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.