Rear differential - clutch or gears?

[teags]

Hi,

2008 Outback w/o Turbo 2.5L 4AT

 

Recently purchased this vehicle with 165,000 Kilometers (it came from Canada!!) with a known issue in the rear differential.  It had the classic heavy vibration and grinding/ clicking noise when making tight turns.

 

So, I ordered a part from LKQ that was supposed to only have 50,000 miles on it, cost $200.  It cost $180 to have it installed however,  it turns out they gave me a bad part so now when I drive I've got an extremely heavy vibration when going over 35 mph and need to remove that rear differential ASAP.

 

My question is - if I am willing to live without the AWD feature, is it safe to reinstall my old part and just let it wear out over time?  I understand that a rear diff can have a clutch system or a gear system and that with the clutch if it wears out I just lose the traction control but if it has gears than it can cause more problems to my car.   

 

Thank you!!

[1 Lucky Texan]

well, it seems possible you were troubleshooting the wrong area of the car.

 

Since the car is new to you but has had some known issues - you should also confirm the rear diff matches the final drive ratio of the transmission.

 

the center differential (actually, a wet clutch pack in the auto trans) in the transmission is responsible for 'torque bind'.

 

make certain all 4 tires are the same size/brand/model and 'near' each other in wear.

 

If so, next experiment would be to try using the FWD fuse (I think 08s have them?) under the hood.

 

The rear diff may be 'open' on your car, but, even if it's a LSD - it's a viscous coupled unit.

Edited March 11, 2016 by 1 Lucky Texan