Hi everyone. A while back I noticed a loud grinding noise on some snowy trails. Only grinds while climbing over stuff, articulating, and it sounds like it's coming from the front. It has a spartan locker in the front But I've never heard it before this trip.
There is no noise driving in 4wd on the street when we had snow. But driving on trails and putting one tire up on a log ect..
I took the birfields out and cleaned and re packed them with grease.. And they looked brand new. Also the was no metal shavings what so ever in the diff fluid...
What could be causing the god awful grinding, binding noise consign front the front of my truck?
Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

have you checked your locking hub? The gear inside that slips on the shaft

 

I believe so, I took the outer hub dial off, with the spring and little hub gear. If that's what your reddening to? Or is it in deeper?

I wasn't sure if it was the hubs because I drove it a lot on flat ground and never heard it

 

We do a lot of snow wheeling around here, and it seems to be hard on locking hubs, the parts that breaks is often the gear that slips onto the axle shaft, the gear with many splines on the inside.

 

Okay thanks. I'll take a look at the gear

 

Don't you think the hubs would make noise all the time? Even driving on flat surfaces?

 

have you checked the driveline when youre on pavement you usaly take the truck out of 4hi im willing to bet becuse you weel alot in snow and mud the center yoke or ujoints are toast

 

On my friends truck it was stripping so it would grind only when working hard. It's easy and quick to check, and even quicker to check the driveshaft for play too like mentioned above, good luck!

 

I've checked my drive shaft before, there is play in the splines.. But I don't know how much is too much.. And the u joints feel right. But who knows. I'll borrow one of my friends drive lines and see if it's making the same noise

 

Just a quick update, I bolted in my friends driveline which has all new u-joints and new spline and it's still grinding. But as I drove on the log my friends said it sounds like it's coming from the drivers side if the front axle. So I'll check the hub this weekend when I have time. Any other ideas of what to check?

 

May check your motor mounts. In 4Low the motor could torque up and the fan hits the shroud. Had me baffled the first time it happened.

 

Did you check the bearings when you scoped out the birfs? Is it grinding all the time, or just when you turn? Does it grind when you turn the wheel when you are stopped? Does it grind just 4WD or in 2WD as well? If it is grinding in just 4WD then it is likely a carrier bearing or something in the differential.

Typically, whenever I do anything to wheels or axles and they haven't been apart in a while or I don't know the last time they were apart, I'll go ahead and replace all the bearings while I have it apart.

I would check your pinion flange first to make sure it is tightened properly before I yanked the hubs. If there are no problems there then I would move on to the wheel bearings - the locks nuts could just be too loose or too tight (both situations could cause grinding). If that isn't the problem then I would replace the wheel bearings and while you're at it, the might as well replace the trunion bearings as well.

 

So I've been really busy and haven't got around to pulling parts. But that's next on my list!

It is a metal on metal grinding only in 4wd. And only when it's under lots of stress (steep hill climb, driving over stuff,ect..) and I've never had shavings I'm the diff..

 

Just an update, I took the front axle apart and had the diff inspected. Everything is fine there, the pinion flange is fine,and the birfields are good. The hubs are good and, it's not the drive line.

I really don't have money to replace all the bearings for "maybes" right now and i really want to go hit some trails.

But it's sounds like gears grinding to my buddies and I. You guys have been a great help so far. I just can't seem to find what is giving me all of this trouble.

It doesn't make the noise at all just driving on a a snowy logging road but it does when I'm doing a steep hill climb or driving over something and there is a lot of stress on it..please help me out!

 

I know it apart now, but is there a video of the sound its making? If you jack the front end up and spin the wheels can you feel play or hear any noise?

 

No I don't have a videos. I've jacked it up and played with it and everything is working good. And it's only when it's under a heavy load, like up a steep hill climb

 

I was in your position a while ago, came to be my fan hitting the shroud, tie it to tree and slowly let out on the clutch. It's your motor mounts or your shroud is dented somewhere

 

I've inspected the fan and the shroud and never seen and marks or anything. I'll try to take the shroud off and climb on a log or something once I get it put back together.

 

I couldn't find any markings either, I had to have someone get out and pop the hood.

 

Could it be power steering, if you have?