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My boyfriend owns and 81 280zx turbo automatic with an R200 differential and half shaft axles. At the moment the car is having an issue of a clunking noise in the rear end whenever we let off the gas and the rear end jumping to its own direction. Both do not happen constantly. You can also hear a grinding noise and whining constantly. I have looked everywhere and can’t find a new diff or even a whole new rear end. I have already spent over 2000 on this car trying to make it run right and am trying to prevent him from scrapping it. Any suggestions please?!

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Based on your couple sentence description, it sounds like the crosspin is coming out (failure imminent). R200s are not that hard to find. The turbo might have a different pinion flange, I'm not sure, but if it is different you can just swap the one from the current diff to the new one. Needs red loctite and very tight, I think the spec is something like 150 - 225 ft/lbs. I just put my impact on 5, drain the compressor so it fills back up, then nail it to get it as tight as I can. If you don't have air compressor/tools, you can probably rent an electric impact gun locally.

Or, just find a diff out of a 280ZXT. Here's one on ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1982-280zx-Turbo-R200-Differential/283474896273?hash=item42006ba591:g:WywAAOSwO7Ncz2aY

Edited by JMortensen
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I'd suggest putting the car on jackstands and running it while searching underneath for the source of the noise(s).  Clunking noise could be one of a dozen potential issues.  Same goes for "grinding" and "whirring" noises.  May need a stethoscope-type of tool to locate noises internal to a component.  You can run the speed up and down in different gears (including reverse), and simulate load on the rear axle with the foot brake and parking brake.  You can also check for obvious looseness in components with the suspension unloaded.  Obviously this doesn't fully simulate driving down a road, but it can be very helpful in either locating or eliminating sources of noises/issues.  

 

Replacing parts before doing any diagnosis is just guess-work.  My two cents...

Edited by jhm
clarity and completeness
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