Hey guys...I need some help diagnosing what's wrong with my 90' 5spd 4x4 pickup w/ 180k. It has a Aussie front locker, 4" lift, and 35s.

I've only had the truck a month and I've started to notice it has a very loud vibrating/thumping/chattering sound (not grinding) coming from right under the center console (I guess..somewhere underneath me) when stepping on it. At first, you really had to step on it. The sound was only in 1st gear from about 2k-5k when flooring it. It seemed to do it more when warm (maybe just in my head). I'm starting to worry about it because it's happening more and more under less load. Especially up hills. Now I really have to baby it to not hear the awful noise.

Today I noticed a similar sound in 2nd gear when stepping on it going up a hill. This sound is a little higher pitched, almost like the drive line hitting metal, but it's very rare I hear any noise in 2nd.

Could it possibly be the T-case? I have a spare sitting here.. but don't want to waste my time if that's not the culprit.

I would think it's the tranny, but it's really not a grinding noise. Maybe a bad carrier bearing or something in the drive lines?

If there is anything I need to clarify, please let me know! Any help would be much appreciated!

 

sound is getting worse and worse in 2nd gear...

 

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

Do you know if the previous owner put in a new clutch anytime recently? So it was not making any sound when you bought it right? Just started?

 

He claimed the clutch has 15k on it. I would be very, very surprised if that was the problem. The noise is quite loud. I'm sure the sound was there the day I bought it, I just didn't step on it enough in 1st to hear it (my mistake for not stepping on it in 1st)

Thanks for the response!

 

The reason I asked was a buddy of mine installed a new clutch in his toyota 22re and we suspect he torqued the pressure plate to tight and it made the same noise under the same conditions. Exactly what your talking about. So maybe the previous owner did the same thing

 

So for him it happened right after the clutch instal? I imagine he didn't go in and loosen them? I'll be replacing the clutch soon, so I guess we will see if that's it. I swear it's getting worse and worse though....

 

We pulled the tranny and redid his clutch and the problem was solved. It was loud as well and felt like the trans was going to blow. If you keep your hand gently on the shifter when it happens can you feel any vibrations or anything?

 

Ya it was instantly doing it. It was random and the truck drove/ shifter fine but it would make this crazy metal rattling sound.

 

That's really interesting. I wonder if that's my problem. Now that I think of it, one day I was doing some hauling and the clutch got super hot so I let it sit over night and It's seemed fine ever since. It's very possible the noise got worse after that incident. I don't feel any abnormal vibration on the shifter...

Did you guys replace the clutch in hopes to solve the noise?

 

Yes he bought the clutch at Autozone so it has a lifetime warranty so it was free to exchange. Since it was apart why not