Well few nights ago I was driving around. I got ahold of second pretty good and got a loud bang. My first thought was ujoint. Car wouldn't drive at all but I could hear some squeaks and something rotating. Get car towed home jack it up and put it in gear and let clutch out and look underneath. The driveshaft is turning but obviously wheels aren't. So that rules out input or output shaft in tranny and everything is still firmlY attached . Soo my guess is something is busted in the diff. Kind of pissed. Think I'm going to fix and sell the car! Anyone have a good used diff assembly around? If so om me. My car also has 3.55's
Broke rear diff I think
- Thread starter heliguy25
- Start date
whitebluevipe
Enthusiast
i had the same problem. luckily i had a spare diff.
what did you break in the diff. I'm gonna pull it out and open it up . Can't decide whether to do that or just buy a replacement
Timnineside
Enthusiast
GL on your repair. No idea how you could drive a lotus more then a Viper. After having my Elise and it having zero HP or Torq I was dying to get back into a Viper.
Some diff installers don't upgrade the ring gear bolts to 7/16", they leave them at 3/8". I sheared the bolts on my 3.33 ring gear when it had the 3/8" bolts. It had the same symptoms, virtually no noise, the diff input shaft rotated and wheels did not turn. The replacement gears had the upgraded bolts and it performed flawlessly.
Just a different and raw drive. I definitely enjoy the viper just annoyed is all.
yah I hears light clunk and a whine. No metal on metal grinding. Ill yank the diff out in a few days.
klamathpro
Viper Owner
I'm annoyed that you are annoyed.
JAY
Enthusiast
Jack B makes a good point. Easy fix. 
stemal
Viper Owner
Good one klamathpro!!!
CEJ
Enthusiast
Heliguy, sorry to hear about the breakage. What year is your Viper?
Bugman Jeff
Enthusiast
How common is it to shear the ring rear bolts? This is the first I've heard of it, but I'm still pretty new to the Viper scene.
99 R/T 10
Enthusiast
Not that common. Most break the pinion or short shafts out of the housing. I've done both. I can be ******* the car.....
I have a spare diff with stock 3.07s if you're interested.
whitebluevipe
Enthusiast
bolts came loose and ruined housing
well if that was the case wouldn't the car try to move?Or atlesst spin at the output shafts of the diff? Driveshaft spins and transfers nothing to the wheels
No. The car will not move. I believe there are clutches inside the differential which, after a half shaft break, prevent the power from being transmitted normally. If it broke where I am suggesting it may have broken, it will look normal from underneath the car.
Paul Hawker
Enthusiast
Gotta take a look...then you'll know.
Sometimes the spider gears let go.
Sometimes axle hop can make a mess of things inside.
Good time to upgrade.
Sometimes the spider gears let go.
Sometimes axle hop can make a mess of things inside.
Good time to upgrade.
ill probably just buy a comparable replacement. Just didnt figure a bolt on car would eat a diff so easily.
Fatboy 18
Enthusiast
While you have the rear diff out its a good time to install a oil drain plug.
Biggest pain getting the diff out was the removal of the rear exhaust system
Make sure you buy some new straps for the half shafts and Prop shaft, also a good time to check your UJs I replaced the lot and fitted new Unitrax half shafts too.
Biggest pain getting the diff out was the removal of the rear exhaust system
Make sure you buy some new straps for the half shafts and Prop shaft, also a good time to check your UJs I replaced the lot and fitted new Unitrax half shafts too.
it looks fairly easy IMO. My driveshaft has been redone previously. Will order new straps and bolts I imagine.While you have the rear diff out its a good time to install a oil drain plug.
Biggest pain getting the diff out was the removal of the rear exhaust system
Make sure you buy some new straps for the half shafts and Prop shaft, also a good time to check your UJs I replaced the lot and fitted new Unitrax half shafts too.
Fatboy 18
Enthusiast
Some pics here of the diff mod for the drain plug
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90582394@N02/sets/72157633082749690/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90582394@N02/sets/72157633082749690/
So I started to pull diff today. I was trying to rotate the driveshaft by hand but couldn't. Then put a wrench one one of the nuts, still couldn't. Started it once again and put in gear and slowly let clutch out. Rotated but clunk clunk . Kind of confusing unless its a half shaft like some one suggested. I have arrizona driveshaft stickers on both half shafts and drive shaft so apparent,y they've been out before.any suggestions
klamathpro
Viper Owner
Just FYI to all: I found nearly every bolt that holds the diff on my GTS to be under torqued by as much as 50ft/lbs. I had to retorque everything last fall because I heard a clunk when letting off. After retorquing, the clunk disappeared. I could see this causing Diff failures.
thanks ill check when I reassemble. I've got one shaft out No damage. I can sit with the car in air and rotate tires in two different directions. With car in gear I can't rotate driveshaft though
klamathpro
Viper Owner
You should not be able to rotate the driveshaft with the car in gear, at least not by hand. Your halfshafts should rotate in opposite directions. But it may take more torque to spin your broken diff freely than by hand. With the trans in nuetral I was able to rotate the driveshaft by hand and spin both tires in the same direction on a working diff, but not while in gear.
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