2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Hard to describe noise....

[PRohr]

Ever since I put in new ball joints and front axle joints I have heard and felt this noise... . it's a slight vibration almost sounds like a tire rubbing on a mudflap. It only happens once in a while and only in a really slow speed turn..... any ideas? I don't want to throw parts at it either. No play in the hub bearings... . maybe a brake shoe in the back? Could it be one of the new u-joints are bad (I bought Spicers). PS pump or steering box? Hubs and rotors are a couple years old...

I was doing a little testing last night with different scenarios. It only happens under 10mph... ... . more so when the wheels are turned to the left and it does it no matter if I am driving forward or reverse. It does it randomly when turning right but it's random on both directions. I keep going back to the hub bearings and axles/ axle joints. I remember yelling at my buddy for whacking the back of the rotor with a 2x4 and hammer to remove the hub..... I am wondering if he f'd up the hub with that? He was working on the left side while I was pulling the right side when we were changing the ball joints. I also noticed with the left side jacked up and no load on the wheel I can hear what sounds like a U-joint clicking but it's coming from the diff. I am wondering if the bearing is transferring sounds through the axle shaft? I'm going to pull the front diff cover and check for debris to make sure the pinion bearings and gear set is okay but I am leaning towards that hub being hosed now from him beating on the rotor.

 

[Batphreak]

Do you have a limited slip Rear? I'm guessing you do, sounds like the limited slip clutches ratlling. The Friction Modifier addidtive ($10 bottle at the dealer) should help it. It doesn't really hurt anything except a littel wear on the clutches and pretty annoying.

 

[PRohr]

Yes I have a LS rear... . I drained the oil (Amsoil) and refilled with Amsoil Severe Gear 75x-140 and added one bottle of the Amsoil slip lock additive which is enough for 4 qt. I don't think that is it as the oil and additive that was in there was only a year old and had maybe 20K on it. The noise started right after the ball joints and alignment were done. I'm gonna drain the front diff tonight to check for any metal as I did a search and someone mentioned pinion and carrier bearing but I would think it would make a growl all the time if it was that just not under 10mph and when turning but it's easy to check and I have the oil already for it at the house.

 

[PRohr]

I came home and jacked up each side individually and isolate things. I checked for play and there wasn't any. I pulled the caliper off so I didn't have any noise from the brakes dragging and I spun the hub. I held a screw driver to the inner flange to try and hear anything internal. I can hear a faint kinda scrubbing noise... not a click but a deep tick I would say. Very faint. I get nothing on the passenger side. It's clean. I jacked both sides up locked it in 4x4 and everything spins like it should and there is no noise in the pinion. It started to hail so I am going to hold off until maybe tomorrow to drain the oil in the front diff. I talked to an Amsoil Tech and was asking about the slip lock additive. I put one bottle (4 ounces) in when I changed the rear diff oil last week to see if that was it... . he said to add another and drive it and see if it goes away so I did that tonight and I'll do some figure 8's tonight or tomorrow and see if that fixes me up. I'll be really happy if it does but I am not counting on it... My gut says I am going to be replacing the left hub assembly.

 

[PRohr]

I did some figure 8's in the lot this morning when I got to work to get that LS additive worked through the clutches and it was doing it a little this morning when doing that but it didn't do it at all on the way to work. I'm gonna change the oil in the front tonight and then give it a couple days and see if the LS additive cures it before I buy any parts. I have had a couple guys say it's the U-joint... . I would prefer that over the hub assembly. Whats the best way for me to check those joints. Also someone mentioned the trunnion on the front drive shaft..... but it isn't spinning unless the truck is in 4x4... .

 

[MVenditti]

After ball joints at dealer there was a rubbing kinda noise. after the mechanic rode with me to listen he ended up putting on the lift in gear and found it was dust shield, said they get tweaked easily and fixed it quick. hope its that simple for you.

 

[PRohr]

The brake dust shield are MIA on my truck... . they were rotted and I ditched them when I changed the hub bearings a year or so back...

I just pulled the front cover and drained out the oil. No metal at all... . nice and clean. The Amsoil did it's job. I did snap a pic. Is there anything that looks out of whack?

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I measured that axle shaft and it's . 020"+ away from that pin on the spider gear... . is that normal? The CAD locks in like it should. I so want to spend the coin on the EMS hub conversion... . but back to my problem at hand. I had very little to no noise on the way home... . and none at all on my test drive after the gear oil change..... I am keeping my fingers crossed that it was the LS chattering the whole time but I'll have to wait for that verdict.

 

[55gene]

I had a pronounced click in my left hub area and it went away when I replaced the axel shaft u-joint. I'm kind of skeptical that a few wacks on the hub-bearing/rotor would do any damage. If theres no play all shoud be OK there. Man your camera works good!

 

[PRohr]

It's a 7. 2 MP Sony..... I remembered to turn on the Macro function... that's the key to close ups..... I'll drive it today and see what happens... . I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

[PRohr]

Been a week and no noise since I worked the second bottle of additive through the clutches in the LS..... So IMO that was the issue. Glad it was something easy. Now I get to change front axle seals as they are leaking... ... it never ends does it.

 

[JMcCoy]

Mine always leak for a few weeks after I mess with the axles. For some reason it just fixes itself. Maybe you'll get lucky.

 

[PRohr]

It's going on 4 weeks and it's still leaking... ... I'm gonna get the kit from Quad 4x4 and replace them, the collar and the bearing on the intermediate shaft.

 

[DieselDoghouse]

Before you go back in 'surgery' can you pass a tube into the axle shaft tube (outside) and try to flush it out? I've heard (and had) stagnant oil start to flood the axle tube when the shafts are out. Its not a leak it just weeped through—and it takes forever to work its way out.

 

[PRohr]

I drained the diff and I jacked up the right side of the truck hoping to drain any fluid that might be in there... . some oil came out and then it stopped... . So I cleaned things up and finished my diff oil change. That was over a week ago and if I park on any kind of grade leaning that way the oil runs out. When I filled the front diff I filled it to 3/4" below the plug as well... .