Clanking from the rear end. 88 4x4 22re
 

I'll do my damnedest to explain the noise and what I've noticed and tried so far. Will post a video tomorrow (too tired of dealing with it right now) So a few days ago, after driving 2100ish miles across country I was driving and started to hear a clanking noise. To me it sounds like metal hitting a shroud, my buddy describes it as a metal pipe being dragged on the ground. Once I started hearing it I had my buddy drive passed me and I thought I could hear it in the rear end. I drove passed him in 1st and he agreed, it was somewhere in there rear end. After crawling under the truck I realize the front u joint on my rear shaft was going out. I pulled the rear shaft to replace said U joint. With the driveshaft out, I drove the truck in 4wd, so front wheel drive, and there was no continuation of the noise. I replaced the bad U joint and reinstalled the drive shaft....Immediately upon driving the noise continued.

The noise is not constant or consistent. There's never a certain point when in gear that I can replicate the noise. Though it does seem to only occur at lower RPM's, and from what I can tell only in 1-3.....I don't want to test it on the highway, but i had to drive home the other day and after 45mph I wasn't able to hear anything. Also the truck doesn't drive any differently than before. There's no new vibrations, shifting still feels the same, my gear shift doesn't vibrate, literally nothing about the truck feels different, there's just the random noise I can't diagnose.

Also, I'm in Tampa FL.....a few thousand miles from my home base, I have very limited access to tools, so just relying on the 14mm and 17mm that I carry. No jack/stands, or anything of the sort at the moment.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

check your driveshaft for shiny spots, could be rubbing on your muffler or something

Definitely not that. As I did the exhaust work myself, and it sits a ways away from the driveshaft. Thank you though......fellow Alaskan here btw.

what part?

Is the noise at about 30MPH?

Did you also replace the rear ujoint? Do that.
With the driveline installed, check the bearing on the third and on the tcose for up and down movement.

It can be anything from wheel bearings (front too) to diff bearings, to something actually scraping.

I only replaced the one. Will go ahead and replace the rear as well. I haven't felt any movement in those areas but will go ahead and check those again as well.
Also today I will get out and get a video clip of the truck for a clearer picture of the sound. As I don't have all the tools needed with me eg, jack/stands its a pain in the ass to diagnose exactly where the noise is. Going to ask around today to see if I can borrow a jack for a better listen.

edit-didn't see the initial question. The noise is immediate upon releasing the clutch from a dead stop, but also random upon releasing the clutch. It either makes the noise, or it doesn't, but it makes the noise in 1-2-3 not too sure about 4-5 as I dont want to push my luck.

Turned out to be the rear U Joint......thank you.