Hey guys -

To start, I've never heard this noise before today and it seems like it started right after I accelerated into a hard left turn from a stop. Ever since it's gotten what seems like progressively louder. I believe I've excluded the engine and transmission, at first I wasnt able to hear it until i was in 3rd gear above about 30mph but by the time I got home from work later that day it seemed it makes the noise in every gear down to as slow as 10mph.
The noise sounds like a ratcheting or heavy clicking and it is very very loud, to the point that everyone is looking as I drive. I have stopped driving it, I only drove it to work (when it started) and then home. About 10 miles total.

From researching, it's looking like it may be a birfield or a driveline U joint, does this sound like it could produce this kind of a problem? I can visually inspect the driveline but I assume there's no real way of checking the birfields without disassembling?

Other than that I was initially thinking that it could be a differential or something, but it's really hard to tell exactly where the noise is coming from as I cant reproduce without driving it.


Thanks in advance -

 

are your hubs locked in or something?

 

Actually, that was my first thought as I got to work, I thought maybe some stupid kids locked them at night or something but I did check and there were not locked. I locked and unlocked them again with no affect.

 

are you sure your steer stops havn't moved. and you are rubbing some tire on the leafs? naw that can't be it.

 

did you recently bind up whiling wheeling? could have busted a birf especially with being locked up front and 34's...heavy foot on the skinny?

Sounds like your are a candidate for some longs or dirty 30's...

DS-get under the truck and twist it with your hands...(hubs locked)

 

Nah I havent even been wheeling in the last months, just DDing to work about 12miles round trip..

DS? (sorry its been a long week)

 

driveshaft

 

It may be a wheel bearing. I had my passenger side rear go out and it made noise like you are describing. Can you feel the clicking or just hear it?

 

I'm not sure, I'm out of town now until Sunday. I don't remember "feeling" it, but it was more of an extremely loud ratcheting sound - after reading some more info I'm just hoping it's not one of the differentials.

 

unless your hubs are locked or your shifted in 4wd your front diff gears do not move. I woudl suspect wheel bearings since its the only moving part up front while in 2wd. Jack it up and spin the front tires by hand with it unlocked maybe that will give you a idea

 

Well I'm also not sure if it's coming from the front or back yet either.. I will try jacking up the front and spinning the front tires

 

when you jack up the truck and rock the tire back and forth if it has play your wheel bearings are shot this works for front and back

 

Started looking at this again today since I just got back. I'm pretty sure it's coming from the rear. I just got what you were saying about the front gears not moving since I it's not in 4 and the hubs are unlocked. I jacked up the front and each side spins cleanly.

Jacked up the rear and I can spin them freely using the drive shaft, however I cant spin them fast enough to hear any irregular sounds. If I spin either wheel by hand I can hear a prominent click/thud which sounds like its coming from the differential ever 5 degrees of wheel turn or so. This sound seems to come closest to what I hear when I am driving however its much quicker and louder obviously.
There's really any play in the wheels or clicking/popping from them so I'm pretty much ruling them out...

 

I'm pretty sure I found the problem..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrj3kc49Paw