oh yes... I always listen to my vehicles. I'd actually be afraid to own a car that I can't hear the road noise and engine note in.

well... hear it in between songs as my stereo is usually louder than both.

ok... the bearing races for the carriage housing are also being difficult and may be welded inside the housing. BAH! Hopefully when the master builder (transmission shop) gets back, he can get the housing out so they can asses what's really up in that housing.

bah... the original tech was being a dooface... The master came in and got it out straight away. I do need bearings all around... the passenger side wheel bearing gouged the axle pretty good (spacer bearing going in there). so what started out as a possible <$100 job, has gone to a complete rear axle rebuild. BAH!

I'm just thankful I've got the funds to handle this.

actually it was the pinion bearing AND the right side wheel bearing... AND the carriage bearings. so we just rebuilt the entire rear axle. New bearings and seals all around. Finally got it back today and it's shifting much smoother now too so I bet it's had these issues since January and is just now being really noisy about it. I usually listen to my tunes pretty loud (going deaf slowly by choice) and only listen to the car between songs. At least I won't have to worry about that axle for 12 months or 12K miles. :D

Good deal! I was thinking before I got this far in the thread that you may be better off just doing all the bearings if you're gonna have it apart for a pinion bearing.. All those little metal pieces from the failed bearing usually make their way to the rest of them via the oil..

So did you have some 3.72 gears and a trak lok thrown in there while you were at it??

heh... no... didn't have the extra money to really throw at it. though I have found a powertrax kit that will turn any ford 8.8 into a locker. Have it on a wish list and may do that myself (it really is that easy, no ring and pinion resetting) once I get a house and some spare change set aside for it. Would have been the perfect time to do it too, but yeah... didn't have the extra $600 (parts [~500] plus labor [~100] from the shop) to get it done.

I know all too well how that goes.. Even worse when you have far too many toys, then buy a house... Well inherit a house, but the house is in worse shape than some of the cars I've bought...


The powertrax units are great!! Versus the labor involed to intstall a traction lok this cost is about the same, and the powertrax is much stronger.. A friend of mine has one in his '68 Mustang.. It was one of the earlier models I believe (probably from 10 years ago or so).. It's not quite as smooth as a track loc, but it still works quite nice.. The newer ones are supposed to be much more civilized.. And in a larger car I would imagine you'd be hard pressed to notice... I toyed with the idea of putting on in my '78 Mustang as a traction lok for an 8" rear is scarce.. I finally managed to get an 8.8" rear in there though, so the trac lok will do till I break somthing....