wierd Noise from drivetrain

[Simplysmn]

Have a 08 that just hit 90,000 miles and I am getting a viberating noise as I drive more noitcable at lower speed's and for a few day's has gone awy at freeway speed but tonight I have the same noise and now a viberation at same time ?could it be U joint's or something getting ready to fail ? Kinda in a bind I will be down as of next week due to knee surgery so I have to figure out what it is ASAP Any Idea's guy's ???>?? HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP #@$%!

 

[Hoefler]

Can you change it by selecting another gear at the same speed?? What RPM is it usually at?

 

[HBarlow]

I'd bet you a good meal it is a bad u joint. I had one fail in similar fashion a few months ago at only 75k miles. I've been reading that u joint failure is fairly common. Dodge must have sourced the driveshafts from a ChiComm manufacturer.

 

[Cosmo]

Have you been greasing the upper end of the front driveshaft on a regular basis? My money goes to that.

 

[Simplysmn]

well it's there at all rpm's and all speed's yes I have been greasing front shaft I am also leaning tward u joint hope to figure out what it is today . Thank's guy's

 

[gathomas]

I'd bet you a good meal it is a bad u joint. I had one fail in similar fashion a few months ago at only 75k miles. I've been reading that u joint failure is fairly common. Dodge must have sourced the driveshafts from a ChiComm manufacturer.

Harvey, you don't mean the same "ChiComm" manufacturer That supplies Dodge with Sealed Front wheel bearings ??



I had two sets of FWB's from the dealer - $480 each + Labor if they lasted 5K I'll eat my hat. I now have Timken's, we'll see how they hold up. The box said "Made in USA"



That was the box, right?? LOL !!

 

[Simplysmn]

Ok just got done checking joint's all feel's good no slop that I can see or feel heading to tire shop now to reballance tires and see if there is a difference will chime back in later Thank you for all the reply's

 

[Whiteranch04]

Front drivesahft needs rebuilding and all of the driveshaft ujoints in the rear is my bet, update to better ones and get them with zerks at the same time, sure you dont have a hub going out or a front drive alxeujoint failing??

 

[Simplysmn]

Well back from tire shop noise is still there but not as bad as before still sound's like a tire issue because I didn't have this sound 2 week's ago before we rotated tires and had them ballanced . I don't quit easy one way or another I will find what it is .

 

[EB]

When you say you checked and there was no slop, did you take the bolts loose and rotate the joint by hand? I have had several that were locked up on one leg and showed no heat, I use a infrared temp gun. If one is dry it will cause a vibration and eventually go out. I'll bet on the u-joints.

 

[Simplysmn]

I set park brake and put tran's in N then crawled under truck and tryed to shake drive line it feel's tight

 

[HBarlow]

I set park brake and put tran's in N then crawled under truck and tryed to shake drive line it feel's tight

I don't think you can diagnose a bad universal joint that way. When I had one go bad we had to drop the driveshaft and rotate the joint to feel it binding. I think it is the binding that causes the vibration you feel.

 

[HBarlow]

Harvey, you don't mean the same "ChiComm" manufacturer That supplies Dodge with Sealed Front wheel bearings ??

I had two sets of FWB's from the dealer - $480 each + Labor if they lasted 5K I'll eat my hat. I now have Timken's, we'll see how they hold up. The box said "Made in USA"

That was the box, right?? LOL !!

I've had pretty good luck with sealed front wheel bearings on two previous Dodges. I replaced the hubs on each of them at somewhere around 215k miles.

I purchased them from MOPAR4LESS an online Mopar parts discount distributor for about half that price if I remember correctly and a mechanic friend did the labor.

If yours failed again at such low mileage I would be suspicious about the skill and integrity of the parts changer who replaced them for you.

 

[Simplysmn]

I don't think you can diagnose a bad universal joint that way. When I had one go bad we had to drop the driveshaft and rotate the joint to feel it binding. I think it is the binding that causes the vibration you feel.

Harvey I did that on the request of a good friend that is a top notch Mech he's about 30 miles north of me so I couldn't have him look at truck today . I am going to try and drop driveline tomorrow and look at the joint's myself and go from there Thank you again for your advise

 

[EB]

I had a front wheel bearing go out at 297k miles and went ahead and replaced the other one about a week later. The one that went out was out, it dropped to an angle where the anti lock brake failed. The other one was a little loose when it was replaced but the bearing itself was smooth. I replaced it for peace of mind, I go to some strange places at all hours and would not want to be setting on the side of the road at some of them.