Noisy rear diff

[Hawkowner]

The 70s GM positi adative had whale oil The instructions were to add the oil and drive to a parking lot and do figure 8 eights. Saw it work every time. As far as I know the replacement adative does the same.

[BILT4ME]

I installed one in the truck. It had its pros and cons. I could pull anything and go as far as I wanted and then some. Steering on slick surfaces was interesting. If I was in the mud, I had to "burp" the throttle in order to steer by rocking the steering and suspension. If it was snow or ice on the road, I would drive with it NOT in 4WD, or would do it with only one hub locked in. I pulled loaded semi trucks out of the ditch with that one. I miss it! (69 Chevy, 350 bored 0.060 over, ported, polished, balanced, 4 speed w/ granny low, 4.11 gears, with LS in front and rear.)

"The very first time my pickup with a LS in the front diff came loose,"

I thought limited slip didn't come on the front of vehicles because it would be hard to steer on ice and snow. My 1971 Scout only has L/S on the rear.

[TWChamp]

My 1971 Scout has posi on the rear and plain diff. on the front. When I started to feel the Scout slip a bit on ice I pulled it into 4 WD and it gripped the road nicely, even on curves.

[BILT4ME]

My 1971 Scout has posi on the rear and plain diff. on the front. When I started to feel the Scout slip a bit on ice I pulled it into 4 WD and it gripped the road nicely, even on curves.

I only had one time when I had everything locked in and was driving on a sheet of ice (100% coverage) on a street. A downhill right-hand curve. As I came around the corner, I continued to slowly spin to the right and I could not steer (because all 4 wheels turned the same speed). I was headed straight for a light pole head-on. I locked the brakes, stuck it in reverse, and punched it and dumped the clutch. I stopped about 8" from the pole.

After that, I would only lock in one hub in order to maintain steering if I was in critical highway conditions and only run in 2WD until I felt I needed the little boost of control in 4WD.

It's amazing at the confidence you have in going places when you have front and rear limited slip! I pushed that truck through 8 ft snow drifts and water standing in plowed fields. (not at the same time......)

[evilhawk]

I got the chance to work on my Hawk again yesterday. The plan was to pull the diff cover off to see if there was any obvious damage to the rear end, but I ended up buying the wrong gasket so I left the cover on and refilled with oil (80-90w limited slip) and friction modifier. I drove the car around and it seemed a lot better at first, but when I took the final left turn onto the street where my storage garage is, the rear stayed locked in around the corner. The car shook so hard I thought the rear end was falling out. I think it sat too long with little to no oil in the rear and the clutches are now sticky. I am wondering if I do figure 8s in a parking lot if the clutches will start working correctly after a while or if it would just damage things? Are there still posi units available for these old 44s? The other option is to find a different rear end.

[karterfred88]

I would try the figure eight thing first, can't hurt it any more than it might be already. Yes, there are new clutch style posi units that will fit and work with 19 spline axles in the old Dana 44, but hold onto your wallet! If it doesn't loosen up and you don't want to spend big bucks you might try finding a Jeep 4x4 shop that will go in and try to O/H it, most of the parts are out there and there might be some other things the rear end needs that can be taken care of at the same time. The "other rear end" option can also work, but again, if it's used you may face other problems, and if adapting one, even more headaches and cost. You might try taking that cover off and looking before deciding, making sure there are no chipped gears or massive looseness from wear. Good luck!!

[evilhawk]

I think I may end up having to wait before I can try the figure 8 thing. Its supposed to snow today where I have the car stored... I heard blizzard conditions. I wish I had time to try it last night, but I ran out of daylight and the charging system isnt working in the car yet. In the mean time, Im ordering the correct diff gasket.

On another note, I know a couple places where I might find another rear end. I know of a scrap yard that has a few GT Hawks and Lark types.

[jackb]

Pull the R/A. Keep up on stands under frame.. Take the R/A to a reputable Jeep shop and have them evaluate your problem.