J have posted this on a Mustang forum which is not local enough to the area so have not gotten any responses to the question I need answered the most. Where are the best shops closest to where I live that I might be able to take my IRS to for diagnosis and repair.

I am getting a noise that I only can describe as brakes dragging, from the rear of the car. Been getting louder. Before tearing the car apart I have checked for play at the wheels/hub area. Nothing really noticeable there. The car has 17,000 miles and did a lot of sitting, apparently, until I got it. It had the weeping when I bought it and drips a drop or so a day. Has gotten louder since my track day last week.

I have taken the brakes off to see if I could hear anything, thought it was a little loud, at the hubs, when idling in first on the jack stands but the car is kind of loud so not easy to tell. So I removed the hubs/knuckles assy and axles, I cannot feel any play in the knuckle bearing and it doesn't spin loosely or wobble/grind or anything.

I bought bearings and a new cover and gasket for the diff but am waiting to install them, I am thinking that my problem may be elsewhere though.

Should I drop the whole IRS and have a professional inspect the diff or are there other things that I can do myself at this point?

If I drop the IRS what things should I do while it's out? e.g. replace the fuel filter. FYI, this is a DD that will see a couple track days a year.

There is only one mustang shop in my area, that I know of, so would also like to know if anybody had recommendations for other professionals in the Melbourne/Orlando Florida area, where I could bring the IRS in to.

 

Unfortunately the Cobra IRS friendly shops that I know of are here in Tampa. S&R Performance has done a couple IRS swaps into different cars and have had numerous IRSs in for repair and troubleshooting including mine. Is your gear oil getting low?

While the IRS is out, there is a whole laundry list of things that can be done, but you may choose not to invest in delrin bushings and all the rest of it. Fuel filter, carrier bolts. There are volumes about this on svtperformance.com..

 

I have been waiting on pulling the IRS to get a little more information, to get some help and the usual distractions. I appreciate the recommendation for S&R Performance. I am going blind reading SVTP, so much info there.

Yeah, I'm not sure about the bushing change, that's the Full Tilt Boogie kit right?. The bushings are like 600 for the kit I think, don't know how much it will cost to have someone do it. I did a similar thing on my mr2, myself, it was not easy, but I don't want to do this car.

Not sure what the carrier bolt thing is you mentioned?

 

I'll take a look at it for you. when can you stop by the shop?

813-333-1100

 

Jeff, I'm really looking for a shop that has experience with this unit, as close to home as I can get it. I appreciate your response for sure, I did not know that you ran a mustang shop?

 

The bolts I was referring to were the IRS sub frame mounting bolts. On some Cobras the front were installed with 12 mm bolts. They should have been 14 mm and the smaller 12mm bolts allow the front of the IRS sub frame to move around a bit. Also you may want to put button head bolts in the rear of the IRS sub frame so that you can run a 10.5 inch rear rim. I'm sure you have run into this in your readings...

Full Tilt Boogie Racing also sells a grade 8 9/16s bolt set for the front to get everything nice and tight. Part FT1600 on the web site.

I have the FTBR complete kit in my car. It was quite a job to install. A full day.

 

The best 03/04 Cobra mechanic I know if is in Tampa; he worked on my KB Cobra from my diff issues to rebuilding the seals in my KB Blower and was great; prices were good. He was Hermann's mechanic when Horsepower By Hermann was in Tampa, and Hermann is a meticulous guy. Give me a PM if you are interested; I'll check with him to make sure he is still doing work on the side (works from his house).

 

they built like what 8 IRS cars ever no-one has experience..

While I've aligned a few IRS 'stangs.. I don't know them intamently

anyway it's a Ford it was built originally with bailing wire and chewing gum. and you can fix it with a rock. but I can help you diagnose the problem.. after a while you start to look at every car the same.

 

They sure fall apart like the're put together with bailing wire, etc!

I know what you're saying about they all start to blend together too. What I am looking for is someone with intimate knowledge though, I want to do this only one time.

 

While I believe you could "help you diagnose the problem." I lost some respect for you on that one..