Gordonm

I got the rear out and opened it up. It was what I was afraid of. The ring gear bolts let go. If you remember I have a 4.11 on a 3 series carrier with a spacer. WORD OF WARNING DO NOT DO THIS. It let go and tore the rear up. The gear teeth look very good. It just ripped the bolts out of the ring gear and destroyed the back of the gear. It did some damage to the carrier and a little to the case from the bolts flying around inside the carrier.
The worst part of this is I had just gotten a 4 series carrier to fix this. I was going to do it in a couple of weeks. Just my luck I decide to go racing one more time and the last run it goes. I had about 70 runs on this rear and the last one I was taking it lets go. Just not my day. I do have a 3.70 rear that just needs to be freshened up so I might go with that. I might have a 4 sereis carrier for sale if I decide to go this route. I might also stay with the 4.11 and go wit ha correct carrier. I'll give it a while and make that decision later.

0Mike69@ECS

:sad: Damn Gordon... I tried to think the best. How bad is it??? Are the Gears wasted??? Hate to hear it!

Post a couple of pics of the carnage if you can. :sad:

PatsLs1vette

thats sucks big time now what r u going to do?

454Big

Sorry to hear about this trouble!

But nevertheless - you can fix it!

Look what my girl (100 lbs/ 5ft 3,5 in/ HEAVY LEAD FOOT!:mad ) did to HER Corvettes Differential (tried to do a burnout with a 76 stock Vette; only mod: Headers!)


.....guess who had to fix the mess....... :cuss

454Big

All of you who don´t know what this is:

It´s the inner splined part of the Side Yoke !!!
It just was squeezed off......

I could pull the half shaft once I had the axle flange loose - this was the point where I thougt of a "missing piece" :D

Gordonm

Mike The gear teeth actually look like they were not even scratched. They look real good and so does the pinion. The bad news is tha tthe back of the ring gear is toast. The bolts being ripped out took most of the threads and took a couple of chips out of the back. It does not look to good for this set of gears. Don't know weather to stick with the 4.11 or just put in the 3.70 rear and see how it runs.

That side yoke looks ugly. Fortunatly for me this happened at low speed so not much else was wrecked. The spider gears and side yokes look excellent.

blue_stingray

i have 4.11's with a 3-series carrier and spacer also-- BUT, they are welded- no problems or worries about the bolts backing out due to the spacer. now all i have to do is replace the posi discs and put in the 4-link.

SmokedTires

Maybe we can start a "Broken Vette Rearend Club" :p:


That's me with my broken inner axle. :bb

Gordonm

I'm in on the club. No digital camera or I would have posted pics. of the carnage. It was ugly in there.

Flareside

Hey Gordon, who does your rear ends? I may have a new ratio in my near future.

-Joe

427V8

:cool: Small girl, BIG foot :yesnod:


:cool:

bence13_33

Mike:
I believe I got my membership to the "Broken Vette Rear End Club" a while back whenever I splood my 3.70 :smash: .

Gordonm

Joe, the rear that let go was done bought from Chicago Corvette. They do not rebuild these as it came directly from the rebuilder. I would not go back there. It was due to poor workmanship and they used the wrong length bolts. I think I am going to freshen up the 3.70 I have with new bearings and such. I heard there is someone close to you that does quailty work. MNJack or 69er I think had there rear done there.

redvetracr

Gordonm,
I have a little knowledge of Chicago Corvette`s rear end rebuilder. I have seen his JUNK blow up at the race track on more than one occasion, rear ends and transmissions. I have been told if he needs a part to put one together that he doesn`t have he will, and has gone into the junk pile You take him a Timken bearing set (or any name brand stuff) your rear end gets off shore junk and the good stuff goes on his shelf for someone "special". I also know a southern Illinois trans & rear end rebuilder (a NCRS guy) who will no longer take any rear ends as cores that have come from Chicago Corvette. I would like to say his name but i am not interested in a law suit! But his initials are "GW" ...redvetracr

Gordonm

I noticed on taking it apart other than what I have mentioned before that the bearings are not made in USA. They are offshore junk as was the rebuild. I will not deal with them anymore. I guess tha tis why the do it cheaper than anybody else.

Stingy74

I have never personally used a ring gear spacer before but the kit's I see around include longer bolts of some fancy grade. They're probably ARP's or something. You're diagnosis is probably right. Since you had a spacer, the bolts didn't thread all the way into the hole. Therefore you had a lesser amount of bolt pulling on the threads in the gear but with the same amount of torque (ft./lbs.) that would normally be applied to that area. I may be off the wall but I had a similar problem with an oil pump in an engine of mine. The shop that built the engine is quite reputable but he has this one goofball employee that does some assembling. He used a bolt that was way too short to bolt the oil pump up and it eventually pulled too hard and wrecked the threads in the main cap. I'd rather have 65 ft./lbs on say eight threads as opposed to two threads or whatever the hell my situation was. But, good luck on getting you differential back together!

bud snyder

Gordon,
Again I am sorry to hear about the rear. I do remember your post concerning using a 3 series carrier with your 4.11 gears.
Joe's Automotive does excellent work on rears. He is located in Havertown across the river. If I remember right he will set up the gears for $250.00. If you want his number I wil get it for you.
Guys count me out on the broken rear club! I don't even want to think about that.
Bud