Are you sure they are different parts? I spent a bit of time online at Wholesale GM Parts and am now entirely confused,

https://www.wholesalegmpartsonline.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_assembly=389573&ukey_make=1031&ukey_model=14670&modelYear=2007&ukey_category=19396&ukey_trimLevel=25357

All 4 partnumbers list the shafts as being for the NA as well as the Turbo, yet there are 4 listed.

:dunno:

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There are definitely different part numbers listed for the two, but I haven't seen an indication of the differences.

There is a tool specified to protect the seal in the side of the drive axle (ie: differential) from the sharp edge of the spline, but I have been told that you can successfully do the work without one.

I have one that clicks during launch, mainly in a left turn, but is silent otherwise. I have it scheduled for replacement as soon as I get the tool.

 

Before you jump on a new axle, have you check the driveshaft? A number of folks have reported noises due to loosened bolts.

I know you said the sound was coming from one side, but it maybe a thing to check first.

 

I haven't checked yet. What kind of loose bolts? What has been loosening up?

 

Check the driveshaft nuts and bolts, both ends. They have been known to loosen up a bit. 6 nuts and bolts at each end of the driveshaft.

:thumbs:

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Loose Bolts?

I've been on here since 2006 and have never seen anybody mention loose bolts on the drive shafts.
Ok Robo the bearing hubs are the same part number 10345966 but the shafts are different.
Base: RH 15296760
LH 15296759
R/L RH 15919079
LH 15919080
I'm pretty sure the carrier in the rear difs are the same just the ring gear is different so they should fit just fine but I really don't think the noise isn't coming from the shafts. Its may be coming from the CV joint on the ends of the shaft or my guess would be the wheel/hub bearing its self. when you turn sharp it side loads the bearing and the noise goes away. The shafts are not cheap so I would go for the wheel/hub assy first, way cheaper.
Also on wheel/hub CV joints here"s the trick to know if its a inner or outer. If it clicks its the outer. If it clunks its the inner. The inner since it is connected closer to a big piece of metal (the rear differential) is clunks where as the outer clicks.
It may be the CV joint but my car as far as the body goes has 133K miles on it and they haven't been easy miles either. LOL. Now with all my added power I still haven't blown a bearing so I'd be curious to what it is.
Good luck Buddy and let us know. :smile:

 

I've been on here since 2006 and have never seen anybody mention loose bolts on the drive shafts.

That's an anecdotal evidence logical fallacy. It's been mentioned before on the forum here. A few examples...

Dealership just called,

They said the bolts on the drive shaft have come loose, im going to need 6 new bolts ($48each) plus a new drive shaft $(540) Total 1063 plus tax

Bear with me on this one, but I seem to remember a post on the solsticeforum from back in late 2006 - 2007. Check the nuts and bolts attaching the driveshaft to the transmission and differential. It's possible some of them are loose and causing the vibration.

WARNING: Check bolts connecting trans to drivetrain - Pontiac Solstice Forum

 

Then it seems to me like RickyD you have the same line of thought I do. I side load the car and the noise goes away. To me this eliminates loose nuts on the driveshaft since it shouldn't be affected by turning the car.

I have found a used axle for $100 at a local yard. Third party aftermarket is $130 or so and OEM can be had for about $200. This is for the complete rear axle including the CV joints. Wheel hubs run about the same from what I've seen.

My only question is determining if it is a hub or an axle. How to figure that out.

 

SourceOne has new 2.4 OEM axle shafts for $100 each. :https://www.sourceoneautoparts.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?cat=1600&q=sky

You should be able to hear a bad hub bearing by jacking the rear up and rotating the wheel while using a listening stick placed against the hub.

 

Thanks for the link John. I've seen some like that on eBay but didn't trust picking one up. Source one though is some good stuff from what I've heard.

So I think I know that it is the driver's side axle and it's the inner universal that's bad.

I got under the car in the rear, grabbed the rear axle, and started to try and wiggle it. Sure enough, I could feel play and hear the inner universal clunk around a bit. Did the same with the passenger side and there was zero movement. Looks like I'll need an axle.

 

Thanks for the link John. I've seen some like that on eBay but didn't trust picking one up. Source one though is some good stuff from what I've heard.

........

SourceOne and FactoryOEM bought the bulk of the remaining parts from GM when they closed Wilmington. Both sell on eBay, and as far as I know only sell surplus OEM parts.

 

Thanks for those kwtoxman...I hadn't seen them either but certainly seemed reasonable and certainly something I will check when changing the axle. Sure can't hurt.

 

GL! Would be great if it's that simple.

 

Hope so. Evidence so far seems to support this. Just need to check for loose or damaged bolts when I get her in the air and the wheel off. Certainly don't see what else it would point to. I mean, are the universals supposed to have a 1/8" of play in them because if they are then I have three that are bad. LOL

Could still be in the wheel hub too but the fact I can move that axle like I did...just would be weird and really coincidental to have the axle and hub go bad at the same time.

 

I find this interesting that it could be the hub, coming loose? Have the bolts been torqued lately? It could be that the CV joint going bad, some here say it could be the driveshaft. You did replace the rear end in your car recently, with an after market one. It could be that something has worked loose since this replacement?

A loose drive shaft or CV joint is never a good thing. You just know, that IF you replace it, the axle on the driver's side, that the one on the passenger side will go out, 5K down the road. I'd check both hubs, both CV's, both axles, the drive shaft for anything that might seem out of the place. With the current mileage you have on it, better to check all, not just the one.

I also find it interesting that this problem happened right after you did your most recent autocross event. It was not doing this before the autocross event? No noise or sound after the body/paint repair vacation and the road test before the auto cross event? IF it has as much play in it, that you say you can feel I would say you have hurt it, during a spirted run, hard left handed driver side load up to the CV joint in circles, then when under normal DD you would know if it was your rear end making the noise, or that the hub/shaft/axles have worked their way loose, during heavy load or stress of the autocross event.

$$$ new bolts would be a start. Then the axles, and or the CV. I doubt it is the driveshaft, but you never know until you look or check. Less time on the rollback, more time on the track coarse. Driving into work... I'm not going to make it in today. That will probably not go over well with your boss.

Be interesting to see what it is, it runs and drives, it has the power, but what good does that do for you and your permagrin if it's on the rollback? The drive train are the legs of the Kappa. If the motor is the heart, and some say the soul of the car, it's like having your leg in a cast, yeah you can walk ok, but it's a pain in the rear. OEM parts with a lot of wear and tear to them, plus DD commute, plus autocross, plus high mileage too. You have upgraded a lot on your car, including the rear end. IS now the time and the expense/effort to complete the rear end upgrade? These parts have not given you trouble before until now. The odometer says it might be time, your ears tell you that something is just not right, the feel and the eye test confirm your suspect to what it could be. Tell tale signs that it is time for redo of the drivetrain. Time... tick tock tick tock. IF you have lived through the long wait while your car was in the body shop, a couple more days in your garage while this repair is under way shouldn't hurt too much. Might hurt your wallet/checkbook/mastercard some in the long run, but next time out, be it the DD or the next event, you will know that everything is under control with the legs of your Kappa.

LAC

 

Believe me I have given all this a lot of thought. This is why I would like to find out what exactly is the difference between the RL rear axles and the ones I have. If they are more robust...which I think they are...but will still slide right in...which I have been told they will not...then I'd be swapping them now.

I have to find out now what all would be required to change if I choose to get the RL shafts in the future. I don't think the diff or housing is different. The hugs are the same I believe. I don't think the length is any different...but PEW says they are not direct swaps. So far they are the only ones to weigh in on this. I am going to do more research but for now I'll just replace the one shaft with a 2.4 to get the car back on the road.

As for the rest, I've always said if you want to play you got to pay. Issues like this are to be expected when you start modifying a car in the way I have. My Grand Prix was no different. People ask why I upgrade things like my fuel system when I don't HAVE to...this is why. I try to get ahead of this stuff but sometimes you still fall a little short. We'll see how things work out with the RL axle research.

SourceOne and FactoryOEM bought the bulk of the remaining parts from GM when they closed Wilmington. Both sell on eBay, and as far as I know only sell surplus OEM parts.

Damn good info to know John! I think I remember reading this at some point but had totally forgotten. Axle on order now.

 

Ok cool thanks kwtoxman I hadn't seen those posts. Good to know but still must be rare to have that happen. That would make it easy tho Robo

 

So got the new axle and put it in the car. Went fairly smooth except the hub slipped, fell, and caught the sensor cable before it reached the ground so now I have an ABS light. Not really a big deal, just annoying.

I took it out for a road test and side loaded the car a few times followed by some hard acceleration runs. No noise. Everything else looked good. I got back to the garage to check the ABS sensor to see if it may have just come loose like the front one had a while back. Nope.

It was at this point I noticed diff fluid dripping from the driver's side of the diff case onto the ground. Crap. Must have cut the diff seal on that side putting the new axle in. Lovely.

But at least I was right about the issue being the axle. When I took the old axle out, I could wiggle the inner universal joint and you could hear the noise when it would wiggle. That was definitely the problem.

Now to figure out the diff seal. My just have someone do it for me.

 

...... Must have cut the diff seal on that side putting the new axle in. Lovely.

But at least I was right about the issue being the axle. When I took the old axle out, I could wiggle the inner universal joint and you could hear the noise when it would wiggle. That was definitely the problem.

Now to figure out the diff seal. My just have someone do it for me.

Glad you got the original problem sorted. I am definitely going to wait for the tool to protect the seal ....

With any luck the seal is a relatively easy replacement, so: "Good luck!"

 

Thanks man, me too. The seal is easy to replace. You remove the axle and it pulls out with a seal puller (or flathead screwdriver) then the new one presses back in. Though I'm going to have my mechanic do it for $50. LOL Well worth it!

 

Perhaps I am missing something, but in order to replace the axle seal, don't you need to go through all the steps that were necessary to replace the axle in the first place?

:huh:

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Good Robo glad you got things fixed for now. With your rear diff. and the leaking factor and a new seal for $ 50. not a bad thing. Cost effective and the premagrin will be a return on your investment. Now would be a good time to replace the fluid in the rear diff. too imo.

Sort of cheap and quick to get you back on the road. Your search into the related RL axles will be for " future " usage in DD but it's the track day events that could " pay off " in the game of you gotta pay to play.

Now that you have done the mission accomplished trick on the driver's side axle, pay close attention to the passenger side. Some how I just know that the inner universal joint will make noise sooner or later. Murphy's Law if you will.

The ABS sensor deal. PITA but not un-fixable. IF it's not one thing or another with the Kappa. A never ending story. To be continued. Season 2 premier has our man, working away in his garage, fixing something new once again. Check your local listings in your area for Times and Channels. Wait... Is that smoke I see coming out of that garage? It runs, it drives, it even beats Vipers on occasion.

LAC

 

Good Robo glad you got things fixed for now. With your rear diff. and the leaking factor and a new seal for $ 50. not a bad thing. Cost effective and the premagrin will be a return on your investment. Now would be a good time to replace the fluid in the rear diff. too imo.

LAC

No need to replace fluid...just top it off. The fluid in the diff has about 8 months and 2,000 miles on it. LOL (Diff just got swapped out in February.)

You are not missing anything, the axle is removed first (as Robo mentioned). The key is to protect the new seal from the sharp edges of the splined axle shaft when re-installing the axle.

There is a tool made for the purpose. I have successfully used shim stock, but the tool is a lot easier.

Yea, definitely will have the tool next time if there is a next time. About $35 for a 10 pack of them. LOL