Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Driveline noise! Please give me your ear!

[Motorhead]

I have had this noise when I put the trans in gear starting at 27,000mi. of course the dealer "didn't hear a thing" The truck now has 45,000 mi on it. I have the one piece aluminum drive shaft. DTT did my trans and listened to it before and after the trans rebuild and thought it might be the front U-joint. I replaced BOTH of them yesterday and same thing.

Here's what takes place... You start it and put it in drive. It makes a cracking noise as the driveline is "loaded" in drive. It will only make the noise again if you then put it in reverse and "load" the driveline the other way.

Will any of you guys that have the short bed, Quad, Automatic with the aluminum driveline listen to yours and see if it makes this same noise?

Dtt took apart the OD unit and it was fine.

Do you think that the Aluminum drive shaft could be transmitting the small noise louder???

I have posted this problem a few times with no resolve.

PLEASE HELP

 

[pro99]

noise

What I have seen is that the drive shaft is the concern. The drive shaft starts off as a tube then they add the ends that have about a 6-inch sleeve attached to the yoke and u-joint holder at the other end. They put the sleeves inside the drive shaft and weld them together. What happens sometimes is that the sleeve and the outer shaft move against each other making the noise. The only way to fix the noise is to replace the drive shaft or drill a small hole in the end of the drive shaft behind the yoke large enough to take a can of w-40 sprayer hose in it. Stand the drive shaft on its end and spray the oil in so it can lube the shaft inside. Don’t put the whole can in but enough to get the drive shaft lubed. I don’t know if you’re under warranty still or not but if you are replace the drive shaft if not then oil it.

 

[Motorhead]

That is one of the best explanations I have heard. I hear the noise at the trans end of the driveshaft. Are you saying that the sleeve is turning minutely in the driveshaft tube? Thanks for the reply

 

[pro99]

thank you

Yes it's turning inside against each other. I have seen on some of them a very very small crack in the weld to but I am talking very small. I do hope this helps you out

 

[Motorhead]

RIGHT ON!!! Thanks. I will inspect it better in a few days. This thing won't drop on me will it? What do you think about having the driveline re-welded then re-balanced?

 

[Archive]

????????

I have a 4x4 5sp with the 2 piece shaft... I am starting to get a noice about the same time as you... but mine sounds like some lightly hitting the shaft as you let out on the clutch and the shaft is loaded. . about the same. . only seems to make the noice if you back up or reverse the load on the shaft... Can never get it to make the sound when I am with some... a little over 80,000 on the truck... . Anyone????

Thanks

Bryan

 

[WLM_RAMMAN]

My 00' has been doing just what you guys are talking about lately, mostly when pulling the gooseneck..... I crawled all over the underside looking for a bad joint. . this would explain why I couldn't find one... your talking about the end with the slip joint??

 

[TnLRacing]

You may also want to check out your rearend backlash, I have seen a few of these in my shop, that turned out to have excessive backlash

 

[pro99]

Back lash

Back lash that is out of spec usually doesn't cause clicking, tapping, creaking noises when loading the drive ling. The back lash if it is out will cause more of a clunk noise when put into reveres or drive.

 

[TnLRacing]

My bad I should have read the description a little better

 

[Motorhead]

WLM_RAMMAN, you noise could be coming from the slip joint on your two piece driveshaft. My driveline is a one-piece aluminum shaft.

PROTURBO99, What do you think of either cutting the driveline and re-welding, or drilling several 3/8ths holes around the upper part and about 2 to 3 inches below the origional weld. Drill just through the "Tube" and then weld up the holes. This would attach the collar also to the tube of the driveshaft. I'm concerned about a driveline failure while towing.

 

[John]

I may be wrong but...

... it sounds to me (from the two descriptions of the problem above) like the rear most U-joint is placed in a bind condition upon direction reversal. This is very apparent the more you lift a suspension, thereby increasing the driveline angle especially if lift blocks are utilized (which are present on the 4x4s right from the factory). You see, when you reverse the direction placed on the U-joint and subsequently apply power to it without moving at all, the lift blocks (i. e. , fulcrums... working against the rear axle) more easily allow the pinion angle to rotate up or down sometimes forcing the U-joint into a temporary bind condition resulting in a popping sound. You will generally only hear one pop.



BTW, as one would imagine, this does not do any good for the U-joint.

 

[John]

PROTURBO99, I have been around quite a few driveshafts, custom and otherwise... I even made a trick, custom driveshaft for a previous problematic 4x I used to own (I adapted a CV joint and 1/2 of a slip yoke I mated using 1330 U-joints, to the front of the rear driveshaft... thereby eliminating all vibration problems).



To which, I have never seen the kind of "ends" you talk about. The yokes I've seen always have a small (say 1/2" to maybe 3/4" long) machined diameter which the driveshaft tubing is lightly pressed onto and then welded circumferencially (between the yoke and tubing). However, all the driveshafts I've seen have been fabricated of steel, not aluminum.

 

[Archive]

Ding Ding found after checking the U-joints very few days my center joint had a little play in it... I mean U could measure it with a dial indicator play but that was about it..... everyone else that looked at it thought I was nuts for replacing it... (not that it is very expensive. ) When it was apart. . it wasn't dry. . and looked good. . but the new joint was a tighter... have a few thousand miles on the new joint. . no noises yet... .

Just FYI... .

Bryan

 

[Motorhead]

GOOD NEWS, After repeted calls to the dealer that I bought the truck from, The service manager decided to order me a new complete drivelineOo. . He said it had to come out of Detroit, so, I will wait for a call from them. I was 10,000 mi out of warranty.

I'll let you all know when it comes..... That's when I believe!!!