2011 Camaro SS Differential problem? Or Axle popped out?

[Austin48624]

Okay so, this last weekend I went to the drag strip. I launched pretty hard a couple of times but nothin really happened. I finally decided that I wanted to leave and said I'd do one more run. As soon as I dropped the clutch I heard a huge thump. As if there was some type of object I ran over. But I didn't run anything over. I by this time was going about 60 and started slowing down. I realized that nothing was making noise but a loss in power was there it seemed. As I turn to go back down the track I heard loud clanking of something from the back of the car? (Assuming it's the diff gears) and it would cause it (The Differential) to slip almost. Like, I would slowly let off the clutch then it would catch and I'd go. I managed to take this opportunity to drive back to a friend's place. Which at the time there was no noise unless I pushed it a little from a stop or turned either direction. After getting to said friend's house I decided to troubleshoot and investigate the issue. I managed to get a video about what I could see that I'll post a link to it after I finished this post. I've tried shaking the left axle and it moved a little bit but as much as the right axle. The left one seemed to be a problem but I'll explain in better detail a little later.
but anyway, I finally got to their house and it finally broke fully? I would be in 1st gear trying to slowly let off the clutch and go but it felt like it was not catching any of the gears? But it said I was going 5mph? Since the vehicle wouldn't move anyway I let it coast at 5mph and laid down underneath the back bumper to look at those in the video. (Axles/diff) the left one for some reason seems to not be fully seated in the diff. Which I can't tell because I haven't looked at a well seated axle. So, while it's still doing the 5mph thing, and the driveshaft IS spinning as if it was driving. I pushed and wiggled the left axle in a bit and it caught then stalled. So, with this in mind and from the video. Do you guys think that the axles are actually good but not seated properly, or the diff is messed up and I just need to get a new one? Anything helps. I'm just trying to figure out what to buy and not end up wasting money of a part that didn't need fixing.
THE VIDEO LINK : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WPO29QiPwAw

[InFiD3ViL]

Sounds like the end of the left axle snapped. Wouldn't be surprised if you also had some gear damage.

[Rock-It Man]

The twisted boots alone tell you that there's a problem.

Since both are twisted, there's more damage than just one shaft broken.

[Austin48624]

Originally Posted by Rock-It Man

The twisted boots alone tell you that there's a problem.

Since both are twisted, there's more damage than just one shaft broken.

The right axle isn't twisted. At all it's fine and snug in the diff. But the left one has play... So could it just be the axle or the axle AND the diff?
Sorry along with this, never had this issue.

[samman11]

Ouch. Hopefully you can do the work yourself and save some money.

[Moto-Mojo]

I think this is why race teams have sponsors. You track it, you break it, they fix it.

[HDRDTD]

A club member had a similar experience with her 2010 or 2011 SS back at CamaroFest in Indy as she launched the car on the strip.

Turns out the spider gears in the rear end turned into shrapnel and ruined everything in the diff.

[samman11]

Originally Posted by HDRDTD

A club member had a similar experience with her 2010 or 2011 SS back at CamaroFest in Indy as she launched the car on the strip.

Turns out the spider gears in the rear end turned into shrapnel and ruined everything in the diff.

Sooo, did she do something wrong in terms of the launch or is this something related to poor design? Am I to worry if I drive my SS in a "spirited" fashion?

[1Coopgt]

I think the question should be what RPM did the OP launch at . And did he just dump the clutch. How much HP does his car have ? Repeated hard launches can stress parts pretty badly.

[Moto-Mojo]

It really appears you just busted the ball and cage kit in the inner half shaft end. The diff may in fact be fine. That's my guess. You're down there in "The Driveshaft Shop" country. He's a sponsor here. If you knew someone in the bizz, those ends can be replaced. Most won't do that though. But in your case, you probably boogered up the splined end of the shaft that mates with the inner race of the six-ball set up. The twist tells me that. I'd expect the shaft to go before the diff...if yer lucky!

I think all of us weekend warriors worry about this. Our cars were designed much more to be performance passenger cars than race cars. Ok, a ZL1, Z/28 and to a lesser degree, the 1LE are equipped with a few track-friendly mods.

Kind of a pay me now or pay me later proposition , IMO. $80K (give or take) gets you a Z/28 track car. But something tells me they break too. Pay to play...

[Austin48624]

Originally Posted by Moto-Mojo

I think this is why race teams have sponsors. You track it, you break it, they fix it.

Wish I was sponsored lol.
(*Live on Marine base with a TON of Marines wanting a fast car with aftermarket shit with money to blow lol*)

[Austin48624]

Originally Posted by HDRDTD

A club member had a similar experience with her 2010 or 2011 SS back at CamaroFest in Indy as she launched the car on the strip.

Turns out the spider gears in the rear end turned into shrapnel and ruined everything in the diff.

You know after all this happened I looked more into what a differential is and how it operated and it seemed to make sense that the spidergears would be ****ed. I was gonna order a part (axle or the diff) Friday but I want to at least take off both axles and open up the casing for the diff, to see what's actually wrong. Hopefully it's just the spider gears or the axle end breaking...."hopefully"

[Pro Stock John]

You can find stock take-off axles all over for cheap, so if it's just that you are lucky. If it's the spider gears, you might want to consider all your options.

I have broke both over the years.

[Austin48624]

Originally Posted by 1Coopgt

I think the question should be what RPM did the OP launch at . And did he just dump the clutch. How much HP does his car have ? Repeated hard launches can stress parts pretty badly.

I can tell you that I wasn't too sure on how to properly launch. Seeing as I've only seen videos and doing burnouts on the street and launching as well was a bit easier. The grip is a whole lot better and the grip was slot more than I thought. I had wheel hop and that ALONE should have been red flags. But what did I know? I got a 13.03 second quarter mile, and I wanted to get my reaction time down to .1s not .4s (their lights are delayed so you'd have to launch on the last yellow light) But yes, I was dumbing the clutch and at higher rpms. So I got what I deserved. It just confuses me that for a while it worked just fine in a straight line but when I'd turn it would thump. What finally did it for going straight AND turning was a complete u-turn. Then it felt like it disconnected.