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Bad Rear End? 200 1984

My '84 245 has rather suddenly developed a nasty vibration in the rear end. It starts at about 25 mph and gets worse as vehicle speed increases. At low speeds (say under 40 mph), if I depress the clutch so that the car is coasting, the vibration is not as severe as it is when power is applied. However, at highway speeds the vibration is constant. The entire rear of the car feels like it is going to shake itself apart.

Bad rear ujoint or am I looking at a potential rear end rebuild? How to tell? If the rear is bad, is it better to have a shop rebuild it or just swap out the entire axle for a boneyard axle?

The car has 400,000 miles on it and I know the rear has never been touched aside from draining/replacing the fluid. I have had the car since '90 and have changed the fluid every other year.

Tried swapping tires front to back. No change.

Thanks,
Chuck








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    Bad Rear End? 200 1984

    The differentials on 240s are extremely robust and not prone to failure unless they have been leaking or otherwise abused for a long time. I'd bet on the rear U joint. You can disassemble and Install a new one on the bench using the “Thor" method. Google it--it isn't complicated and requires minimal tools. Be sure to marker otherwise index the driveshaft before removal to ensure proper rotational balance.








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    Thank You 200 1984

    Thanks for the responses, guys.

    Can I pull the driveshaft and press in new u-joints on the bench? I guess that I should replace the center carrier bearing too.








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      Thank You 200 1984

      A vice is plenty to replace a u-joint. Be sure to use a socket to back up the ears on the yoke.

      I would not replace the center bearing unless it feels rough. As long as you have the back half of the driveshaft out of the way, use a grease needle to squirt a little grease past the seal.

      If the 2nd cap won't go in far enough to fit the clip, take it apart and line up the rollers again. A gob of grease in each cap will help hold the rollers in place as you press it together. I like to start both caps and slide the cross back and forth to keep the rollers lined up.

      It is not difficult. After a few tries you will figure it out.

      Greg








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      Thank You 200 1984

      Sure sounds like the rear universal to me, way over here on the other side of the internet. If the presswork sounds daunting to you, ask at your local auto parts store who might do this, if you bring the driveshaft to them. Does not hurt to ask.
      --
      Art Benstein near Baltimore

      Engineering says: "Test results were extremely gratifying"
      Engineers mean: It works, and are we surprised!








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    Bad Rear End? 200 1984

    Hi,

    On the basics involved I agree with the other posters that it is not the rear end itself.
    There is nothing inside the rear end housing that can go out of balance that much and it still work. Bad bearings can create a roar. Nothing "weight wise" could shift out of rotational trajectory and the rear end still be working.

    Take a balancing weight that comes off a tire isn't enough with to be noticed on the rear end of the car in lots of cases. The rear end is heavy when compared to components of a front suspension.
    It does not compute that the ring gear, it being the largest diameter member in the housing, could be off in ounces to do what a tire can do given its larger diameter.

    Going with the driveshaft is the best bet because it is rotation is faster than any component in the differential except the input gear that is very small.
    The bearing on it usually has an issue first.
    The drive shaft is rotating from two or more planes of direction and the bearings in the joints are taking the brunt of the forces to keep it from whipping around each other forces.

    Imagine taking a heavy link chain and swinging it round and around between two people. The center will bulge outward as each link adjusts to where they are standing and the ends will move closer together.
    Now, try to hold the two end links in your hands, pointed directional together, timed or in the same phase.
    Like your wrists and hands they will feel the torque because the cars load will not moving instantly proportionally. A drive shaft is stiff and rotational torque is going to get supplied. Those bearings in the U-joints or like your knuckles in your fingers.
    It's amazing they last as long as the do.

    It helps that they rotate or pivot better than knuckles do.
    If it wasn't for Computer Numerical Controlled Grinding machines you would not see front wheel drive cars, on the road in their great numbers without the CV- "steering" Joints lasting as long as they do. CNC made them affordable as they are very complex part when compared to a four point Universal -Joint.

    I have never owned one of those bears and hope I never do. I like my turning radius.
    I sure have heard them popping and crackling between 80k to 150k depending chiefly on teenagers and horsepower.


    Now if the rear end, is not held firmly in its mounting bushings, that could be another story all together. Give them a good look over all for support strength.

    Phil








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    Bad Rear End? 200 1984

    sounds like driveshaft/u joint problems, to me








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      Bad Rear End? 200 1984

      trichard wrote "sounds like driveshaft/u joint problems, to me" --- me too. Visually -- look for rust at one of the joints and look at the center support bushing. Physically -- drop the shaft and check each joint for full motion (start with the rear).
      However--if it is the differential it would be most cost effective to swap in a used replacement. -- Dave







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