I installed an ACT sprung 6 puck clutch last month, put around 1000 miles on it, and everything was good, until.. I leave work one cold rainy night, exit the parking lot, and hear a faint "pop" when I take off into traffic. Didn't think much of it.. just thought it was one of the many small potholes on the road out to the highway. I come to a stop, get ready to turn off to the main road, and the engine revs to 5k, barely moving the car. I was like WTF, this is a new clutch, surely it isn't f'd up already.. A lot of possibilities ran through my head, like a leaking rear main seal, a faulty slave or master cylinder, low on clutch fluid, faulty pressure plate.. Well, as I drive on since there's no noise or CELs, I pull into the nearest gas station, take out my flashlight and look under the hood for anything out of the ordinary. After a thorough check, I see no fluid, no drips, nothing broken or out of place, and everything seems normal. I get back in and drive home, testing the car out by shifting up and down as I drive... no problems. I get home and do some internet searches for cold weather and clutch issues, and find an odd thread about the rear axles popping out under hard acceleration. Well, I go look under the car at the rear diff, and sure enough, my driver side rear cv joint had popped out about a half inch. I'm guessing the car was trying to transfer power to the "lost traction" of the popped out axle, and the result was symptoms of a slipping clutch. Anyway, I'm going to pull the axle and make sure there's no damage to the teeth of the cv joint or the diff, and either pop back in the old axle or install a new one. This is a weird issue, but apparently one that should be brought to light, especially for those who haven't heard of this kind of problem and might go on a wild chase replacing parts that aren't bad. I'll keep the thread posted with the results. I don't see this being a big deal, but still wanted to post it for future reference.
Wirelessly posted I've never heard of this so thanks for bringing it up. Kinda odd to think about...I d just don't see that much "play" in the system with the wheels staying where they belong. Guess that's not the case.
I wouldn't have thought so either, but apparently I'm not alone.. it's happened to a few other Impreza and Legacy owners, although it's not a common issue. Anyway, I replaced the axle with a new one, although I probably didn't have to have it.. but after a good strong test drive, the problem is fixed and all is well. Apparently the retaining ring is designed to stay in the differential, which means it can be a serious PITA to install a new axle. I found the easiest way to install a rear axle, instead of using the unreliable hammer/2x4 combo, is to put the axle into the diff, then start it into the hub assembly, then slam the hub assembly inward - but only once the axle shaft protrudes through the hub like normal, otherwise you could damage the outer threads. The force acts like a slide hammer, and will "bump" the axle into the diff fully. Might have to do it a couple times to get it fully seated, but that's it. Here's a link to help those who have never done this: http://www.iwsti.com/forums/how-install/116053-how-change-rear-axle.html *edit* I've found a thread on Nasioc where the Exedy OEM replacement clutches now come with a TSB about this very problem. Got a few pics to go with it. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1404712&highlight=rear+axle+clutch+slipping
did the c clip stay in the diff? WJM and I had this issue with my R160 when we installed the 6-speed. We couldn't get the c-clip back in the diff so we ended up swapping in a newer R160
Yeah it did, and the new axle didn't come with one, so it's my guess it's supposed to stay in the differential.