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I just tore down my transfer case the last couple days, and I'm trying to find out if any of the bearings are bad. I've had some noise for the last year, steadily getting worse, and I've replaced or checked just about everything else. If it isn't the t-case, it's the tranny...and that was just rebuilt 2 years ago so it better not be the tranny.

Anyways, without an obviously granaded bearing or something, how do you tell? I had some play in the rear output shaft once things were all taken apart, but maybe that's normal when it's taken apart? I don't know. The bearings all seem to roll pretty smoothly. Some of the cage & needle bearings make a little noise when they spin, but I think that's just from some dirt in there. Not sure though.

Can anyone tell me what is spinning when I'm in 2wd? I'm really thinking my noise is the rear output shaft, but what else is moving in the t-case when I'm in 2hi? I'm probably just going to buy a rebuild kit anyways, but I'm not sure if I'm going to get the minor or the major kit. Minor just doesn't have the needle bearings, I guess. Maybe not the pinion nuts either. Anyways, any advice?

I've got photos, but to me at least, everything looks just fine in the photos, so they won't help any.

Thanks

Blue_petersen77

Dirt in bearings is never a good thing. Try taking em out cleaning and packing em or pick up some new ones.

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Yeah, I've sprayed a lot of brake cleaner in there trying to get them clean. Not sure if they picked up the dirt while I was taking the case apart, or if it was in there already. Still, what I'm seeing in the case doesn't stand out and say "this must be where my noise is coming from"...but I don't know where else it could be coming from. Oh well. Really, other than obvious granading, or pitting, nobody has advice on how to tell bad bearings? I know people on this site have experience with this. Seems like it's not a question I need to take to Pirate...

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Telling bad bearings is one of those things that comes from having done it over the years.

What can I say if it feels rough if it feels loose if it makes noise . time for new.

Why do you say it can`t be the trans . i had one fail after new bearings in less than two years . once you remove the rear flange you will have a little play in the shaft

The driveshaft can also transmit noise from the rear end or it could be the throw out bearing . Could even be a bad ujoint

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Alright thanks. I say it can't be the transmission because if it is...I'm about ready to give up on this truck. That thing was seriously expensive and if getting things rebuilt is that much of a gamble, then crap, I might as well join the "buy a new vehicle every 5 years" crowd. I didn't basically rebuild the whole truck just to have stuff go out again...hoping someday soon the major expenses on this truck will be over for...oh 100,000 miles or so


Anyway, yeah, could be the tranny, but I'd like to think that after 2 years and about 15,000 miles it would be ok.

Rear diff was replaced last fall, no change in noise. One u-joint replaced, other checked out fine twice when I brought it in to a driveline shop. If I go with your reasoning (which I admit isn't bad reasoning...), it could be the throwout bearing. But the whole clutch assembly has the same amount of miles on it as the tranny. So I'm kind of going on the assumption that since pretty much everything else on the truck has been rebuilt...may just be time for the transfer case. And since everything else has been rebuilt...I'd like to think I could rule it out as my noise.

Thanks.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Define and elaborate on "noise".

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Alright. I've posted trying to figure this out a few times without much help, so this time I just went with the t-case.

When I accelerate, a get a grindy, sort of grating noise. At times more rattly, like hitting a couple spoons together. Sometimes it's pretty bad, including when my foot's off the gas. Other times it's completely not there. Sometimes when it's happening, I'll get a pop! when I push in the clutch when I'm accelerating. I've grabbed, shook and hit everything I can think of under the truck that could be loose. It started a little over a year ago, and was getting pretty bad recently.

I replaced the rear diff. No effect. Had one u-joint replaced and was told the other was fine. Even brought the rear shaft back to the guy months later to reassure me that the other one wasn't bad. He gave me one of those "well, I'll take your $50 if you just really want me to replace it, but this isn't causing the noise you're describing" lines.

There was "some" up/down left/right play in the drive shaft at the t-case. When I took the rear most t-case cover off, there was a LOT of play in the rear output shaft, but maybe that's normal with the rear cover off? Nothing obvious with the bearings. For the first year I owned the truck, I had a lot of metal shavings on the magnetic plug, and there was a while there when the oil was always getting foamy. I drained it, sprayed the heck out of it with brake cleaner, let dry, filled it back up. Since then no foam OR metal shavings...I don't know.

Because it doesn't happen every time I drive the truck it's hard to say, but both times I brought my rear d-shaft into the shop, I drove it there in the back of my truck, with the hubs locked in, in 4wd, so front wheel drive, no rear driveshaft. Didn't hear the noise when I drove this way. That's what made me think rear output of t-case, or u-joints. I sure hope it's not the tranny or the throwout bearing, but I know it's possible. I figure I'll rebuild the t-case either way. It's all completely taken apart in my garage right now, so why not put it together with new parts? Of course with how far in I am right now, it wouldn't be so hard to just pull the tranny and check out the clutch...but being a bit of rookie I'm still very hesitant to pull the tranny if I don't have to, 'cause it's been a MAJOR PITA for the me the last (and only) two times I've done it. But...

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

I always replace both/all u joints when replacing one. If you are doing a tcase rebuild, u joints are cake.

My bet is u joint. $20 and an hour of your time to eliminate it as the culprit.

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It's true! But with the t-case in pieces, impossible to rule it out now. I'll get an idea when I put it back together though...I do want to know. If I do both (t-case & u-joint) now, I won't ever know which it was.

Your bet is really on the ujoint though? Even after how much noise it made, and the driveshaft guy (old timer with a lot of experience) moved it around on two different occasions and said it felt fine? That would be crazy if it was! At least I'd have a new t-case too...

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Well, payday is tomorrow. Hopefully I'm not wasting my money but I'm going with the major rebuild kit. I'll certainly post my results.

I was going to go with Trail Gear. Anybody else have high quality rebuild kits for a better price?

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Now you do not mention if you have vibration with a drive line problem it is almost a given.

Did you check all the wheel bearings ?? With bad bearings you most always have heat and a seal starting to leak.

You said you replaced the rear ?? New or rebuilt or yard special

Tire noise?? I drive on some sections of road that the surface finish makes so much noise I pulled over and looked I thought the drive shaft was falling out or I had a bad tire .

Thing is after driving 30 plus years you tend to know for the most what all the strange noises are but like all else something new comes along .

I hope your transfercase rebuild solves the problem but I have my doubts. I hope to be proved wrong.

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No vibration.

No seals starting to leak, but I have considered the wheel bearings.

The rear was sent to me, guy had swapped it out for a locker. I know it could have been bad, but he said it worked fine when he pulled it, and I'd be surprised if it made the same exact noise as my old diff, but I know it's possible. The guy wasn't trying to rip me off though, all I paid for was shipping.

I've got regular old A/T tires, and drive mostly in town these days on nicely paved surfaces.

Yeah, I just don't know what else to check. T-case is all apart, so I'll rebuild it and see what happens. Thanks again for the help.

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Ok...somebody tell me what they think about this. I went to check the free play in my clutch fork to check something out for somebody asking a question about their truck, and what I noticed is this: there's no play in the fork. UNTILL I push the fork forward with my hand, depressing the rod on the slave cylinder. What I notice then is that the rod only comes back slowly. It does come back all the way, so it's sticking far enough out, but it does so slowly. The master and slave are about 1 1/2 years old. Fluid is full. Could this be an air leak in the system (but wouldn't that cause a fluid leak, which I don't see?), or could either the master or slave be defective? I could definitely see that having the shift for loose while I'm driving could cause it and the hub & throwout bearing to be rattling around in there as I drive...

Master & slave cylinders aren't too spendy, but what should I check to see if they're working properly? FSM just says to take them apart and check for wear/damage. On a basically brand new cylinder, I don't know that someone with my experience is going to notice anything. Or could this just require an adjustment?

Anyways, let me know what you think about the fact that when pushed in by hand, the release (slave) cylinder rod is very slow to come back out.

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Well, you were right. Wasn't the transfer case. I got a kit and put it all back together. Works great and I've got a rebuilt transfer case (there was definitely way more play in the rear output shaft before the rebuild), but it wasn't the source of my noise. I guess I'm finally to the point where I'll be taking it in to a shop.