Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Feeling a grinding in driveline

[John Berger]

It happens at real low speeds (as far as I know), usually in first or second and occasionally in reverse. When pulling into my driveway the other day, as I coasted to a stop in second gear working the clutch and brake I noticed what felt like a rubbing/bumping/grinding noise. It did it in first gear this morning coasting to the guard station coming on to the base. As far as I know I'm not getting this at higher speeds or in 3rd gear or higher. I checked the play in the driveshaft and it seems OK although there is more play in the front section of the drive shaft than in the back section. I just changed gear lube and thought at first that it might be the clutches. When I did the figure 8's, I thought I could feel this rubbing/bumping/grinding as well(by this time I'm thinking my rear-end is going and I could have been overly sensitive). My first thought is a u-joint or the center joint/bearing on the driveshaft. Any suggestions. I looked for wheel jumping when I did the figure 8's, but didn't notice any. I had a rear-end in an old Ford LTD station wagon eat a ring and pinion gear and the wheel jumping was very noticeable.

 

[jelvington]

Mine recently started doing the same thing. My first thought was the brakes but it does it on or off the brakes just coasting at low speeds coming to a stop. I was then thinking gear lube but I have not done that yet and the u-joints seem to be fine. I don't have an answer for what is causing it but hopefully someone here can help us out. It sounds like we're having the same problem.

 

[John Berger]

jelvington, I did a search of the forums and there is some useful information to read, but I didn't find anything specific to what I have experienced yet.

 

[Briman]

I had a noise in my 80 differential. I could not hear it over the engine. My wife told me about it, she was sitting on the tail gate while we were moving a tree and heard the noise. I drained the oil and it was full of metal flakes. I changed the oil and drove it for awhile longer. I finally got around to having it checked out and both carrier bearings in the pumpkin were bad. One of the rollers on one of the bearings was really torn up bad. The axle shaft bearings were fine. Check your lube for metal. I had a vibration problem on the highway because of this as well. Drive line noises and vibrations can be hard to pin down. I have spent the last month getting rid of vibrations. After I got the differential repaired I was able to feel another vibration (higher frequency). It turned out to be the drive shaft center bearing. This was after the repair place told me I didn't need a new center bearing. U joints can clank and grind as well but usually have a definite vibration when they are failing. Good luck.



PS: New Michelin's, new u joints, new center bearings, new carrier bearings and it's one smooth ride. Thank goodness!!! I'm ready for the next 110K miles.

 

[rnolen]

I am not sure if this is the same thing that I had in my old 93. When I would drive for an hour or so and then come to a stop, and then get going again around a corner i could feel a grinding in the rearend. It would only do it when turning around corners and the rearend had to heated up. We could not find out what it was when we were just test driving it so we took the cover off and started looking at things. Turns out that I had gotten water in the axel when the seal had blown a couple of months before hand. It had gotten inside and ruined all the bearings. I took all the bearings out and I mean all the bearings and replaced them. The ring and pinion bearing (I believe that was what it is called) was the most expensive. About 70 bucks. Put the new ones in and we had it fixed. Saved me from a whole ring and pinion set.

I hope this helps

Russ



97 2500 4x4 straight piped, KDP Killed, Autometer Guages boost and PYRO

 

[John Berger]

I towed this past weekend. The truck was smooth and towed well. No noise when shifting and no unusual driveline noises or vibration. The only time I've noticed this noise/vibration is when I'm going extremely slow and turning. I'm thinking I need to add some friction modifier, which I'll do today. Easiest and cheapest solution first. I didn't notice this until after I had changed the gear lube last week. There was no metal in the lube and the Mag-Hytec dipstick showed the usual powdery black stuff.

 

[rnolen]

Does it do it when the rearend it hot, cold, or both?

russ

 

[John Berger]

Both

I added two bottles of friction modifier last night. I noticed the same thing backing out of the driveway, but only while I was turning. After running to Auto Zone to dump some used oil, then to the truck stop for fuel, I did some figure 8's at the truckstop and I could tell there was a difference. Time will tell, since I only drove it last night and to work this morning. I really think it was the clutch packs. Amsoil is slippery stuff and this started after I changed the gear lube.

 

[RustyJC]

Amsoil! No wonder!! John, don't you know that stuff will get you in trouble! If you'd put Royal Purple in like I did, you wouldn't be having this problem. (Just kidding, Amsoil distributors. Put the flame throwers away! )



Seriously, it sounds like the same thing my wife's Durango does - sort of a jerky, grinding feeling when taking off from a stop, much more so when going around a corner. It will quit after about 10-15 feet or so. The LSD is really tight on this Durango - has been since day 1. Frankly, she hasn't complained, so I haven't messed with it. It has about 24,000 miles on it - hasn't gotten any better or worse, so I reckon it'll probably live. If it doesn't, she bought the extended warranty, so it ain't my problem!



Rusty

 

[John Berger]

Amsoil, it makes a rear-end slippery. Funny thing about this is that I had the Series 2000 140 weight lube in for the previous 35K and didn't add any friction modifier and never noticed this. It only cropped up when I changed out the lube. One thing I did do on the change 35K ago was something I hadn't planned. I only had 7 quarts of 75W-140. I added it right after I had the axle housing replaced under warranty. You don't have to add 8 quarts to be at a satisfactory level in the differential. I was still being told that part of the repeated pinion seal leak may have been too much lube, hence only 7 quarts. When it didn't leak, I added a quart of the Series 2000 75W-90 lube which I had laying around collecting dust. Is there friction modifier in the 75W-90, but not the 75W-140?