Well...Time for a rebuild.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,065
Likes: 1
From: Jasper Texas
Well...Time for a rebuild.
http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/j...100_0765-1.flv
Yep, the dana 36 is as good as gone. I noticed a very slight growl at highway speeds 4 months ago. Now, two weeks after I gave it some traction, it sounds like its in a billion pieces back there when decelerating.
About how much am I looking at for a rebuild? Labor won't be bad for me, but what about the cost of parts? Where can I find 'em?
I need to upgrade to a 44, but I really can't afford it (unless someone wants to help me...
). Any strength upgrades I can do to the 36?
Thanks guys!
Yep, the dana 36 is as good as gone. I noticed a very slight growl at highway speeds 4 months ago. Now, two weeks after I gave it some traction, it sounds like its in a billion pieces back there when decelerating.
About how much am I looking at for a rebuild? Labor won't be bad for me, but what about the cost of parts? Where can I find 'em?
I need to upgrade to a 44, but I really can't afford it (unless someone wants to help me...
). Any strength upgrades I can do to the 36?Thanks guys!
Last edited by cwyates4; Aug 6, 2008 at 08:30 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,065
Likes: 1
From: Jasper Texas
Ouch, too replace the lsd and gears with new ones would be ~$1200 just for parts. 
A forum member here has a 44 for sale for $1500, with everything needed to do the swap, maybe I ought to get ahold of him.
A forum member here has a 44 for sale for $1500, with everything needed to do the swap, maybe I ought to get ahold of him.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,065
Likes: 1
From: Jasper Texas
I was kinda hopin' somebody would suggest the rear end isn't bad, and point me somewhere else. I don't think anything else sounds like hundreds of pieces of metal bangin' around under the car and towards the back on decel.
Any ideas of what could have failed back there? I still have power to both wheels, if that means anything.
Oh, will a dana 44 setup from an '88 swap right over into an '85. Suspension and all of course. Would my 11" rims with 36mm offset still work?
Any ideas of what could have failed back there? I still have power to both wheels, if that means anything.
Oh, will a dana 44 setup from an '88 swap right over into an '85. Suspension and all of course. Would my 11" rims with 36mm offset still work?
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,383
Likes: 4
What does it feel like on deceleration? Exactly what fluid combo is in the diff right now?
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,065
Likes: 1
From: Jasper Texas
Couldn't tell ya' anything about the fluid situation. It doesn't feel like anything really, just sounds horrific, really bad between 12-30 mph, but the sound goes away with any throttle. At higher speeds, it makes a sound, but its very fast paced, then it get to the rocks in a washin' machine sound at lower speeds.
A wheel bearing...elaborate.
A wheel bearing...elaborate.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 292
Likes: 0
Yep, the dana 36 is as good as gone. I noticed a very slight growl at highway speeds 4 months ago. Now, two weeks after I gave it some traction, it sounds like its in a billion pieces back there when decelerating.
About how much am I looking at for a rebuild? Labor won't be bad for me, but what about the cost of parts? Where can I find 'em?
I need to upgrade to a 44, but I really can't afford it (unless someone wants to help me... ). Any strength upgrades I can do to the 36?
Thanks guys!
About how much am I looking at for a rebuild? Labor won't be bad for me, but what about the cost of parts? Where can I find 'em?
I need to upgrade to a 44, but I really can't afford it (unless someone wants to help me...
). Any strength upgrades I can do to the 36?Thanks guys!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,065
Likes: 1
From: Jasper Texas
I really hope its just a wheel bearing, or u joint, or somethin' small.
But then I won't have an excuse to get the 44. The d36 that's in there has held the new engine for 2 1/2 years and seen alot of track time, so I'm planning for the worst.
But then I won't have an excuse to get the 44. The d36 that's in there has held the new engine for 2 1/2 years and seen alot of track time, so I'm planning for the worst.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,383
Likes: 4
The u-joint does seem more plausable since any wear over 100k miles is borrowed time. There is also a washer that sits between the wheel bearing and the spindle that makes a horrible noise when it goes. Some replace it and grease it while others have success with grease alone. GM p/n 14076924 less than $5 each.
Since you don't know what is in the diff fluid wise, it can't hurt to change the fluid. Without starting the religious discussion of oil I will tell you that I use mobile 1 75w-90 and two bottles of GM LSD additive. But now I have learned that blindly adding LSD additive by rote may not be the best procedure.
Since you don't know what is in the diff fluid wise, it can't hurt to change the fluid. Without starting the religious discussion of oil I will tell you that I use mobile 1 75w-90 and two bottles of GM LSD additive. But now I have learned that blindly adding LSD additive by rote may not be the best procedure.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,065
Likes: 1
From: Jasper Texas
Put a vid at the top of the page. Noise is about 2x as loud when actually in the car.
What you guys think?
My mechanic has a 4 post lift, so I'll probably just have him put it up there and listen to it. I'll try to wiggle the wheels first though!
What you guys think?
My mechanic has a 4 post lift, so I'll probably just have him put it up there and listen to it. I'll try to wiggle the wheels first though!
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,383
Likes: 4
ok you're not going to like me anymore if you ever did in the first place. The first 3/4 of the video sounds did sound like u-joints but toward the end when you slow for that stop sign it sounded like the LSD clutches not releasing.
If you were to take a pristine new Dana36 LSD and put straight oil in it then it would make the exact same noise on decel as what I think yours does.
The clutchs are not too unlike those on a motorcycle with a wet clutch. They will engage just fine on oil and you can drive across the country with no problems but on deceleration the clutch needs to release and that is where the LSD additive comes in. It is a friction modifier. If one has too little additive then the clutch won't release smoothly. If one has too much additive then the clutch won't engage properly.
Bottom line:
Raise the rear (both sides) with the car in neutral e-brake off. Spin the wheels with your hands and look for slop or noise that means dead u-joint(s). Lots of rust on the bearing caps is also a bad sign too.
Change the diff fluid and see if that makes a difference.
I'm out of bullets. Good luck and I hope my posts help a little.
If you were to take a pristine new Dana36 LSD and put straight oil in it then it would make the exact same noise on decel as what I think yours does.
The clutchs are not too unlike those on a motorcycle with a wet clutch. They will engage just fine on oil and you can drive across the country with no problems but on deceleration the clutch needs to release and that is where the LSD additive comes in. It is a friction modifier. If one has too little additive then the clutch won't release smoothly. If one has too much additive then the clutch won't engage properly.
Bottom line:
Raise the rear (both sides) with the car in neutral e-brake off. Spin the wheels with your hands and look for slop or noise that means dead u-joint(s). Lots of rust on the bearing caps is also a bad sign too.
Change the diff fluid and see if that makes a difference.
I'm out of bullets. Good luck and I hope my posts help a little.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,065
Likes: 1
From: Jasper Texas
I hate you now!
J/k
When I was slowing down for the stop sign, the road was really bumpy and my top was rattlin'.
Either way, I guess the car will be checked out on a lift first. If I can't find the problem outside the diff. housing, I'll change the fluid and see if that makes a difference.
J/k
When I was slowing down for the stop sign, the road was really bumpy and my top was rattlin'.
Either way, I guess the car will be checked out on a lift first. If I can't find the problem outside the diff. housing, I'll change the fluid and see if that makes a difference.