Flash319

I got a noise coming from the front drive somewhere that sounds like a light metallic clicking but is quite loud. I replaced my drivers side CV shaft but still have the noise. It varies with torque load and goes away when a full load is put on it (accelerating). I am not running a sway bar and everything seams good, nothing hitting the shaft. I have a bit of side to side play in the shaft through the hub but this noise sounds lighter then if it was the shaft banging inside the hub. It drives fine with no vibration. It seams to be coming from the drivers side but hard to say with my head hanging out the door while driving:bigclap: . When the hubs are not locked, there is no noise. Maybe front U-joint?

thook

Uh....those noises that travel when driving with your head out...lol! Yeah, sounds like a u-joint. The front one or the cardan at the transfer case. Did you try leaving the hubs unlocked and putting it in 4whl to see if the sound is still there?

Flash319

No I did not try that but I did try pulling it out of 4by and the noise was still there. I will give that way a try but it definatly has to do with the drive and not a wheel bearing or something like that.

Swansen

How sure are you thats it not a wheel bearing. That said, did you get the wheel off the ground and move the tire back and forth to see if their bad. Secondly, it kinda sounds like your a half shaft might be going bad.

Flash319

When I had the CV out I did not notice any movement at the dif side. The halfshaft may be a good posibility. Is this common? How is it held in there?

Swansen

Wait, so what are you asking, is it common that half shafts go bad and click, yes, at a little higher mileage usually, if thats what your asking. Are you asking how the half-shaft is held in or something else?

Flash319

By halfshaft you man the stub axel that runs inside the dif and connects to the CV shaft on the outside? I have 400k Km on this truck. And yes how does this shaft come out? Do you have to remove the 3rd member?

Swansen

yes, or i guess you could call it the axle shaft, but not really, yes it runs from the differential to the hub and such. yeah, i would say that it is a very good possibility that one or both of the half shafts may be going bad. The noise would be most noticeable when you turn fully one way or another and it should click. Other than that there is no real way of knowing if one of the half shafts are going bad as you can't inspect them unless there off. Granted if you could get the front end off the ground see if shake it to check for movement might help. Anyways, instead of trying to exlpain it, i found a link to instructions.
http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...3d80189e75.jsp
the one below has some nice pictures but its from a tacoma, anyways, it should be about the same
http://www.parksoffroad.com/tacomamo.../orsmanhub.htm

Flash319

Ohh I think we are on different pages. When I say CV shaft that is what you are calling half shaft. Books and manuals call them drive shafts. I have change the shafts. That is not the problem. I thought you were refering to a shaft that runs into the dif to the main spider gear assebly inside the 3rd member. This shaft, longer on the drivers side, would run on a bearing at the end of the dif tube where the half shaft bolts to it with the 6 studs. When i had the half shafts out there was no movement in this flanged shaft.

MudHippy

Held in by c-type pressure ring. You can whack'em out with a hammer. No disassemble req. I'll be doin' just that(replacing my R&P) in a sec'. Try to not damage CV half-shaft mount bolts, not a huge deal(mine are trashed). These are sometimes reffered to as stub shafts. Would love to know how one gets wore out. Mine surviving multiple gear chewing sessions.

Flash319

This may not be the problem as I don't think this happends much like you say Mudhippy. The snow has slowed down so I am back in 2X4 so am not complaining right now........ I will probebly wait until it gets bad enough that I can tell what the noise is.