BANG...skiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid...stop

Superbird281

Registered User
Diagnose this:

I'm driving on Finch Avenue, thankfully no other cars near me, and I hear a bang, the car jerks up and down, and the rear wheels lock up. I skid to a halt, and sit there.

The engine's still running. I can shift the gears around no problem. I can feel the transmission engage in drive or reverse.

Now, the car won't move forward at all. I go into reverse and the car backs up a few feet and then bang, stops dead. I put it into drive and it goes forward a few feet and bang, it stops.

I had CAA tow it to a garage.

How painful is this going to be?

This is the Grand Marquis by the way.
 
Mike,

It's probably a long shot, but I've heard of this sort of thing happening before when someone's e-brake cable got wrapped around their driveshaft.

Did you take a look beneath the car to make sure that everything looked to be in order?

I hope it's nothing serious.

Cheers,

Sean
 
1990. Just heard from the mechanic. He said the spider gears inside the differential are broken and have to be replaced. Sounds right to me, since the transmission shifts, engages, and can move the car a few feet before stopping.
That was a good theory Sean, but I didn't see anything hanging below the car. I also wonder if the parking brake cable would be strong enough to stop the driveshaft and rear wheels from turning.
Sucks. The differential is a Ford LSD that Technic installed 16 months ago to replace the original open diff. and it broke already? I've had an Auburn Pro diff. in my bird for 5 years no problem.
 
Damn, that would suck! Must have scared the crap out of you. Are you sure there is no damage to the tranny after all that?

If you need a whole new rear end, I've got one from my 92 that you can have for cheap.

All I really want out of it are my 3.73 gears, but you can have them with it for just a little bit more money :D.
 
MIke, I forgot to ask when you phoned me, were you stuck on an ice patch or anything before this happened ? One way for spider gears to grenade is when a wheel is spinning on ice or snow, then suddenly grabs traction on a dry spot ...


cheers,
Ed N.
 
It's my winter beater, and we've had a lot of snow, so yeah I've been spinning the rear a lot, but I beat the hell out of my bird worse on dry pavement and it's rear end is fine. When the diff. grenaded itself I was just cruising on Finch Avenue, dry clean road. :mad:
 
I've got the original open differentials from both the bird and the monkey, but I want to keep the LSD in the monkey. I'm getting it repaired. Buying a new Auburn would be US$370 +exchange+taxes+shipping. I don't understand how a non-maintenance item like this could destroy itself.
 
sounds liek what happened to my first p.o.s. work van an Aerostar.......what a piece. Going down the road i heard a clunk.....then it just kept slowing down...went to give it gas and it was like it was in neutral only i could shift gears.

oh well
 
Got the Marquis back. It runs, but the mechanic said some other **** must be damaged becuase it makes a clattering sound above 30 km/h at light throttle :mad: :mad: :mad: . Yeah he used friction modifier, I can smell it on the car. He said drive it for a couple of weeks and see what happens. I still have the original differential and ring and pinion, but I'm pissed about sinking money into the damn thing. Why can't it be reliable like a Thunderbird?
 
Sorry Mike I had to.
"The key to going fast is to do it reliably. Only then are you a cool guy!"

So I guess right now your not a cool guy.:D
 
Jason,

His Grand Marquis is slow and unreliable.

His Tbird is slow and reliable.

In either case, he's not a cool guy.
 
Wayner my bird IS fast AND reliable.
Anyone wanna pull beside?
My monkey is SLOW and has broken down ONCE in 16 months. YOUR gasket-popper has rust, Bondo, paint overspray, and sounds like a blender.
Ed, give him a lecture please.
Blah blah blah. I don't wanna talk about it anymore. I'm gonna go push some buttons.
Kobassa power forever!

:p :p :p :p :p :p :mad:
 
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