Archived 03 4x4 front end growling

[JGrammatico]

So my front end was making a growling sound. Transfer case was low so I topped it off. was told it was probably wheel hub/bearings. just changed them out tonight along with the front u-joints. Took it for a test drive and there is the growling noise again! :{ God what a disheartening feeling. The truck has 125k miles so i felt that the wheel bearings could be the culprit. I don't feel too bad because changing the hubs and u-joints is some preventative maintenance. I just can't stand busting my butt all day only to find out the problem persists. Could it be the front drive shaft u joints? Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Hoefler]

Most likely in the differential. Have you checked the fluid level or changed?? Possibly U-joints in the drive shaft too.

 

[tp0d]

I`d jack the front end up and have two ppl spin the front wheels while you listen to stuff. I have a stethoscope that works great for low volume (low speed) sounds.

U-joints typically vibrate, but i guess a growling could happen. . If they havent been changed in 125k, theyre probably due.

My original hubs/bearings on my 96 had 180k on em when I sold the truck, and they were very quiet.

-j

 

[sag2]

Pull the front shaft and see if the noise goes away.

 

[JGrammatico]

thanks everyone. I will yank the shaft out later today and see what happens

 

[HHhuntitall]

I've had the center piece in the Spicer "H" unit in the front driveshaft go bad and start growling. Sometimes it's repairable, sometimes it's not. Turning the tires with it off the ground is a good idea. If you can't tell there, try taking out the front driveshaft first. You can still drive it without it... . if you still have a growl, go for the diff. If it's growling that bad, I'd bet you can see any damage and probably some metal shaving in the oil when you pull the plate off.

 

[JGrammatico]

Update:



The noise is still present and it is my belief that it is coming from the transfercase. Any help pointing me in the right direction will be greatly appreciated. I changed the hub bearings and u joints in the front axle. I changed all the u joints in the drive shafts with the exception of the 2 on the front shaft at the transfer case. Drove the truck w/o the front shaft and noise still there. I don't feel bad about buying all the u joints and hubs only to find out they were not the source. Don't get me wrong I wish I did find the source but the truck has 125K and all those parts were still original.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Transfer case?... ouch! Try to find it somewhere else, if you can. Have you checked the carrier bearing? Or do you have one? My '03 went bad a few back, and it just had a brushing sound when backing up, but I finally climbed under it to see what was leaking, and to my horror, the front shaft had backed out of the transfer case an inch or so!!! No wonder it was leaking!! I fixed it, new seal, and it's back in action!! But the carrier bearing could be growling at you..... Also, try putting the t case in neutral and putting the transmission in gear. Could it be your transmission?