Help with our VT - maybe diff related

[Indy_387]

Hi everyone,

Our 2000 VT has had a strange noise when turning at low speed for the last few months (such as turning into the driveway or a carpark) I can only describe the noise as a large dull scraping noise which I am 90% sure was coming from the rear of the car.

Anyhow, I was driving the said VT along the other day with the driver’s window down and all of a sudden I heard a scraping noise come out of nowhere... I pulled over to see if something was caught under the car or something, but there was nothing. Anyway a long story short for the last week the noise has gotten louder and louder and now when you pull up at the lights or something you hear the same "large dull scraping noise" that used to be heard when you turned at low speed.

The latest noise is like a scraping/whine, again it appears to be coming from the rear of the car. Apart from the noise, the car still handles fine.

I’m thinking diff?

Anyone got any ideas/comments? Ideas on best option to fix?

Thanks in advance!

[Ado]

Hi indy, if your 100% sure the noise is coming from the rear and it sounds like a scrape you may need a kit installed to ur handbrake shoes which was available from VT-VY to prevent ur inner handbrake shoes from rubbing on the inside of the disc by centralising the shoe preventing to and fro movement when braking and turning etc.
One way to isolate this fault Indy is to remove the rear callipers and discs remove the shoes and drive the car for a couple of days (obviously u wont have a handbrake) if your noise dissapears u know what to do if noise still present may be disc backing plate rubbing on disc or of course something stuck in between disc and brake calliper. see how you go.

[Indy_387]

Hi indy, if your 100% sure the noise is coming from the rear and it sounds like a scrape you may need a kit installed to ur handbrake shoes which was available from VT-VY to prevent ur inner handbrake shoes from rubbing on the inside of the disc by centralising the shoe preventing to and fro movement when braking and turning etc.
One way to isolate this fault Indy is to remove the rear callipers and discs remove the shoes and drive the car for a couple of days (obviously u wont have a handbrake) if your noise dissapears u know what to do if noise still present may be disc backing plate rubbing on disc or of course something stuck in between disc and brake calliper. see how you go.

Thank you so much for your suggestion. I will try it.

[Indy_387]

Hmmm... looks like the handbrake is ok & it is most likely the diff.

Its a limited slip diff. Any ideas on prices to repair/replace?

[Ado]

For a full reco including LSD cones and bearings your looking around the 500-600 dollar mark on the bench (you remove diff and refit), but depending on what damage has been done internally could be more. I've just done the diff in my car coz i went bigger gears the LSD cones were completely worn out and i got some pretty bad noises before i stripped it down a lot of the parts are unavailable to buy genuine like the cones the downfall being after market last half the time cheaply made. but i spent 120-150 indy just on bearings cones shims etc. plus brand new 3.7.3 gears were 580 so they arent cheap (thats sick trade too) better off removing and sending away indy. save yourself 250-300 bucks in labour

[Drewie]

Sounds like diff chatter, my VX SS LSD has developed a bit of it at low speed
like when idling around a carpark looking for a spot. Sort of sounds like a brake shoe on an old drum brake rear end catching then letting go,
Holden have an additive that can be added to the diff oil, sort of a friction modifier that stops the clutches sticking and creating the noise, allows them to slip a bit easier when turning, might pay to give that a go. I am tossing up
whether to have it added on the next service. I had the same thing in a VN SS many years ago and the additive fixed it never had the noise again.

[Indy_387]

Turns out it was the rear brakes! Thanks anyway.

My diff is all ok

[pablo]

Just like to say, this happened to me once while driving around in the hills, loud scraping noise suddenly from L/H rear. I stopped then reversed car and then janked on the hand brake, released it and moved forward and the noise had gone. I find if I use h/brake one side will drag with a scraping noise. Only way to stop it is to do the reverse trick.