not my brakes.... my differential!!
 

Holy **** my car is decaying rapidly!! WTF! First the brakes, NOW THIS!!

EVERY time I move forward suddenly or downshift, a clanging noise eminates from the driveshaft carrier housing. Back when my car was automatic, it would only clang (not as loudly) from P-R or R-D or any combo that would change driveshaft rotation. Now it does it at least 5-6 times a minute... WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!!!

I jacked up the car by the differential to see wtf was wrong with it and played around with the wheels, jerking them back and fourth... nothing... then I lifted up the front to check the brakes (the right front don't release completely... go figure) and CLANG!! there goes the differential, snapping again. **** the car wasn't even moving...

I'm so afraid to take a wrench to the carrier housing... all those rusty bolts...

Bro you better find a yard with a few Ponys in them and start pulling parts; the differential is easy to work with, but sourcing the parts may be a problem. Good luck, let us know what you find.

Here's somthing for those rusty bolts(least I havent forgotten EVERYTHING)Get a big can of WD-40 and find a shop with a tool-rental program for home mechanics. What you're looking for is an impact driver what willlet you swap the head of it for the #size box that you'll need to pull the case apart. Also get a medium-sized hammer.

-Spray on and around the bolts and leave for 5 min.
-Change the impact driver's head to a HEXAGONAL box, not the mulitpoint. You already know what the multipoint does to seized bolts.
-Tap on the bolts to loosen them up with a small hammer, taking care not to deform the head.
-Use the impact driver with the hex-box on the bolts.

You may have to repeat the process several times for a safe break-free. After break-free take a tap and die and chase the threads so you get accurate tightening torque back, also chase the threads on the bolts.

Again, good luck.
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[ September 25, 2002, 10:13 PM: Message edited by: MechaniX_034 ]