K2_Evo

Just yesterday, cruising at 90km/h, my car all of a sudden started to make this metal-on-metal grinding noise. I immediately pulled over on the shoulder of the highway. But during the time when I pulled over, I'm pretty sure I smelled some oil. But after 10 seconds, the oil smell disappeared.

I got out of my car, checked under the rear of my car where the rear differential is, but there were no signs of leaks. I decided to move my car forward a bit on the shoulder of the highway. It continues to make a grinding noise coming from the rear right of the car. At this point, i decided to limp my car back home doing 30km/h.

Every time the car is in motion, starting from 1st gear idle speed, the grinding noise is audible, and it gets louder as the speed increases.

When I got home, I checked the handbrake and it engages and disengages perfectly. Then, I loosened the nut from under the lever. I also took off the rotors and loosened the star nut in the brake drum. So basically the whole handbrake cable is loose and test drove it. Still the same grinding noise!

I checked the foot brake, and it engages and disengages fine too, and none of the brake pistons seem to be seized. I think i ruled out that the brakes are okay.

I think the wheel bearings are fine, because the grinding noise is audible driving straight and around corners.

But from what I remembered smelling (like oil), could it be the rear differential that is causing this grinding? Is there a way to test my rear differential?
Please help shed some light on this problem. I bought my 08 evo less than 2 months ago.. and I've already encountered a few minor problems plus this!

Thanks in advance!

Iowa999

iTrader: (1)

Another possibility is that you snapped a CV joint in the rear and the oil smell is coming from your ACD (which is now being asked to re-route all torque to the front end of the car).

When you lift one rear wheel (at a time), with the car in gear but the parking brake off, can you spin the raised wheel by hand?

K2_Evo

But if the ACD is rerouting all the torque to the front wheels, wouldn't I get an error code, or warning light?

Last night, I tried spinning the tires freely while the rear 2 wheels were up in the air. The wheels turn about 10 degrees and locks, the same thing clockwise or counterclockwise. But this was in neutral with the handbrake disengaged.

I will need to give this a try when I get home from work.
But I haven't tried spinning the jacked up rear wheel in gear yet. Wouldn't this just lock the rear wheel from spinning freely?

Iowa999

iTrader: (1)

Actually, no further testing is needed. If neither rear wheel will rotate freely, you don't have a snapped rear CV joint.

Are you sure that it's coming from the rear? Our cars destroy T-cases more often than rear diffs.

K2_Evo

I would still like to try free-spinning my wheels with all wheels up in the air.
But like I said, with just the rear 2 wheels in the air, it locks up after turning 10-15 degrees either clockwise or counterclockwise.

I'm quite positive that the noise is coming from the rear, because at this moment I have the back seat removed. So the grinding noise is very audible.

I was searching, and I found someone said that broken hub bearings sound like a 6"x6" steel bar being dragged across the garage floor. And that description pretty much describes the sound.
Could it be my hub bearings? But I have not hit any curb or anything like that.

Iowa999

iTrader: (1)

You can test whether it's a wheel bearing while repeating the test of the CV joints: while it's off the ground, yank on the wheel at 3 and then 9 o'clock or 6 and then 12 o'clock. If it tangibly wiggles or, worse, clunks, yeah, your bearing is shot. Do this only if you trust your jack.

K2_Evo

I just checked my differential fluids.. and... they smell burnt!!!!

I don't understand how can it be..

Can someone tell me the correct oil used for the rear differential? And the transfer case?

K2_Evo

Is this the correct oil for my rear diff and transfer case???

Iowa999

iTrader: (1)

No! The transfer case and left side of the rear diff get DiaQueen LSD oil.

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...ssues-etc.html

K2_Evo

Some people said the oil I posted above was fine.. I'm confused now..

I bought my oil from here: http://www.streettunedmotorsports.co...s/diaqueen.htm

On the website, it says the part # 3775610 was replaced by this new bottle of oil. Is this right??

I'm really confused right now....

Iowa999

iTrader: (1)

Well, if it replaced DiaQueen, then it seems fine. Sorry for being out-of-date and freaking you out.

Nice that they finally sell it by the quart, instead of only by the gallon.

K2_Evo

Haha, thats alright.. I just called 5 Mitsubishi dealerships just to confirm too.

It looks like they discontinued the diaqueen and replaced it with these 1 quart bottles.

I guess my rear differential all of a sudden gave up on me then..