Rear diff? Axle? Someone tell me what this is!

[daarkness92]

Just driving normally and go to make a right turn, and suddenly hear this loud noise like one of my back wheels fell off or something. So I get out and check the rear and everything looks fine, so i get back in and continue driving to work, but whenever i go to make a turn something locks up in the rear, and then it starts doing it when I try to take off forwards and the car will NOT roll backwards on a hill...by the time I got to work I can smell something burning and i'm pissed, i look under the car and i see smoke coming from the rear diff...just great...well long story short i took the car out of commission for a complete rebuild over the past few months and now its time to fix this problem, is it my rear diff or the axles? the car makes a clunking sound going in reverse and in turns and locks up in the rear trying to make a turn either way..ive seen a couple people with similar problems but not sure what to do?-thanks Matt

 

[talontd92tsi]

This is an odd one, but it sounds like your rear diff may have had a leak and ran out of gear oil. I would get out there and pull the cover off the back and see what carnage lies within.