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Popping noises and binding/rolling resistance

973 views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  LegendaryT2 
#1 ·
2000 Audi A4 Quattro Tiptronic 2.8 daily driver

So backstory is I was driving for a few months with a bad wheel bearing for a long time and didn't hear any other noises. I was driving one day and noticed harsher vibration and louder noises and thought the bearing just got worse (it was quite loud enough to begin with) only reason I didn't change it sooner is that the whole subframe was rusty and didn't want to just change that so I have a subframe I was gonna swap over. I was on the freeway but didn't notice much of anything cept a few "kicks" in the rear. Once traffic slowed down to a crawl then I noticed something real serious is happening. It felt like something was binding, popping and even really holding the car from moving at times like someone stuck a metal pole in my wheel spokes and then it broke free. Got off the freeway parked it and towed it home.

Got under the car and noticed the diff/axle seals were bad and leaking out fluid which I realized after. So I thought this was the issue. I just went through changing the fluids out the rear diff and swapping a rear subframe from an S4. After all is said and done the same issue is taking place. Couldn't even make it out the driveway and barely was able to make it back in (by reversing) where I had to give it crazy gas to get it to "break free"

So is it that the diff is bad in total or is it something else? Rear wheels in the air they spin freely of each other. Add resistance to one and it's hard to spin.

Sorry for long post but details I'm sure would help get me an answer.

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#2 ·
Hello LegendaryT2,

That sounds like a bad CV axle or wheel bearing from my own experience. This exact same thing happened to me a couple of times (different car though). I would bet on the wheel bearing. Have you checked the other wheels to see if they spin fine while on stands, or see if theres any movement to the sides.

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#4 ·
So an update: I took the car to the dealer and they told me the "transfer case" (center diff) was destroyed due to no fluids present. Apparently I had the transmission replaced with a low mileage JY trans. They drained all the fluids for shipping which I didn't know cuz the car wouldn't move. So I added trans fluid. And then I didn't know that the center diff needs fluid (or that the car has one) so now as u can tell the center diff was bone dry for about 4 months and now it's fwd.

Lucky me I have another spare trans (bought without a torque converter) that I'm going to swap out the center diff section. I also noticed that trans and diff also has no fluids so I guess it's standard JY procedure (this one I picked up) so now I have the diff gasket, driveshaft seal and 1L of GL4 gear oil on order. Google search from I think JHM shows 1L capacity, is this the correct amount to fill from empty?

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