So today i got to the brakes for my car. i only drove this car for 15 miles before i parked it and decided to do a mild restoration(t-56 from crashed c3 i have,sound deadening,cleaning up engine bay,front suspension rebuild,redoing interior,.....etc) lifted the rear and i said to my brother "lets see what rear end i have". well bad news and worse news..bad news is i have a 3.08 so it won't work with the .5 6th gear of the t56. worse news is that the rear end does NOT spin freely and takes a lot of force to spin. the tire would even rotate back if i didn't hold on to it.I know nothing about rear ends or how to find a problem.From the small amount of driving i did when i bought car it seemed like something was off when i would go in reverse.Im hoping it is the E-brake that are causing me not to be abe to move hub freely . seems like its dragging but it does take some force. i did a few burnouts when i did car so the rear end itself felt fine to my limited knowledge.

 

not the breaks. removed the caliper to paint...rear end only goes about 1/3 of a turn before it stops turns hard. with tire i can spin with difficulty

 

When you have the rear of the car up in the air...the suspension drops...THUS your half shafts are now able TO BIND when you try to turn the wheel. THIS IS COMMON!!!! Becasue you are binding up on the universal joints...and when you do get the wheel to start to get in a bind and begin to lift up the suspension...it can rotate back to the lower position....LIKE I WROTE...THIS IS NORMAL.

Not that is matters....if you want to check your clutches on your differential...set your torque wrench to 40 lbs/ft and tighten up a lug nut. NOW...COMMON SENSE would dictate that you have the wheel in a position that will allow it to spin a little in the direction you are turning it...instead of it already being in a bind. If the wheel spins BEFORE you have reached the torque...your clutches are shot. If it 'clicks'...you are good. AND this is a test for an aged differential.

Then I would look at and check the amount of 'in and out' play your side yokes in your differential have. If when CAREFULLY lifting up on the wheel...which I can do manually...I watch and see how much movement these side yokes have. if they are more than the thickness of a paper matchstick.....the 'beginning' of the end has occurred. I usually go for about .008" 'in and out' play when they are being rebuilt and new side yokes are being installed. Which is about and much as the thickness of a single edge razor blade.

If you do all what you plan....also it would be wise to replace your universal joints with SOLID SPICER universals....and NOT universals with a grease fitting.

I wish you stated what YEAR your a Corvette is???? the reason: Going to a manual may require changing out the side yokes for ones made for a manual. Because GM did offer two designs...depending on the design.

ALSO...for what it is worth...if the wheels are off....and the rotors have had the rivets drilled out....it is wise to put a few nuts back on so the rotor sits correctly on the spindle and not allowed to tilt and can bind up on the parking brake.

DUB

 

I'm with Dub. And I'll also add that when (if) you change the u-joints on the half shafts, you MUST support the flange that bolts to the outer flange. They are really easy to bend and it will be pretty much impossible to get the new joints in and seated.

 

its a 1975 corvette.. Thanks ill try to read and read three more times what you guys said

 

When you jack up the car and remove wheel you need to support the car with jackstand via the trailing arms close to the spindle not the frame, or the wheels/differential/halfshaft won't turn.

 

I love you guys!!!!!!!

 

With it being a 1975...you can go with the stronger yokes that have end caps that bolt them on instead of the 'U' bolt design.

YES...I AGREE with TimAT...that now knowing what year you have...you have to use the inner bearing flange off the trailing arm/wheel bearing area (which is what I use) when I am removing and installing new universal joints. BECAUSE you have to have something really strong that will not allow the cast part that the universal is in to bend....because it will if you are not careful.

ALSO..make sure you get some new french lock for this area also.


These are the end caps for the heavy duty side yokes
http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...1963-1979.html

Photos of the heavy duty side yokes and some with the end caps
https://www.google.com/search?q=1975...w&ved=0CB0QsAQ


The french locks that are used.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Car-Set-4-1964-1979-Corvette-Rear-Half-Shaft-Stainless-Steel-French-Locks-/171606773530?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27f48f8f1a
DUB