So I have been having this strange vibration while driving on the highway, that seems to go away a couple secs after letting off the gas, and pushing in clutch. Later I notice an intermittant grinding noise while making sahrp turns (U-Turns, parking, etc) that sounds like a warped, rusty brake rotor rubbing the squeaker of a pad.

i now have get the feeling like somebody installed a spool into my diff without telling me, but i still get differential motion of the tires, somewhat.

with the car in neutral, one wheel off the ground, I turn one of the rear wheels while the other remains stationary. The wheel turns freely for about 90 deg. rotation, then i feel someting bind...*clunk*....another 90deg free rotation.....bind..*clunk*...and so on...

Can this be fixed, or is it the end for my poor diff???

ALSO***

Has anyone else had a similar issue??

 

Is it 90 degrees or 120 degrees. 120 degrees would be the axle.

 

Does it keep making the same bind...*clunk*....another 90deg free rotation.....bind..*clunk* when you put the other wheel in the air (and the other on the ground)?

Is the car lowered?

Does it stop making noise and binding when you put both wheels in the air, in gear, (no e-brake) and turn one wheel?
The other wheel should turn the opposite way without noise.

Drop the diff oil.
Watch for metal parts in the oil and on the magnetic drain plug.
What oil is in there and for how long?
You need 1 quart to fill it back up.
Honda recommends SAE 90 GL-5 gear oil.
Lots use 75W-90 but that's just not the same.

 

the only time the diff is quiet is when the car is moving in a straight line,

The noise is made when the car turns left or right, does not matter what tire is in the air, or what direction it is turned...seems like anytime differential movement occurs, so does the noise

I am using schaffer's 9000 synthetic gear oil, <10,000 miles on this oil change....SAE 80-90 if i remember correctly

 

ok, drained fluid, and it still looks like new!

Magnet in drain plug has only minimal shavings on it, more of a .0005 micron pulp like substance.

Refilled for now with castrol gtx 80-90 gear oil....seems to have partially cured the problem. now i only hear the crunch when turning sharp left, and the freeway vibration seems to have setteled to the 75 mph area.

I will try flushing the diff again tomorrow after i drive it a little more, and use up the rest of my castrol lube, then later with some synthetic.

 

Your LSD is broke

It can be replaced or I can rebuild it.

 

is there a risk of sudden, radical dissassembley all over the freeway if I keep driving on it? or did I just loose the limited-slip functionality?

 

The diff doesn't wear out. The limited slip is based on worm gears. If the limited slip part isn't working, the diff is probably in peices.