i've been hearing a sound from my the rear of my car lately and it sounds almost liek the rotors are rubbing against something on the axle/wheel/brake caliper i've already got both rear rotors resurfaced, and changed out the brake pads and the sound is still there!!! i was just wondering how to tell what kind of rear differential/axle set-up i have the previous guy said it is a "posi" rear end (limited slip i'm guessing?) i've heard it might also be the bearings in the axle that are making the constant sound too..

 

Only way to check if it is a rear diff problem is to pull the cover and inspect the internal parts.

 

At the very least check the fluid level

 

[&:] to check for posi vs. open diff jack up rear end and give one wheel a spin if it wont turn( vehicle in park or in gear) or both sides turn in same direction then you have a posi in decent shape. if one wheel turns in the opposite direction as the one you spun you have an open diff. your year of car also used a locker type diff that had a tendancy to grenade, leading to diff noises among other things.

as for your noise, well the axle bearings shoulndt be producing any real noticable noise. you can check them yourself if you promise to use JACKSTANDS and not just the jack. jack up the car and take a very long screwdriver or other steel rod and literally put one end to your ear and with a buddy in the car put it into gear and place the other end at the end of the axle tube. this is where the axle bearings are and they can have a very slight whirring noise but no more. dont forget the check the carrier bearings these are at the inside edge of the axle tube and the pinion bearings where the driveshaft enters the diff also. my guess from your description is that you will find your noise problem at one of these places. kurt

 

yea i just had the camaro in at the mechanic and he said it was definitely the rear bearings making the noise. and if this has been going on for a while (i just got er a week or 2 ago) there could be a divit worn in the axles (totally **** then) in which case i would either need new axles or get a special bearing? that moves the bearing spot back in the axle to a new surface? and other parts could also be damaged i assume if the bearings are really bad and they have been shaving off metal into the oil ruining my diff bearings. this sounds like its getting pretty messy.

am i better off changing the bearings myself? i understand i might need new tools (i can live with that) and im really handy when comes to dealing with working on cars. cuz when he gave me the price quote it was outrageous ($458!) and the bearings were outrageous too! i dont know where to go from this point any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

 

your gonna have to spend probably a couple hundred bucks no matter how you proceed. axle bearings dont take a rocket science degree to replace but they can be a bugger and an axle bearing puller and or a die grinder are required. I dont like band aids for repairs so most likely one or two new or used axles will be required.

certainly if this condition has existed for some time it has not helped any of the other bearings in the rear end and i would certainly give all the bearing a good listening to if not a replacement

short of overhauling the rear you have ($$$$) id look in the used parts market for a replacement rear as you should be able to remove and replace yourself and shouldnt cost more than a few hundred and as a bonus you may be able to chose a posi , if you dont have one, and get a more desirable gear ratio