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Rear End Play

1993Saturn

Well-Known Member
Joined
November 21, 2008
Messages
160
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9
City, State
Redmond, OR
Year, Model & Trim Level
94 4x4
93, 99 Bauer 4x4
With the drive shaft removed, how much back and forth play is there when twisting the differential flange?
 



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I was hoping to be able to catch someone by now. I shall throw in some more info. I get a rear end clunk when the auto trans downshifts into first. Not driveshaft. I rebuilt it. 7 rear ends at the junk yard had slightly less play to them. Seems like some is normal. Question is HOW MUCH is normal?
 






If wheels are on ground, or parkling brake is ON, the movement found by turning the companion (U-Joint) flange one way, then the other, is caused by an accumulation of clearances in the ring & pinion teeth meshing, the tooth clearance in the differential side and spider gears, and a bit, very small, in the splines of the axle shafts.

How much? Varies. Surely, less than about 1/20 of a complete turn. There should be no feel of roughness or clunking or dragging when this is done. If your flange is the typical, about 4-inches in diameter, figure maybe 1/2-inch movement at it's outer diameter, total. Maybe a little bit more. imp
 






Well, thanks for that. I haven't found an explanation like that anywhere. I have a bit less than 1/2". I took off the driveline so the trans, even in neutral, wouldn't interfere. So, now that the rear end is in allowance, I must move forward to the transmission to find out why I get the clunks.
Now I weigh the symptoms for gov, modulator, bands, solenoids...
 






1st. Gear Downshift?

Well, thanks for that. I haven't found an explanation like that anywhere. I have a bit less than 1/2". I took off the driveline so the trans, even in neutral, wouldn't interfere. So, now that the rear end is in allowance, I must move forward to the transmission to find out why I get the clunks.
Now I weigh the symptoms for gov, modulator, bands, solenoids...

OK, you get a clunk when the trans shifts down into 1st. gear? Under what road conditions? In other words, coasting to a stop sign, there is a clunk as 1st. engages with NO THROTTLE?

Or, a FORCED DOWNSHIFT into 1st. gear by depressing throttle at low vehicle speed (maybe 10-15 mph)?

You no doubt have a 5R55S transmission. ('04 Expl.?). Different parts are in play for the conditions I described- coast-down, or forced downshift. As a first guess, the 1st gear solenoid, or the 2nd gear solenoid, may be sticking a bit. I happen to own an '04, and it's shift down to 1st. can be felt distinctly only when coasting down with a slight amount of throttle applied, for example, as the last 30 or so feet traveled are slightly uphill getting to the stop sign. Sticking of parts will not "throw" a trouble-code unless really out of wack, so probably no help there. If the clunk is not consistent, not ALWAYS there the same amount, intermittent sticking gets to be a better bet.

Does the transmission exhibit NO SLIP when accelerating sharply from a standstill, and does it shift into 2nd. normally, with no noise or clunk? Give me more info, and I'll drag out my 5R55S manual and look it over. No gurantees, though! Sorry!

imp :(
 






Since posting this, I have adjusted the bands and backed out the adjustment screw 2 turns on the modulator. Things have improved, some, but most of the problems remain. My '94 has the A4LD, not the 5R55S.
Downshift into first sometimes clunks now, but it doesn't matter if it is a coasting decelaration, light throttled on uphill, or a braking stop. Downshift is the 10-15 mph. The upshift is 17 mph. Before the adjustments, it was a firm bam, every time. Now, there is sometimes a thunk before shifting into third, or right at it. It is usually very mushy, no notice of the shift except for the tach dropping. Sometimes it does it in 2 stages.

Acceleration is fine, no slipping. BUT! It may decide to wind up and not shift into second, or it can act like it is in neutral. (It corrects itself if I manually downshift). If I stop, turn off ignition and start again, or go into neutral or park and back into OD,it can behave normal. Sometimes it may take several tries.

It can act like it has no power going up a long hill and throw the Check Engine light. I've checked codes and no trans codes are thrown.
 






'93, I apologize to you! I have been under the mistaken impression your vehicle is a 2004! Sorry about that! A4LD I cannot help you with/. imp
 






That's OK. It's living in the Ozarks that does it to you. I know, because I've been there a few times when I lived in KC. Your mind starts thinking about hunting, camping, fishing... anything but the reality of life. It's tough, right?

Thanks for your interest in my problem.:salute:
 






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