I originally posted this in the 4th Generation forum, but no luck as of yet.
Tuesday:
Just bought it today with 92k miles. Driving home (1400 miles), about half way into the trip I am noticing a rumble coming from the rear end somewhere.
At first I thought it was just tire noise, but at low speeds it seems to be way too loud to be just tires. It kind of "disappears" at high speeds but it may just be hidden by the louder road noise.
Wednesday:
I took it to two mechanics today, they both suggested replacing the rear diff. / carrier assembly / pinion gear / ring and pinion / etc., etc (second mechanic took a stethoscope and pinpointed the carrier assembly, although I'm not sure that the problem isn't in the housing into which the axles are affixed (i.e., the housing that the back side of the carrier assembly mounts to).
I have never worked on a rear diff. before so i'm not too sure about this stuff.
It looks like someone has already put a used carrier assembly on the vehicle, and it is this used part that contains some bad internal components (the cone-shaped housing directly behind the universal joint has white writing on it).
Should I try to replace internal parts, or just get the whole assembly?
Thinking I should get new part(s) since the last used part didn't hold up. Any recommendations (OEM or aftermarket)?
What are the chances that it's something outside of the carrier assembly? I'd hate to spend 1500 bucks and still have the same problem.
Also I have a warranty that kicks in, in about a week or so. Only problem is that they don't pay diagnostic fees, and only cover the internal components such as gears and seals. Based on my reading in this forum, taking apart all of those gears to diagnose the true problem could get complicated and therefore expensive.
Tuesday:
Just bought it today with 92k miles. Driving home (1400 miles), about half way into the trip I am noticing a rumble coming from the rear end somewhere.
At first I thought it was just tire noise, but at low speeds it seems to be way too loud to be just tires. It kind of "disappears" at high speeds but it may just be hidden by the louder road noise.
Wednesday:
I took it to two mechanics today, they both suggested replacing the rear diff. / carrier assembly / pinion gear / ring and pinion / etc., etc (second mechanic took a stethoscope and pinpointed the carrier assembly, although I'm not sure that the problem isn't in the housing into which the axles are affixed (i.e., the housing that the back side of the carrier assembly mounts to).
I have never worked on a rear diff. before so i'm not too sure about this stuff.
It looks like someone has already put a used carrier assembly on the vehicle, and it is this used part that contains some bad internal components (the cone-shaped housing directly behind the universal joint has white writing on it).
Should I try to replace internal parts, or just get the whole assembly?
Thinking I should get new part(s) since the last used part didn't hold up. Any recommendations (OEM or aftermarket)?
What are the chances that it's something outside of the carrier assembly? I'd hate to spend 1500 bucks and still have the same problem.
Also I have a warranty that kicks in, in about a week or so. Only problem is that they don't pay diagnostic fees, and only cover the internal components such as gears and seals. Based on my reading in this forum, taking apart all of those gears to diagnose the true problem could get complicated and therefore expensive.
