Spitfire Differential clicking

[succubusdad]

Hello all, have a spitfire 1500. Let me first apologize for my unexperienced rambling. I have searched for my specific issue but can only find single "clunk" posts. I replaced my leaf spring and shocks as I had a sag. This appears to have opened up a new can of worms that hadn't noticed previously. The car drives and shifts fine but I notice now that when I let off the gas or in between shifts there is a "snaping" or "clunking" noise that is coming from rear that matches my speed. "Click click click click" Tires off and as I rotate both hubs back and forth there seems to be at least 1/4" of slack from the each of the shafts. I have checked all the fittings from the hubs up to the differential but the slack seems to be coming from inside the differential itself. First, I am almost certain this amount of slack is not normal. Second, could the increased stance from the new leaf spring cause the union of the differential gears to be misaligned, tensed or untensed? Third, I think I'm probably in trouble right?

 

[poolboy]

Maybe this can help.

Quick Guide to Diagnosing Differential & Driveline Noises

Find causes of rear differential noise, wheel bearing noise, and more, including differential noise when accelerating and bad differential symptoms.

www.onallcylinders.com

 

[bobhustead]

The slack you describe is actually quite small. There are half a dozen bearings and cups, six gears, 4 surfaces supporting spider/axle gears and two splined axle connections to the axle gears in the diff. All these items wear and all of them contribute to slack action in the system.
The noise is another matter and needs to be tracked down. You may need to do a teardown to remove the third member to do so.
Bob

 

[succubusdad]

Maybe this can help.

Quick Guide to Diagnosing Differential & Driveline Noises

Find causes of rear differential noise, wheel bearing noise, and more, including differential noise when accelerating and bad differential symptoms.

www.onallcylinders.com

Thanks poolboy. Great information.

 

[succubusdad]

The slack you describe is actually quite small. There are half a dozen bearings and cups, six gears, 4 surfaces supporting spider/axle gears and two splined axle connections to the axle gears in the diff. All these items wear and all of them contribute to slack action in the system.
The noise is another matter and needs to be tracked down. You may need to do a teardown to remove the third member to do so.
Bob

Thanks Bob, I do appreciate the response. I'll keep looking.

 

[CJD]

+1 on the slack. 1/4" measured at the outside of the hub is decent. When a differential goes bad it either whines or rumbles. A ticking sounds like maybe a brake line, cable, or shock may now be rubbing against a wheel. It could even be the rotor against the splash shield, if that got bent slightly.

 

[sp53]

If I remember correctly, there are 4 U joints on the rear of the Spitfire. I had a 71 and it had independent suspension, I think. This was in 1973 long time ago. Anyways, I would look at those first. Grab them with both hands and see if they click or move. Perhaps lube them and see if anything temporally changes.

steve