I had a knocking in the diff area of my 79 Spit. The main leaf of the
rear leaf spring was broken,
and I hoped (somewhat unfounded) that the knocking would go away if I
fixed the leaf spring.
I had the local spring company make a new main leaf and re-arc the rest.
It took about an hour or hour and a half to remove the spring from the
car, and less than an hour (after practicing on
the removal) to put it back in.
Didn't help. That hellatious knocking (especially in reverse) was still
there.
It took over 4 hours to remove the rear axles, unbolt the driveshaft
from the diff at the u-joint, half remove the exhaust and finally the
differential. Took them to a restoration shop, (the axles have to be
pressed out) so a professional could appraise the situation. The hub
flanges were
a little bent (.030), rear wheel bearings were probably O.K. but the
torch and 25,000 lbs. of pressure required to remove the axles wasted
the seals (I watched) and after pulling them apart anyway might as well
put in new bearings. The u-joints were both fairly shot. Driveshaft
u-joint was O.K. The diff was in much better shape. Only one thrust
washer chewed up in the bottom of the case.
Still waiting for parts, but the total will cost somewhare between $350
and $650.
I had a 78 Spit that had 80k when purchased. I drove it to 100k with a
slight knock in the rear
and never replaced a thing.
The moral:
The spring isn't that hard at all to remove and refit. It cost me $45
to have the leaf made and the assembly re-arced. If you take everything
thing apart to determine if the differential or axles that are now only
"borderline" are bad, you WILL spend some time and money.
Mike Ginter
1979 Spit
>----------
>From: Martin_A._Secrest@NEB.VOA.GOV[SMTP:Martin_A._Secrest@NEB.VOA.GOV]
>Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 1997 6:55 AM
>To: triumphs@autox.team.net
>Subject: More diff. questions (Spit)
>
>
>Well, now I?m doing some dangerous thinking. Soon to embark on a leaf spring
>replacement, I?m wondering whether my aborderlinea differential ought to be
>replaced simultaneously, since the spring exchange is a lot of work, and I?d
>prefer not to revisit that area anytime soon.
>
>Q: Are there occasions where a differential will outright fail, or (as long
>as they?re lubricated properly) do they just get sloppier and sloppier?
>
>My car has (allegedly) about 80K on it.
>
>----
>Martin Secrest
>?74 Spitfire 1500
>FM18943U
>
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