Recent content by Ron-Indy

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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    Jim - Just got your book! Terrific. Wish I knew about it a minth ago. A must have for anyone even remotely curious about differentials! Thanks
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    The burnout? Ha, not until spring and only before the new tires go on. The best Viper burnout pictures go to a gal from England. There are better shots than this one (she does a lot of burnouts) but here one that I found: Same color and year as mine, but not much else.
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    Thanks Jim, just ordered the book but from here as it was $8.45 cheaper delivered. A few more shots of the damaged area under higher magnification: . .
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    Jim, It was the inner or the one closest to the gear. Here's hoping that this time is "just right" Indymac, Good reference site. Bookmarked, thanks.
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    Mission accomplished / problem found. According to the rebuilder, Dodge/Dana has a tendency to excessively preload the pinion bearings causing spalling in the bearing race. He's seen this type of failure in quite a few Dodge products. Amazing how something so small can make such a loud noise...
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    In deciding on my next diff fill oil I noticed this UOA from the board: http://bit.ly/hQLnid Same mileage and very similar iron. Major differences seem to be phosphorus (mine higher = good) and viscosity (mine lower = bad) Could the lower viscosity be because of the 4 oz. of low viscosity...
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    Hi Jim, Thanks for the input - It's noisy under all conditions, with the only variable being speed which it's directly proportional to. I did the definitive test today and am confident that it's the diff. I put it up in my lift and had my son run it at about 60 mph in 4th gear - Obviously a...
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    If by "A" you mean aluminum, yes it's an aluminum cased rear. Unfortunately I can't open the diff cover as the cover and mounting arms are all one piece and it's pretty deep up inside the frame. Cover off requires removal. The unmounted diff is a 2008, similar but not exact. Oddly, I never...
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    Well, experiment concluded. Changed out diff oil for a fresh dose and sound is exactly the same. Then changed out trans oil as it was time anyway. Since I was changing back to ATF from a Mopar gear oil (Castrol Syntorq), if the sound changed at all it might indicate a trans issue rather than...
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    Thanks guys... Unfortunately original warranty is long since expired as is the extended. It's a 1996 GTS, the stereotypical blue w/ dual white stripe. Up until this discussion, I was planned on pulling the rear and bringing it to a shop to replace all bearings and reset all critical...
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    Thanks Bror, I'll take your advice and change the oil tomorrow and let you know if the sound changes - Given the work and expense involved for a mechanical repair, worth the effort to try this first. Thanks for the input and yes, it's a great car. Was my dream car and still is. By the way, do...
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    The oil type is Mopar and it is indeed a 75W-140 synthetic. The noise started earlier this past summer and has gotten more noticable over the past 3,000 miles. Other Viper owners that have ridden in the car immediately notice the noise as being odd. Noise occurs regardless of gear selected...
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    Dodge Viper Dana 44 Rear - Pinion bearing going?

    Diagnosed a bearing noise to the pinion bearing and to get a second opinion pulled an oil sample. Unfortunately seems inconclusive but perhaps given the fact that I caught it early maybe better this way. Any opinions as to whether this UOA helps confirm or deny? Thanks
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    Mobil1, 0-40 SM, 4851 miles, Chrysler Town&Country

    That's good advice. I've never done a cleaning cycle as I thought over time it would clean itself and to some degree I'm sure it has. It just doesn't look as clean as my former Chrysler van that had 100K miles. I used various weights of Mobil 1 from the day I bought it and the rockers were as...
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