[E91Noob]

I should add to my original description of the issue that I don't feel the issue everywhere while accelerating. It's only noticeable only under moderate/heavy throttle in the 2-3.5k rev range. If I'm super smooth (slow af), and hold the revs around 3.5k+, there is no noticeable issue.

To clarify, the car drives perfectly normally with the front driveshaft removed?

I've been driving the car for about three months now without the front driveshaft connected with no issues. As soon as it was installed I can feel the jerky acceleration.

Is there fluid in the transfer case?

I haven't checked if there is or on the quality of the fluid in the t-case. I will make sure to do that early this week.

How does the front diff feel.

Feeling the front... the driver's side is a little 'tight' but feels more like a bearing nearing the end of its life. It still moves easily but doesn't freely spin as long as the passenger-side wheel. I can see the gear turning where it would be connected to the drive shaft when moving the wheels.

Is it possible the rear diff was changed out to one with a different ratio?

I'm unsure, how would I be able to check on that? Out of curiosity: What would influence someone to make the decision to change out a rear diff with a different gear ratio than stock?


The previous owner did replace the oil pan gasket, so I know that the front diff has come out at least once for that job. There shouldn't really be any room for error since it's a sealed component right? If that's the case, I should narrow my investigation to the transfer case for the time being, and order a bunch of aluminum fasteners for the driveshafts.