Trans Am Rearend Trouble

Hey, ive got a 95 LT1 Trans Am and also a slight problem, the car is an automatic and ive started to notice a heavy banging noise coming from the rear of the car when under heavy acceleration. I figured its probably the rearend but i need help determining what all might be wrong befor i tear it apart, id like to have the parts to fix it when the time comes. It dosn't slip at all unless your accelerating heavy and there is load on the differential, i was woundering what the most common part of the rear end is that goes. Is it the ring and pinion gear or the differential it self?. If its the ring and pinion would i have t replace the carrier as well? could my problem be that the housing and the carrier are just plain worn out and the ring and pinion have more play and cause them to slip? Also dose anyone know the factory ratio for the rearend in that car?. Any tips or info offerd will be greatly apreciated. You guys seem to know what your talking about on here and most of you can probably speak from experience, lol. thanx alot for your time hope to hear back soon.

Are you sure the noise is from the rear end? I would think that if the rear end was bad, it would be bad all the time, not just under load. Mine makes a bang under load when the trans mount is bad. It seems to go through them quite a bit too. That will be a much easier fix than if you have to mess with the rear dif.

Im not 100% sure cause i havn't had the car for a real long time and its my first RWD but thats what it feels like to me, i can feel it right up the shifter and one of my friends was sitting in the back and said that they could feel it on the driveshaft hump. The other thing that makes me lean toward the rearend is that if you don't let off when it starts is just keeps pounding like what it would feel like if the gears were slipping. Im not totaly sure. Thanx so much for the reply and the info il definatly keep it in mind.

Sounds like the tranny mount to me...its a $30 dollar fix unless you get a poly one and then its still cheap. I woudl replace that first. The rearend wouldn't generally make thumping or banging noises and still be road worthy. Usually a rear end issue is a whirring or moaning sound thats constant either all the time or while under load (acceleration). My money is on the mount...they are notorious for failing on these cars, even stock.

If it is the trany mount if you didn't let off the gass when it started to happen would it be a repeditive knocking sound or would it just happen once?

I'm not sure of the shape under the body of that year, mine is an 83. If the trans comes up too far under load the shaft may actually be hitting the floor pan, then it will be a repeated bang until you let off. Like CreepingDeath says, if the rear end is making noise it's not likely to be road worthy. I would definitely check the trans mount.

Oh ok, i understand now, i wasn't sure how a bad trans mount would cause that noise but i get it now.Yeah your probably right that would make sence and explain why i can feel it on the driveshaft hump. Witch mount would it be thats gone? would the whole thing have to be replaced or just the rubber part of the mount? and how long and how hard are they to chance? Thank you sooo much for the info man i apreciate it.

Should be very easy to replace. Again, I'm not sure what that year is like but shouldn't be too different. It comes as one piece, 2 bolts hold it to the trans and a stud sticks down through the crossmember, all should be 15 mm size. Jack the trans up, I usually put the jack under the pan with a piece of plywood in between so I don't dent the pan. You may be able to get the mount out without pulling the crossmember, but it's real easy to pull it and get it out of the way. That is held in with 4 bolts, should be 15 mm also. An impact wrench helps, but you should be able to get it done with 1/2 inch drive tools. The only problem I've encountered is if the mount is so bad that the stud rotates so that you can't get the nut off. Then you would have to pull the crossmember so you can grab the mount with something, or cut the stud off. Still not much of a problem.

there is just a rubber thing that goes between the cross member and the trans. I'm sure that's all it is, and it is easy to fix, good luck, and be careful anytime your jacking a car up and going under it, safety first, :D.
Jake

Right on, i can't thank you guys enough for the help, realy. Im so glad that you guys actualy take the time to help people like me out, you have just saved me a pile of trouble. I use to have a 98 Sunfire GT and i now know retarted amounts of things about them from all the gear ive destroyed in that, but a trans am with a 350 is a tad different, lol. Thanx again guys ttyl.