I just figured the diff would have made a lot more noise, like metal getting bashed around inside the pumpkin.
Definitely the diff.
Didn't like the hard & fast 1>2 shifts.
Right rear let out a small bark, then a not very loud metal "ping", but everything still drove fine and I didn't see any fluids leaking.
Drove real nice for a mile or so and then on decell, another "ping".
Drove another mile or so and then accelerated maybe half throttle from a light, and as soon as it tried to go to second, another "ping" and then engine tried to rev straight to the Moon. Barely even made a sound when it let go.