New noises

New noises: explained

So my wife took the Jeep out for a spin and she comes back and says its making a strange noise. I take it out and yup its making strange noises. It almost sounds like a brake shoe has delaminated at times, buts its also a shudder. Short duration, about 1-2sec. It does get a little more intense when I apply the brakes, but not bad enough to eiminate uncertainty. I took a look underneath hoping that it just trivial. Ebrake cables were too tight and the cables were sticking. Rear dshaft needs both ujoints, starting to develop a tcase leak on rear seal. Jacked up rear axle. D side spins fine. Pside some resistance, loosened ebrake more and it spins fine. Checked pinion/tcase angle to see if they are compatible and there is about 2* difference. This could explain the ujoints and tcase leak. Took it for a drive and the noise persists. That was all I could afford time wise. Any suggestions? Could it be an axle bearing?

Karl

 

from your description, it could be almost anything
try to narrow it down:
A) noise comes from front axle or rear axle?
B) does it respond to increase/decrease in vehicle/engine/wheel speed?
C) increase/decrease when brakes applied?
D) vibration felt or noise heard? both?
E) present when backing up? increase/decrease?
F) while driving slowly, turn wheel sharply side to side to get vehicle weight to transfer from one side of axle to the other; most times bad axle/wheel brgs can be detected this way; more noise/vibration when more weight shifted or applied to bad side
G) you already know u-joints are bad/going bad; replace them
all I can think of for now without pulling heels and checking brake shoe springs/pins/hardware; linings worn out, rivets hitting drum(s)?

 

OK. I went for a little spin, literally, yesterday. I drove the Jeep in tight little circles cw and ccw, and no strange noises. At first I could not tell if the noise changed with speed b/c the Jeep is to noisy and so on to tell. At about 20mph I turned off the ignition to listen and the noise does change with speed (slowing down). I can feel the vibration from it as well as hear it. Its there in reverse too. I jacked up the front and spun the front wheels and no strange noises. I pulled the rear passenger wheel off and other than the adjuster being frozen nothing odd. Thats all I had time for. Today afterwork I will pull the d shaft and change the u joints.

Two new questions: (1) what can a guy use to prevent adjusters from freezing? (2) what brand of u joints should be used? There is no shop nearby that sells Spicers. I can get Rockford brand though, but are they of the same quality?

Karl

 

OK so I put nvr-sieze on the adjuster and took out the rear d-shaft and went for a spin. Same noises and I am quite sure that they are coming frmo the rear. I am getting worried that something is up with the rear axle. I might have time to pop off the cover today, but I doubt it.

Karl

 

Pinion bearings maybe...

 

As Southtowns27 said....Pinion Bearings, if there is ware, you'll have play which can cause vibration.
Good Luck

 

I drove the jeep today and I got to thinking, could I have a trac-loc and not know it. All these noises only came after changing the diff lube. I jacked up the axle and spun a wheel. At first nothing. Then chunk, chunk, chunk, and then they both spun the same way. My heart, be still my heart. I tried the other way. Chunk, chunk, chunk, and they both spun the same way. Yipee. Jumping and doin the jeep dance. Here I was all upset that I was gonna have to spend some big cash to have the axle rebuilt and it turns out I am the proud father of a very old and somewhat worn out trac-loc. Yipee, Yipee. I am a little puzzled and embarassed though. I looked at the carrier when I changed the fluid and it didnt have any springs or anything that would have clued me in on the trac-loc. Does any have any pics of a d44 trac-loc? I guess I could pull the cover and look again. What parts do I need to put it back into shape? Do I just add the trac-loc fluid? Do I change all the fluid again and add the fluid? Which fluid do I put in?

One happy jeeper,

Karl

 

I looked it up in my tsm. I should have done this sooner. According to the pics and my memory, I do indeed have a trac-loc. I am happy b/c its only gonna cost $20(?) instead of several hundred to fix it. Well so far anyway. Thanks for the link.

Karl

 

this might make me unpopular but my opionion is to use plain 80w90 in there, if you use it off road.when these type of posi's came out they originaly had 80w90 from the factory, untill people who did not know any better started whining about the noises and weird handleing. so the "special" oil was developed. whats so special about it? its more slipery then plain gear oil, allowing the disks to slip eaiser and not make all them noises and weird handleing. sounds kinda defeatest dont it

i use 80w90 in my track lock ( have been for years now) and it works really well.

 

Well I added some lsd fluid and there really has not been much a difference in the sound after driving around for about 10 miles. I had hoped that there would be an immediate improvement. What was I thinking its a jeep, immediate, what a fool. So I am wondering about wheel bearings now. What kind of sounds do they make when they go. How hard is it to replace them?

Karl

 

Wheel bearings grind in my experience. They might clunk if really worn too, but I remember grinding. Pulling the axles is pretty easy if you rent a slide hammer - it'll cost you new seals to take a look.

You'll need a shop to press the new bearings onto the axles, but it's an easy, fast and common job for a shop.

The Trac-Lock from those years isn't very strong. I broke one while under warranty on my '73. The tooth came off with enough force to go through the cover and drain all the fluid. Made some noise, which could have been a clunk-clunk. I heard it break though - made a big bang.

 

The sound I have is more like a rattle with a little bit of clunking. It sounds enough like brake pad maybe floppin around in the drum that that is what I thought it was. When it started it was not very loud and increased in volume to the point where it is now. It is loud enough that I am sure that people can hear on the sidewalk, but it does not seem to cause people to whip there heads to see where the sound is coming from.

Karl

 

Could be a broken spring in the brakes. I don't recall how I removed the drums on my '73, but I did it, so it must have been fairly easy . I vaguely recall a big puller - another rental item (maybe that was my F100) - otherwise it may just fall off if not rusted to the axle hub.