I can't believe it, clicking in LF wheel!!!

[mwilson]

There have been a few posts on this in the recent past, now I have it as well.



Must be catching... ... ... ...



I took the '06 out of storage as the roads have been clear and dry. Wanted to give it a little exercise.



Now tonight I have the following,,,,,



In 4WD making a left turn I now hear click, click, click coming from the Left Front wheel. Turn to the right, no noise.



In 2WD no noise when turning left. WTH??



The front axle joints were new 40,000 miles ago, greasable Precision 464's.



Yes, they get greased as they should.



I am thinking a weak wheel bearing might be the issue.



Thoughts????



Mike.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Uhhhh, sounds like the spider gears? Maybe a little slack has developed in the axle splines from time? Or the axle shaft is flexing enough in 4wheel drive bind to allow the grease zerk to make contact with the axle housing? Just some thoughts..... do you have the internal zerks or cap end zerks?

 

[mwilson]

The grease fitting is in the cross, that could be it.



I was setting up the trailer in October and the campsites are sandy. I had it in 4-HI then and thought I heard something, but blew it off.



It sounds right at the wheel end, if you stick your head out the window it is plain as can be, click, click. Doesn't sound like it is further in like a spider would be. Not a deep thunk noise either, very light click.



I am going to run it again tomorrow, will stick big ol' head back out the window and see if it is one full rotation per click, etc.



I hope this isn't one of those things I'm gonna' chase for a while... .



Mike.

 

[JTHUSKINS]

I had a drive line speed click in one of my 98 trucks that only sounded in 4wd with the wheel turned sharply. As time went on the click got louder and sounded even with the wheels straight. The click eventually changed to a clunk and by then I was able to tell that it was coming from under the truck and not the LT front wheel which I was convinced was the culprit until the noise got loud enough to pinpoint. I rebuilt the double cardan joint which was only slightly low on grease and the noise is gone.

 

[HHhuntitall]

I've got that right now in my newest project, a '98 4x4. The front driveshaft is just gone! But the '03 up trucks, the driveshaft turns all the time, so I'd think it'd do it then, too... ... could be wrong. My pinion seal in my '03 was leaking a little, but not since I installed the locking hubs... ... No rotation, no leak!! I've seen two trucks that had the clicking sound, and rotating the grease zerk fixed it. You could barely see the top of the zerk where it had been hitting the axle housing, and the housing where the rust was rubbed off... ... can it hit on top AND bottom in rotation?

 

[Nyoest]

The grease fitting sure would be an easy fix. If not that then I'd look reeaaalll close at the u joint. I know you have had them replaced but greaseable front axle joints don't seem to last as long IMHO.

Don't worry we can arm chair diagnose this puppy till your broke or fed up, which ever comes first!

 

[mwilson]

Thanks guys, I will try to get a jack under it this weekend and look for issues.



What is making the old head hurt is why only in 4WD, that is what I keep locking up on. It all turns constantly so it has to be the loaded driveline that makes the difference. It was on snow last night so it was not a high strain turn.



That's kinda' why I was thinking wheel bearing as the strain of engagement might keep the axle from sliding in the spider gear just enough to pull on the wheel bearing. Am I explaining that as well as I should????



Should add the both front wheel bearings have never been changed, they are original.



Just a theory but it lacks the symptoms of a dry cross in a knuckle joint.



I expect this kind of thing out of the '97 but it really irritates me when the pampered baby '06 throws a head fit.....



Mike.

 

[jhenderson]

I vote for axle joint. I have never had much luck with precision joints. That said, I also don't get much more than 40,000 out of axle joints anyway. 4wd every day. Muddy landings, towing out 18,000lb gooseneck.

 

[HHhuntitall]

I've had good luck with greasable joints, if they're quality joints. A cheap chinese joint won't last me a year. But if I spend the $35 on the Meritor, I usually never have to replace it.....



As a side note, I've bent (and seen quite a few that were bent by other people) the U-joint yoke when pressing the old joint out. The new trucks just don't seem to have as tough of axle shafts... ... I bent the ones in my '03 when I took them out, then the same week, I bent some in an '06. The joints are just stuck so hard, the press just bends 'em. I've started soaking 'em if I can in some penetrant, then wacking them with a hammer a few times before I start the dissasembly, and that helps a lot.

 

[mwilson]

I've had good luck with greasable joints, if they're quality joints. A cheap chinese joint won't last me a year. But if I spend the $35 on the Meritor, I usually never have to replace it.....



As a side note, I've bent (and seen quite a few that were bent by other people) the U-joint yoke when pressing the old joint out. The new trucks just don't seem to have as tough of axle shafts... ... I bent the ones in my '03 when I took them out, then the same week, I bent some in an '06. The joints are just stuck so hard, the press just bends 'em. I've started soaking 'em if I can in some penetrant, then wacking them with a hammer a few times before I start the dissasembly, and that helps a lot.

When doing the double carden front driveline joints in both Seth's and my '97 trucks I discovered that heating the caps a bit and then putting penetrant on them while still warm made a huge difference. Where the two caps have to move at the same time while pressing them out you don't want anything sticking... ... .



Mike.

 

[rbattelle]

As a side note, I've bent (and seen quite a few that were bent by other people) the U-joint yoke when pressing the old joint out.

I use a hammer rather than a press to remove the old joints. Call me crazy, but I believe you're less likely to bend the yoke if you do it that way.



Mike, you don't have Centramatics, do you? Are your lugnuts all torqued?



-Ryan

 

[mwilson]

I use a hammer rather than a press to remove the old joints. Call me crazy, but I believe you're less likely to bend the yoke if you do it that way.



Mike, you don't have Centramatics, do you? Are your lugnuts all torqued?



-Ryan

Hi Ryan,



No centramatics, and I am a complete freak about torque. Have the best Snap-On torque wrench money could buy 10 years ago and use it always.



Pressing was a poor choice of words, I actually do it in a bench vise using spacers.

That is only for double carden style, all others are done with a ball peen persuader Mach II... ... ...

 

[Prairie Dog]

I use a hammer rather than a press to remove the old joints. Call me crazy, but I believe you're less likely to bend the yoke if you do it that way.



Mike, you don't have Centramatics, do you? Are your lugnuts all torqued?



-Ryan

Do the Centramatics effect lugnut torque?

 

[rbattelle]

Do the Centramatics effect lugnut torque?

No, but mine make a sort of "clicking" noise sometimes (you can hear it reflecting against curbs). Drove me nuts until I found out what it was.



-Ryan

 

[The patriot]

I didnt read all replies, but I had a similar noise in my 98 and it turned out to be the brake dust shield not being perfectly centered.

I have to admit, I was pretty dam happy.

 

[HHhuntitall]

I use a hammer rather than a press to remove the old joints. Call me crazy, but I believe you're less likely to bend the yoke if you do it that way.



Mike, you don't have Centramatics, do you? Are your lugnuts all torqued?



-Ryan

Man, I've had some that wouldn't budge with a hammer! A press and some heat we're the only way they'd move! The ones 's that bent will scare you when they finally let go! Lotso pressure! And don't think I'm scared of a hammer..... They're my favorite tool!



My Centramatics make more of a scraping noise, it seems to me, when the media rolls around in the tube.

 

[S.Morris]

Could be that the torque/bind of 4wd is flexing a slightly loose axle joint enough to touch the fitting.



I have had best luck in this salt/calcium crap with cutting the cross out with a torch and using air chisel with flat tip to push the caps in(negating having to remove siezed c clips as a side benefit). A GOOD Strong air chisel is needed... ... ... . the cheapo's won't cut it.



Mike, my 04 is oil sprayed and then parked inside for the winter:-laf, probably saving it for someone else as always seems to be the case