Please help
 

I think My rear end is starting to show signs of ware. It just started clunking a couple days ago. I have been driving it hard lately so i am under the impression i could have jacked the crush sleeve. I went under the car yesterday and the drive shaft had about a 1/5 turn rotation of play and i could feel it pop through the drive shaft and here the noise resinate through my Traction arms for the noticable poping sound. well i tightend my traction arm that was a little loose to see if this would help. It did not help at all!

Do i just need to replace fluids?
do you think i jacked the Crush Sleeve??(what i think)
Or have i done more damage then i thought?
(The problem is in the diff and not bushings or subframe)
It is still driveable and there is no sound until i shift then i here it. what do you guys think.
PS it is easy to here at slow speeds but the car is loud and i cant seem to here it as much from 30-50..

Last night i got under the car and realized that one of the main bolts to the Differential was missing. So i figured what the hell i might as well pull out the other one take it to a parts store and find something similar Right!!! Wrong half way through backing the bolt out it broke the nut end off from inside the Subframe. Now i have to cut it off with a sawsall and begin surgery
OOOOHHHH SS######T
Attachment 2790
What now any Suggestions?
I thought about cutting an access hole in the subframe with a grinder or torch then weld in a new one but it is kind of an uneven surface and it would be hard to get a welder to fit under the car and in a blind hole to weld a bolt perfectly in place, unless i dropped the hole subframe? SOuds like alot of work
Take Diff out Drill out old hole with larger hole saw - weld bolt to piece of subframe then weld back in the piece i cut out ? I thought this would be the easyest

any other ideas, I didnt see any access holes on the frame so it looks like i am going to have to make my own.
Please help

I'd consider just cutting an opening large enough to fit the head of a spanner and not welding the nut in place.... I can't recall how well fortified that area is though; Some minor reinforcement may be needed if you want to keep the access port open.

Cre on in my hunting for the answer i have seen a few Broken Subframes in these exact spots. Now i am sure those guys had tons of power i an looking to be between 375 what i have now and 500 so i am not sure if i should or shouldnt weld something in. Right now i am considering Welding a Nut to a Rectangular piece of metel and sliding that in to the opening i create. I think this would help hold it in position, Make it so i only have exterior welding to do and be effective in securing it for future removal when and if it is needed. I think i will do a write up on it so everyone can see what i did if they encounter this situation

The stock nut isn't welded in; it sits inside a metal box which is welded in. I suppose there may have been some revision or early version where the nut wasn't free, but none of those I've worked on have been welded directly in. Putting the nut free in a piece of U channel and tacking that down, similar to the stock arrangement, might not be too difficult.

A break in the place you're talking about isn't a power thing... it's a torque and excess play thing. Your diff's been pounding on it like a slide hammer... this could have happened in a Honda. Time to start going over the car and torquing all the critical fasteners... start with the subframe fasteners next.

What if i welded it to one of the far ends of the u channel. wouldnt it act like a lever and hold the bolt in place if i offset it to one side. this way it could move a little and not need to be welded in but would also secure the nut for install and removal. I could then drill a hole in the bottom and fill it between the Piece of Uchannel and the Bottom of the Subframe.
I am not sure how to break away the cap inside the frame i guess ill just have to use a large srew driver and some pliers to get it out. Punching it from the bottom is also an option since the hole will serve mainly to scoup out the pieces.
Here are some pictures of the subframe.
Should i drill into the side of it or should i go from the bottom next to where the original mount is and hope my custom angled nut piece (LMAO)will fit in and work

Welding the nut to a floating piece of U channel is not a good idea. If the clamping surface is uneven you increase the likeliness of the nut placing an uneven load on the fastener with the U channel acting as a lever; I'm certain this is the reason for the original method of construction.

I would go at it from the side myself. It depends on how large of an aperture you need and what you're using to cut with and weld with though.

SO S### hit the fan on Friday when i went home. I looked at the project at hand and with more light realized that the worst that could have happened did. Subframe Broken in Half.Attachment 2803
So since this is going to be my Drift car and sometimes Daily vehicle i figured i will just weld the subframe back together and Fix the broken Cap for the Square nut thats in the subframe. i welded a nut to a piece of Steel and fit it into the Frame which worked perfectly and i put the circle that i cut witht he hole saw and filled in the gaps (plus i laid down a little extra metel for good looks. LOL). I had to do the same thiing to the other side as it was originally like this (past owner never fixed) and definetly added to the broken subframe i had. I used a Grade 8 Washer from Home depot to fill the hole this time which was easy'r then the orignal frame and thicker. (i finished this entire project in about 6 hrs)All in all I am going to drive it hard this week after the snow melts and see if i can get the frame to crack again if it does i will reweld it again and put in some extra metel in to get it to hold the subframe together.

I think I'm having the same problem...eccept I'm just missing one of the two diff mounting bolts near the drive shaft. I hope mine doesnt break during replacing it, after reading this i'm goanna get me some bolt breaker.

what size bolts/washers are these?

Im sorry you have to deal with this. I got a replacement bolt for it but i cant remember . you better check with toyota for the thread bith and size. these things are completey Rusted and i would just start getting ready to performe some surgery on it.
Good luck

will do, my car has loads of rust, originally a northern car. the mounting bolt that is there is so bad you cant see the "10" on it. I hope it doesn't break during replacement.

http://www.boltdepot.com/Fastener-In...Bolt-Sizes.pdf

I'm thinking the bolt is 10mm x 1.5, 1.25, or 1.0..?

I would take out the rusted bolt and see what size but i'm scared the same thing might happen to me and have to drill it out, still not knowing what size it was lol.

Dont Take it out unless you have to. Do your homework on finding out what size of bolt it is and save yoursefl the stress. The reason the bolt is missing in the first place is that is probably broke off inside when someone tried to remove it and that is why it isnt even there to begin with.
If you get the right sized bolt, Make sure you use an impact wrench to tr and tighten it. I think the slowness of me having to turn a wrench made my bolt seize faster.

Well a freind of mine had the bolt I needed from his Cressida build, which is the good news ( I belive it's a m14 x 35mm @ 1.25tp)

we both jacked up my car to put the bolt in yesterday and ran into quite a problem. the bolt holes where the diff mounts to the suframe are not aligned. spent an hour trying to get some play to somehow get it in but there was no luck. i'm guessing the subframe is tweaked seince there was only one mounting bolt..? =( the bolt goes in about halfway then taps the subframe, if you put your finger in the hole it feels like the hole is shifted like 1/4 inch to the side, if i use my pinky i can almost feel the cage nut inside the xmember but theres no way to get the holes to line up for the bolt to go in.

does this mean I've gotta get another subframe?!?! any ideas/options?

Check the top of the Subframe cage that goes over the Rear end for cracks. It should not be missaligned and i have never herd about any differential swaps causeing the issue of not ligning up.
To fix your Problem you can take a hole saw and drill into the subframe where the bolt and cage are located.(this is what i did on both sides).
It wont take you too long to do but you will need to weld the hole you cut out back in (I used a washer i bought at ace hardware) after you put in your new nut . I removed the cage inside and made my own design.
basically a piece of flat 1 inch steel with a Bolt welded on to one end so it had a lever or pivit point to press agains if i tightened or loosened them.
it sounds like something else is wrong. Check the Subframe next to the tank there are 4 mounting bolts you could have broken one of them and it twisted the Subframe.

Well this weekend I had some spare time and jacked up the car again for round 3.

http://www.toyota-supra.info/forums/...3&d=1266849127

the car won with a huge crack in the subframe!
I dont have a pic yet but It's about the same size if not a bigger gap and place as yours pictured above where the shaft meets the diff. =(

Is it possible to repair? I belive this is why my diff mounting bolt holes dont allign, and creates the clunking noise when not under load.

I'm planning on dropping the subframe and welding the crack hopfully everything will align if it's solid again? or should I hold out for another subframe?

Tripple C, what are you going to do about yours?

I welded it back together. I Took out the diff and swapped it for a welded this weekend and finished the welding on the botom side of the subframe Rail.
I started by welding the actuall frame back together then created some 3/4 inch flat pieces of steel and welded them on to the outside of the frame for more support. I also Drilled holes in the Metal piece so i could fill in a rosette weld and make it stronger. Not just an edge or rosette weld I put on some extra leyers on for mental security.
The frame is holding great and trust me i have been beating it to death. In fact it currently isnt running but thats not because of the subframe. i have ignition or Mainly fuel delivery problems

I'm going to wait out on another subframe in better shape and reinforce it, I didn't realize how much crap that area of the subframe is... apparently it is a common problem for 2 key areas on the rear subframe 1.) right where the front diff mounting bolts and subframe meet 2.) above the diff where it connects to the driveshaft. everyone should go under the rear of their car if not already done so and check these areas of your subframe. I suspect that age and the more torque the diff puts more stress that causes these cracks.

I found tons of info and pictures in detail about this particular problem
http://www.supraforums.com.au/forum/...p?t-43162.html

good plan on getting the new subframe. I will be doing the same time but in the mean time i am using what i have until i find one in my area.
If you had time and wanted a cage you should just try and build your sumframe into the cage. I know thats a big budget move but i dont know what kind of mechanic you are.
Weld it back together till you find yourself a new one, it takes hardly any time at all when you really think about it.

I'm not 100% sure if I want to repair my orig subframe or wait out of another one. My main concern is that maybe my subframe is twisted a bit and the front mounting bolt holes dont line up. =/ my crack is located right above the diff. seems like it's about to snap in half...

to weld or not to weld?

Welding - not so much money (some would say free)
New Subframe - More money then welding ($150 -1500)