Fortunatly the yokes did not wear too much into the pumpkin, I was able to install the new seals and so far it's not leaking...

OK, I will need new yokes eventually ... I should have drilled a drainhole and should have installed a plug in the new cover.... I thought about it when I installed it but then I was too lazy to do it....

For those of you who want to know how much end play you can have: I remember there was a big gap to the center pin after I had the yokes re-installed, I'd say about .200"
As I said, I re-installed the differential with these yokes.... car drives fine ...

 

No, actually, the car isn't driving fine. You just don't realize what is happening. The halfshaft/U-joint/side yoke assembly is actually one component of the rear suspension that holds the rear wheels in the correct alignment. With all of that play (freedom of movement) in the yoke, the only component holding the camber (the way the top of the tire leans in or out) of your rear tires correct is the lower strut rod. Right now, as you drive down the street, the tops of your rear tires are moving in and out. You can perhaps visualize what this can do to handling as well as tread wear on your tires....

This is actually a dangerous condition that you need to correct. As PROSOUTH stated, you have one part of a six link modification in place, but you don't have the upper strut rods there to control tire movement. The rear suspension of a C3 can create strange handling conditions under the best of circumstances (ask some of the members here who have done 180 or 360 degree spins). Driving with no clips on your yokes would certainly create the possibility of an ill handling car that in an emergency, might just do some strange things that you aren't prepared to deal with. Please, for your own and others safety, get this repaired properly.

Steve

 

I agree, the clips woul limit the movement of the half shafts... right now it's only the lower strut rods holding the camber...

I'll do a search on the 6-link, that's probably the way to go since I have to take the rear apart anyway....

 

Who sells new ones and ships to Europe?

Edit: Does anyone has a picture of a "Rebuilt" pumpkin so that we can see how thing are ment to look like?

 

NOT TO THROW A BONE HERE, BUT EVEN IF YOU HAVE C-CLIPS, THIS WOULD NOT STOP INWARD FORCES. C-CLIPS ONLY KEEP THE AXLE "IN" THE HOUSING. AND IM NOT TO SURE THE STUB SHAFT WAS DESIGNED TO HOLD UP THE REAR, OR THE CAMBER FOR THAT MATTER. I THINK SOMEONE ( I REFUSE TO SAY BUBBA, AS BUBBA IS MORE LIKELY TO DO IT RIGHT THAN SUBURBAN KNOW IT ALL THAT SCREWED IT UP TO BEGIN WITH ), CUT THE ENDS OFF ON PURPOSE. HE DID SAY THERE WAS NO DEBRIS, RIGHT?! AND ITS NOT LIKELY ON A VETTE, SOMEONE REMOVED THE SPRING AND EVERYTHING ELSE JUST TO CHANGE GEAR OIL AND REMOVE DEBRIS. THOSE AXLE SHAFTS WERE CUT.

 

Correct - there was no debris, that's why I mentioned the 'bubba fix' earlier..... someone may have cut the yokes to make them fit... who knows why and what yokes these are... I'll fix it just because it's not right the way it is now....

Anyway, I know the previous owner and I know he never did anything to the differential during the past five years... he did not know about the yokes and he drove the car pretty hard.... I don't drive it slow all the time either....

I like the idea of the 6-link setup.... need more info....

 

Here's a brand new one:

 

Here's a pic of the guts, it's a later diff that uses locking tangs and not springs for the clutch pack but the stub setup is similar:

Here's it without stubs:


and with (no c-clip installed yet but groove is visible)

 

Redc3 - If you look at TT's pictures, you'll see that the spider gear shaft is what limits the inward movement of the yokes, and the c-clips are what limits outward movement. There's been plenty of discussion around here that the total movement should be limited to .050 inches total. That's because the halfshaft assembly IS a part of the suspension setup.

Steve

 

Unfortunately I cannot see TT's photos, I only see the red x

I think I'll just install two upper strut rods to keep the camber correct, I found some very good info when I did a search today.

Thanks everybody for the input.

 

Just to throw in my $0.02...

The face of the stubs you show look like they were machined off, and not worn. It does not look like a wear pattern or a fracture plane. The hole in the center also does not look as deep as the one in the picture that zwede shows.

I can't wait to see what mine look like.

 

Rexx78: They will appear machined but it is all wear. The yokes rotate in relation to the center pin anytime you turn and after many years you end up with yokes like the ones in the original post.

 

The wear is such that they look laser cut. Wish I'd saved my worn ones. I could sell them for big bucks to one of these 6-link fans.

 

After i had read this thread i went down into my garage and since i was pretty bored at the moment so i tore the pumpkin down and placed it on my workbench and opend her up.
What i saw was that the yokes were moving about,but not much,so i took one yoke out and noticed that the yoke was shimmed? Normal procedure? There was some scoring and "mushrooming" at the end but nothing severe
I measured the yoke from the "top" to the lock and it was 4.45mm(what that gives in Inches i dont know ) and i will try to have it measured at a machineshop tomorrow..
Hate this forum,you guys always find things for me to do

 

They should not be shimmed, chances are someone(how do you say Bubba in Swedish!) was in there. BTW I work with a guy from Sweden that used to buy vetes in TX and ship them back for resale, he said it was a nice business then. Do you have a few in your area?
Gary

 

As i`ve understood things,Sweden has the most vette per capita in the world,so yes,there a many of them in theory but you dont see them as often as you think. C4/C5 are the most common ones . Lots off Volvos and Saabs though

 

I thought of this last night as I was trying to sleep. I felt really dumb...