I just replaced my transfer case and rear driveshaft.I now get this howling noise, it kind of sounds like the sound you get when you get new tires with big tread, when the tread hits the pavement. The truck doesn't vibrate or anything, everything is smooth, no vibrating at all. The noise starts at about 20mph, then it gets faster the faster i go. Could it be the driveshaft not being balanced? When i took the front driveshaft out one of the weights fell off, but the noise sounds like it is coming from the rear. It's transfer case, rear or front driveshaft, just don't know which one.

 

The drive shaft does need to be balanced. I would imagine the directional force of the driveshaft would cause the problem to be transfer to the rear, as the intial torque on the driveshaft is coming from the tranny and being forced down to the rear.

 

Well, the rear shaft is balanced, but i got it from a junk yard, so there is no telling if it was balanced right before or if a weight(s) fell off. Also, if it needed to be balanced wouldn't it vibrate, the truck rides as smooth as a caddy, no vibration at all, just the howl. I thought about it again, and it sounds kind of like the t-case has no fluid in it, and you can hear all the gears turning inside, but it is full of fluid.

 

The front shaft won't turn in 2WD. Sounds to me like your rear end is on it's way out.

 

I highly doubt it's the rear end, like i said, it only started doing this once i put the new transfer case and driveshaft in. Also, when the driveshaft broke, i drove it up the street in only front-wheel drive, and the rear axle was spinning and it didn't make any noises.

 

What are the chances it could be something other than the driveshaft or the t-case, considering it happened right after i was done replacing them? When the driveshaft came out it snapped the u-joint retainers, could this force have done something to the rearend?

 

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When the driveshaft came out it snapped the u-joint retainers, could this force have done something to the rearend?

If the driveshaft had been wallering out the retainers at the rear diff and causing massive vibration (eliptical rotation from not being centered in the yoke) and then finally let go, that could have hammered the pinion bearing.

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Also, when the driveshaft broke, i drove it up the street in only front-wheel drive, and the rear axle was spinning and it didn't make any noises.

It didn't have any load. Only time a freewheeling axle would make noise is if the wheel bearings are going.

Usually a transfer case that is failing will make crunching/grinding/scraping noises or popping noises in 4WD as the chain slips.

Driveshafts won't be respnsible for any noises, only vibration.

A dry U-joint will squeak or crunch/pop as the needle bearings get ground up, but they won't howl

Pay close attention to how the pitch of your whine changes (if it changes) under heavy acceleration vs. cruising vs. decel.

 

You need to check to see if your driveshaft is phased correctly. A lot of ppl dont realise that the U-joints must be in phase with other . Its hard to explane here so take to a tranny shop and let them check them for you and do it ASAP IMHO terry-------tboss

 

1/2 ton rams have a slip yoke (1-piece shaft). And he has noise, not vibration.

 

I think i found out what the problem is, i believe it is a loose chain, so tomorrow i am going to put it up on a lift and put it in gear to make sure the noise is coming from the t-case. I am going to swap the chain from my old one to the one i have in there now. Also, do you think i can change the chain with the t-case still in the truck? I would rather not have to take it all out again, but will if i have to. When i first put it in 4-wheel drive after the install, i remember there being a loud pop, but it only did that once and the 4-wheel drive works fine. If i put it in 4-wheel drive going down the road, and the chain is the problem, would it take the slack off with the front yoke turning under power and make it not hit the side of the case? Also, if it was the pinion bearing, wouldn't i be able to move the pinion yoke around a little, i tried and it is perfectly tight in every direction.