This noise has been on the car for the last 2 years and progressively gets worse and now it's to the point where everytime i turn left or right it makes this horrible groaning/moaning noise (kinda like a door opening and closing with a worn out hinge lol). It's to the point where it sounds dangerous maybe and also embarassing (although the dangerous is more of a concern obviously).

Here's a video of my gf driving the car while I film. She is turning to the left but it also does this sound when turning to the right:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdzXuoMSVWg

It is a 1986 GM 10bolt rear with a fairly new Eaton Posi with GM 3.73 gears (well about 3000 miles on them since 2008 with maybe 7-8 runs on the drag strip with street tires).. The shop changed the fluid yesterday with the proper additive and it still makes this noise. Everything was done professionally, including the install of the gears/posi in 2008. It has the stock 25 year old 26 spline axles.. Have not changed them yet.. Also has stock drum brake system (5000 miles on new drum brake parts including aluminum lightweight drums...)

My thoughts are axles/bearing/seals.. OR, hand brake or some other brake problem such as brakes sticking but only making that sound when the car turns? Oh, and I can only hear it when the car turns at low speeds such as in the video..

Any suggestions/help is greatly appreciated.. Thanks !

 

sounds like a poly bushing without lube to me, or a bushing of somekind

 

hmm.. ive changed the LCA and PHB to spohn's poly/delsphere combo parts. They are new as of last summer but this noise was there even before i had these installed. the springs and shocks are also fairly new. could it be the upper PHB? does that have a bushing?
also, i thought poly squeeked, this sounds more like a groan..

 

Sounds like it needs another bottle of additive. The GM kind, not the parts store kind.

Try that first... cheeeeeeepm, eeeeeeeezie, and at least won't hurt anything even if it doesn't help.

 

hey sofakingdom,

i just changed the fluid to a heavier fluid with the gm additive. the gears/posi have only 3000 miles on them. i'll try adding even more additive but i think the problem might be elsewhere.. could it be the axles or bearings? would that make this noise?

 

honestly it was hard to hear anthing in that video, but it doesn't sound like a bearing to me.

Sofa may be right though

 

Axles and bearings are rotating whether the car is going in a straight line or not.

Therefore, not axles or bearings.

The ONLY thing that changes when going around a corner compared to going straight, is what's going on inside the carrier.

Therefore concentrate your efforts there.

See my signature for some helpful mental shorthand.

 

hmm.. what about c-clips? I'll add the posi additive again and see but im trying to rule out other potential problems..

 

i think the axles would fall out if that was the problem, but if you ahve time to burn. take off teh wheels, and the brakes, and see if you can pull the axle out.

 

I just thought of something.. I have the aluminum drums in the rear, wasn't there some weird thing with aluminum drums and spacers? I'll try taking off the brakes and see what's going on in there.

 

There's info in the 10-Bolt FAQ about spacers; however, having them or not shouldn't be an issue. Is there a chance you're missing the spring isolators?

JamesC

 

I installed the MOOG replacement springs with the 4th gen spring isolators.

For the video: Check time signatures:

17 seconds to 21 seconds
and
34 seconds to 38 seconds

Sorry that it's so hard to hear over the exhaust, but if you turn your speakers up loud enough you should be able to hear the "rickety" sound I'm talking about.

 

Fixed this problem.. The very incompetent mechanics told me last time they had changed the fluid in the rear end and added more posi additive, but what I found out what that they didn't do that, they just added more posi additive but didn't drain the fluid! Pissed me off.. So when they changed the whole fluid (the carrier and gears were new and needed to be changed) and added the proper amount of additive (as recommended by GM) the noise is completely gone! Lesson learned.. Do things yourself

 

JamesC