was sitting at a stop sign the other day and when I went to go it felt like someone slammed into the back of me, but there was nothing or no one there. I then went down the street and it felt like the car was driving crooked. When I went to park the slamming noise was even worse. I parked and put the car into gear and it sounded like the gears slammed into each other instead of meshing. Any ideas? I have a 99 V6 with about 131K on it. Please help!!!

 

Check the universal joints on the end of the driveshaft and yoke. Block the front and raise the back and rotate the wheels to see if you can pinpoint anything binding or making noise. If you can't, remove the cover on the rear end and if the gears are gone, you will find alot of metal draining out with the rear end lubricant.

 

We had checked the universal joints while it was on the ground. It seemed to be in tact. Is it easy to drain the oil out of the case and open it all up?

 

Sounds like a spider gear may have exploded. Remove the rearend cover (that's also how you get the oil out) and take a look inside.

 

i feel for ya i was hearing a grinding noise removed my cover yesterday and pieces of metal came flowing out =(

 

Thats exactly what mine was. 3 out of the 4 spider gears are completely gone. One is still intact. Not what I wanted to see.

 

Oops, been there...done that. At least you could limp the car home. Years ago I blew out the spider gears in a different car, and the rearend locked up. Trashed the carrier and gears too. It was junkyard shopping time.
Anything else get damaged on yours?

 

nope just ordered a brand new aftermarket rear end 3.73 posi lock up unit $480 and my pinion and rings and blah will post up some pictures when im done... the fun of buying a used car the idiot didnt have enough fluid in the rear and my dumb self never double checked it.... the fun of thinking you can trust private parties