Understanding my transaxle. Help.
 

88 Carrera. 3.2. G50. On the way to work this morning and the driver side axle completely detaches from the transmission. Slaps around for a second before I can get stopped. Had the car towed home and got it lifted. Looks like all six bolts just backed out. I have one hole that the threads are slightly buggered up. The rest are fine. I can handle that fix but something that has me curious is that while the passenger side is still intact, I have no power going to that wheel at all. It just seems to me that the missing axle should be just like that side slipping and I should have power to the other side. Am I missing something? Thanks

Uh no, there's a differential in there. Allows the two sides to rotate att different speeds. Needed because in an arc, the outside tires on a car travel further than the insides.

So while the left side is stationary, the right side rotates twice as fast and vice versa.

Yes, you do not have Limited Slip Differential.

The Drive-side is the one that the "power"

Very important that you re-torque after couple of hundred miles and do it again after 500 miles. ( do 10% over spec )

BTW, I bet you heard some clicking before the failure, yes? Unless you have very loud exhaust it is very slight and only when you take off.

Thanks guys. I feel better now. Not sure about the clicking with the radio on but I did get a hell of a vibration right before it came loose. I was running 80 and was able to get slowed down a bit before it did.....

Check everything for damage, like the chassis, accelerator rods etc, take your time and a bright light.

make sure the bolts are clean and the proper length when you fix it. also NEW washers.
check the other side. you should see 2-3 threads sticking out past the flange, if not the bolts are too short.
you can get new bolts and washers at Fastenal. they come in a bag of 50 if you need to replace more than the 6.
proper torque

I get new bolts, by the way. Loctite it in.

Very strange that your CV connection came undone. The G50 uses the larger 108mm
flange and uses 10mm bolts. The 10mm bolts rarely to never come loose as opposed to the 8mm bolts used on the '78-'84 100mm axle flanges. Strange indeed! Perhaps someone had the flanges off previously and didn't torque them correctly to
60ft lbs. The 8mm bolts only call for 30ft lbs torque.