rear end noise posted by reptile28 on July 17, 2011 at 07:00 PM
Message
,both inner and outer. To do jack up rear at the differntial housing with a floor jack (use wood to protect duffy housing)and put tranny in gear then gently rock a rear wheel back and forth and note the amount of rotatation slack at the rim. If more than about 1/2" this is indication (not positive) for some wear in the joints. To isolate if inner or outer joint you need to hold tight (I use my hand on the shaft) the 1/2 shaft to prevent the inner joint from rotation and see if the outer joint produces the same slack as the first test or some portion of the slack. Usually the outer joints have the greatest wear.
Repeat for each rear wheel.
If worn replace the 1/2 shafts (not cheap) or find a shop that can rebuild the inner and outer joints but be sure of the shops expertise and their warranty and the parts they use.
