Noisy Diff

[tvr5000]

Cars been stood for a long time and took it to the garage the other day to drop gearbox oil. Mentioned the diff was making a noise, and oil was topped up and all seemed great in the first 500 meters under steady acceleration. but then it started making quite a lot more noise when i let off the throttle. Steady acceleration and it was fine. It feels as though the drive shafts are catching the body. Its as if they are loose and not lining up with diff. Its definately ready for the bushes to be replaced as 2 years ago they were worn, but is there a point that they get so bad the Diff actually moves away from the shafts so theres not a tight connection.
Dont know much about the running gear so any help would be appreciated. if it is the bushes, what can i expect to pay someone to do it for me. I know its a pain in the arse, hense, someone else can do it.
cheers
Mick

[spend]

Check the diff oil first.... Its all too easy to get thick oil running back down the filler pipe and to believe its full when it isn't always double check you have filled it fully

The diff bearings will destruct within minutes if the oil is low, and its a sickening sound...

Dave

[tvr5000]

spend said:

Check the diff oil first.... Its all too easy to get thick oil running back down the filler pipe and to believe its full when it isn't always double check you have filled it fully

The diff bearings will destruct within minutes if the oil is low, and its a sickening sound...

Dave

Thanks Dave, but the Diff oils fine, hardly needed any to top up.

[GreenV8S]

First thing to check is that the diff is mounted securely i.e. bushes all intact and bolts tight. While you're there look carefully around the diff for any witness marks from contact between the diff/prop/half shafts and the rest of the car.

If that all looks OK the next suspect would be an internal problem within the diff. For it to occur so suddenly would suggest something breaking / collapsing rather than gradual wear and tear.

For what it's worth, I've run several diffs right into the ground (to the point that they would not transmit drive) and they all got very very obvious a long time before they actually failed. If you are wondering whether your diff has worn out to the point that it is about to "let go", then you can be sure it hasn't.

[mgaut]

Just to add some confusion, I had a "noisy diff" and the diff was rebuilt.

A few months later I had a "noisy diff", and the wheel bearings were shot on one side, so had them both replaced.

About a year on and I have a "noisy diff" again; the prop UJ's are crackered. They'll be replaced this week (shameless plug for the excellent TVR Car Parts who supplied then next day).

My only recollection was that if you sling it around corners and the noise comes and goes it's the wheel bearings, and (if I recall correctly) if it's the diff the wheels and diff will get hot.

Hope that's of some help (or more liely has muddied the waters.)

Mike