Replaced the fluid..did figure 8's for a bit...took her out on the road...still making noise.

I did notice a new problem though...in reverse, she has started to clunk, clack, click, and shudder. <---I know..good use of descriptive language
So I'm thinking that it HAS to be CV or UJ's..maybe both?  Any idea's??

If i reverse at a good rate of speed, stop rapidly, then roll forward it lets out a single clunk..then if i accelerate she squeeks while I let it coast to a stop in 1st gear.

The shudder only happens in reverse...and at slow speeds (noticed it while backing her back into the garage).

I'm about ready to say screw it and either get all new parts for the rear end or just take it to the shop  

1) The skweeking(hi-tech terminology) is the give-away...it's the u-joints.
2) The clunk you hear while changing directions could well be the front diff cushion/mount.

Thanks Adam.
The skweeking gives it away eh?  Glad to see someone speaks the same technical language as me...I'm betting that you can also point out the "doohickie" , "whatchamacallit" and the "hooptiedoo" on my Vette as well. (there are numerous hooptiedoo's and doohickie's on my car).

So here's the next question...U-joints...easy enough for an amateur like myself...or should I save the time and money by taking it to the shop??

-Shane

[QUOTE=LukesVette]Shane fly safe and thanks for supporting us grunts on the groud!! [/QUOTE]

Yup I'd be looking at the U joints. Get a mate, jack the rear wheels off the ground. Grab one end of half shaft and give it a real healthy side ways push and pull while your mate turns the wheel slowly. Mine was fine in one position but turn it 90 degrees and it just rattled back and forward. When I took it out there were NO needles left in one of the cups, and very few in it's opposite cup. Unbelievable. Do both ends of course. If it's as bad as mine was you'll soon feel it believe me !

Not a hard job, but you do need a BIG vice and some good size sockets as you have to "press" the cross out of the axle end with the vice in each direction to release each cap and remove it. I should have taken photos wen I did it !

Also getting the half shaft off in the first place can be a little interesting... you have to mark where the "camber plate" currently is, undo the big nut, and rotate the camber bolt so that the hub assembly is pushed outwards as far as it will go in order to get the clearance needed to get the half shaft out. Even then I had to rotate my wheel a bit as well.

We took two hours to do one half shaft out, both u-joints removed and replaced, and the half shaft back in. But it was our first time, and now that we know what we're doing (haha) the next one will be quicker !