I tried searching and couldn't really find what I was looking for...

If my "weak" rear end were to go on me, would there be any indications I could watch out for?

I've been noticing a mild hum from the rear end, ONLY when I'm on the gas. I notice it in lower rpm gears on the highway.

I'm the third owner, so I have no idea if the two owners before me raced it and left me with a junk rear end or what not. maybe i'm just a little too worried. If it helps at all, it's a 2000 M6 SS.

and the last thing, what's a good cheap alternative to finding a stronger rear end? is it just the limited slip unit itself? I apologize if these questions are sort of "newbie" but will greatly appreciate any word back. Thanks

Rick M.

 

people say they break easily but in reality they arent made of glass.

People tend to remember the bad and overlook the good. The same is true for the rear end of the car.

I have seen many people post about running ET Streets on their car for over 100 passes and still be going good on the stocker..

I have seen people at the track on the stocker and run it hard and there is no breakage..

For me, I doubt I can break the rear end before my stock clutch gives out..

I highly doubt its horridly easy to break..

Now on my 1995 Z28, I grenaded the rear end. I think that was due to having a crappy rear end that was punished.. I was the umpteenth owner, the previous one had driven it to hell and had put in 3.73 Auburn gears... I grenaded them launching out of a toll booth and replaced them with Strange 3.73's.. Now thats for the Ring and Pinion. The axles should hold up. I dont think you will trash them before you trash the R&P..

 

Check to make sure the lube isn't low. A little hum or whine is not out of the norm.

 

This sounds wrong in so many ways...but, you want him to check the lube level in his rear in order to quiet the humming and/or whining he is hearing from back there???

Ok, sorry for the brief moment of immaturity.

 

Don't forget that rear-end lube used to be made from sperm oil.

 

You guys need therapy.

 

there is no "weak link" in these rear ends, the small ring gear forces everything else to be small, and as such, everything is weak. I have seen posted literaly every single part break, from ring gears to pinion gears, to diffs, to axles, and in one case I remember a guy cracked the housing. and he was stock at the time (engine wise, not sure on susp)

on the other hand, there was a guy running 11.87 on a stock rear in an M6 (which are harder on rears than autos) with 4.10's doing like 6K clutch dumps, and he lasted quite a while on that rear. I think when it finaly did go he was pulling away from a stop light at a normal rate.

The reason I got a 9 inch is because I asked myself if i was willing to take the risk of breaking down somewhere with no way to get myself or the car home. the answer was no, so I went with a rear that there was no way I was gonna blow up. you have to ask yourself the same thing.

If you are stock and arent too hard on the thing, you should be OK. I only went to the 9 after going to a bigger cam and bigger gears. (bigger gears are weaker and stress everything in the rear end more) I didnt put drag radials on it till it had the 9 in it, because i didnt want to break it.

there isnt anything you can get to make it bulletproof, but it you want to strengthen it up a T/A differential cover, and some bearing cap studs are a good idea.