So we've been a little slow

[Curless]

The shop has been a little slow recently...o.k. really slow. working on a new hoist instal and a couple of long term projects. A buddy walks in that I have not seen for a while and says "my grandpa ride needs some help, its making an awful noise in the rear"...what does he drive? 03 GM and guess what...the right rear axle is gone...weird huh? Oh well, its good to get some practice for taking my MM apart tonight!

[DOOM]

God damn!!!

[martyo]

"Gone" as in "not there"?

[Curless]

"Gone" as in "not there"?


LOL! NO, its just ground down to about nothing! You could move the tire and rim up and down over a 1/4 on the hoist!

[Curless]

For those of you who don't know, that 1/2 inch wide groove is NOT supposed to be there. This is what happens when your axle fail and leaks fluid all over your wheels.

[SC Cheesehead]

"Gone" as in "not there"?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dtCwKFvz1zM/T1WTyzAPlcI/AAAAAAAACFE/1k53LvGKa7k/s640/3E.jpg


:dunno:

[SC Cheesehead]

LOL! NO, its just ground down to about nothing! You could move the tire and rim up and down over a 1/4 on the hoist!


For those of you who don't know, that 1/2 inch wide groove is NOT supposed to be there. This is what happens when your axle fail and leaks fluid all over your wheels.

Ummmm, looks all too familiar to me. :(

How long did it take you to clean out all the shavings from the axle tubes and diff housing, Chris?

[yjmud]

looks similar to the one I had to do on the side of the road on my way back from Fla

[Curless]

Working on it right now...

[DWSTANG67]

LOL! NO, its just ground down to about nothing! You could move the tire and rim up and down over a 1/4 on the hoist!


Thats what mine looked like when it blew on the way home from carlise

Had the fluid all over the wheel and made a marble grumbling noise.

Of course it turned into a good excuse to put the 4:10 in

[blazen71]

Very common problem in 03'

[SC Cheesehead]

Very common problem in 03'


Yup, and not just confined to the early builds either, I've got one of the last '03s to come off the line and I had the DS axle fail on me last spring.

[Curless]

This was a 6 / 03 build date GM...interesting, it has traction control. I had to check and see if the pedals move...they do...damn it!

[Marauderjack]

My '04 right axle was bad and growling at around 170K but not that bad!!:shake:

I guess the soft stuff spilled over to the early '04 builds......picked mine up "next week" back in 2003......regardless, it's the greatest car I've ever owned!!:beer:

[SC Cheesehead]

My '04 right axle was bad and growling at around 170K but not that bad!!:shake:

I guess the soft stuff spilled over to the early '04 builds......picked mine up "next week" back in 2003......regardless, it's the greatest car I've ever owned!!:beer:

Agreed! Not going to let a little thing like a soft axle change my thoughts on the car, just wish Ida caught it sooner.

[Ladyhawke]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dtCwKFvz1zM/T1WTyzAPlcI/AAAAAAAACFE/1k53LvGKa7k/s640/3E.jpg


:dunno:

It even has the manually applied brake option.

[gdmjoe]

Get the kit (which contains EVERYTHING) and replace both sides .....

http://www.gdmjoe.com/gothvic/documents/tsbdefectiverearaxles.jpg

[8UWITH6]

Customer at my shop has an 04 DTR with 235K miles. We did the right rear axle shaft bearing/seal at 170K. He was back at 190K with the same noise. The axle shaft looked like the pictures posted here. We did a repair bearing and sleeve and shipped it. 190K he came back again. I ordered a new axle, and paid my tech hours to pull both shafts, and completely clean out the axle tubes. It has been fine ever since..............

[ajdereicup]

Jeez thats bad. Just wondering a yellow mark on the rear end means its been dealt with already right? Just like how they marked the valve covers if the timing chain problem was fixed? *fingers crossed*

[lifespeed]

This axle configuration will always wear out. It has been done this way since the beginning of time. Just budget to replace them every 100K or so miles.

The design simply doesn't support a longer lifespan.

[Haggis]

Thanks Joe.