I just put in a set of 3.73's in this past winter. I finally got my car out this weekend. I drove it and it was fine friday and saturday, but today the gears started to whine and howel. What could be causing this and it there a fix?

 

first check the fluid level. If thats good. Possibly the carrier bearings or pinion bearings are worn and allowing the gear angles to change causing your whine.

 

def get it checked! that's not normal and it's a PITA to listen to while driving. Who installed the gears?

 

Sounds like your backlash is too loose. You need to get a dial indicator to measure the backlash, it should be between .008 and .015 but you wanna shoot for .010-.012. Take shims from the left side and add them to the right side until you get in between those numbers.

 

my uncle and I installed the gears. We have installed gears before on a ford 9" rear end but never before on the 8.8". I did buy a rebuild kit for the rear end when i put the gears in so all of the bearings are new. I put it on the lift this afternoon and checked the fluid and it was at the correct level. I am at school again and left the car at home so im trying to get a game plan for next weekend. What would be some of the first things to look at after i pull the diff cover?

 

I think the problem is that everything settled in and your backlash got loosened up. Check this out, read towards the bottom of the write up: http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=429117

 

your shim is most likely off

 

Thanks guys for the input. Im going to check and see if something did just settle and it needs to be tightened up. Im hoping that will take care of the excess backlash. If that doesnt work then i guess im pulling the rear end apart.

 

Make sure your ujoints are making any of those noises???? Don't over look them and get yourself elbow deep in for nothing. They usually make a pulsing noise. Like variations, not steady like gears. Is that what you have? Just throwing ideas

 

Thanks for the u-joint idea but those are brand new also.