HELP!!!! Dropbox rearend

Tom Y · July 25, 2009, 07:23:28 AM

I went for another work out the bugs ride last nite. To Walmart in Erie, spent the nite at Walmart in Jamestown. I wanted to run highway seeds, on the way out my wife was in the back and says the rear end is loud. So on the way back I get her behind the wheel so I could listen. Yes it sounds loud to me also. Questions with a dropbox should it be louder then a normal rear end? Seems to come from there, but not sure of driveshaft noise( 2 new ujoints). The drive shaft is 5C only, keyed to go together one way only and not timed as normal. I drained the rear and found a little bit of metal flakes, less than quarter of a pencil eraser. With the straight gears in the drop box are they more noisy? Plan to pull the drive shaft now and axles to get a feel. Thanks for any help. Tom Y

luvrbus · July 25, 2009, 07:35:12 AM

Tom, the dropbox setup is not any louder than regular setup the only thing that will make one louder is the setup on the bearing and backlash on the gears or someone left the washer out behind the yoke on the input shaft on the dropbox. good luck

Tom Y · July 25, 2009, 02:49:59 PM

Update, I have the dropbox off and apart. The only problem so far is a loose nut on the idler gear shaft. The pinion gear shaft seem snug and no movement with an indicater. I have not removed th input shaft but it seems tight, I will pull and check for a washer. Any other ideas? Thanks Tom Y

luvrbus · July 25, 2009, 03:35:01 PM

Tom, check the 3 bearing caps the idler and input making sure you have no rubbing if you do shim the bearing cone out.
If you don't have a manual the end play I use is 0.002 for the idler and input shaft ( before installing the yoke and washer) that works best for me also check and make sure no one has replaced the shims on the back of the input shaft with a gasket I see this some times. good luck

johns4104s · July 25, 2009, 07:23:01 PM

Luvrbus,

Is that the expensive washer we all discussed at the fabulous Rally?

John

luvrbus · July 25, 2009, 07:30:02 PM

Yep John 55 bucks for that washer. When are you and Tammi going to Phoenix btw

JohnEd · July 25, 2009, 08:10:28 PM

I ain't arguing with nobody in this conversation.....you understand that....right? That being said: straight cut gears are noisy all by themselves....right? May not be the problem, but they do howl as a rule.

Metal shavings in the differential? Can that be a normal and tolerable situation? That is my honest question, now. That might not be this problem but isn't a problem down the road? So to speak.

If the wheels were up and the chassis blocked, could you determin if the noise was coming from the diff or drop? Applying just a little brake while clutch is engaged and the engine is turning might duplicate the conditions where the noise is generated. Not cool?

JTTH,

John

luvrbus · July 25, 2009, 08:25:04 PM

JohnEd, the drop boxes use a straight cut fine tooth gears running on a 40 degree angle and are not noisy when setup right fwiw

good luck

Tom Y · July 26, 2009, 03:30:32 AM

Thanks for the ideas guys. I put a stethoscope on it while turning by hand and the idler sounded loud. That the nut that was loose. Everthing else is tight. The metal filings are more like tiny flake and not many at that, so I am not worried there. I pulled the carrier last nite and it looks real good, and tight. I am going to check gear contact now and put it back together. Hopefully for a test drive today. Thanks and any other ideas let me know. Tom Y

johns4104s · July 26, 2009, 04:26:24 AM

Luvrbus,

As soon as we get the wheels back on we are heading to Phoenix. We will be there a month. Hopfully we can leave out today. After being stopped over night and then starting up,I have a funny sound from around the front air tanks, it sounds like rattling goes away when we are fully aired up??

John