2wd 1500 2001 5.2

Grating/grinding sound
 only in motion - not in idle
 does not stop when braking
 sound increases dramatically when switching in and out of O/D
 louder in O/D
 in the beginning I thought it was the front tires as they are worn and need to be replaced
 power from engine not effected (just a little noisy)
 the noise does not change when on snow vs. pavement


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That's a tough one to diagnose. That could be anything from driveshaft u-joints to wheel bearings. It's a pain, but try to see of you can narrow down where the noise is coming from.

 

sounds like a trans issue...since its constant which would eliminate the wheel bearings and u joint like ramtuff suggested since they stop moving when the truck stops moving.

 

It could very well be a tranny issue. He says it occurs in motion, and doesn't stop under braking (does it change though?), which would lead you to a drivetrain problem. He says it doesn't occur in idle though...is that at idle in park or in drive? I just figured I'd take him through the easier steps though before diagnosing it as a major component.

 

let see if I can answer your questions...
from inside the cab it sounds as if it is coming from the front. The noise does not appear when at idle whether in gear or not...
the noise gets louder between 10 - 35mph in or out of O/D then 35+ (when out of O/D) it gets quiter. HWY in O/D is quite loud!
This may sound wierd but could this be the fan clutch? I found a small amount of oil on one of the fan blades
The 01 versoin is a threaded thermal fan clutch...

 

no difference when braking.

 

throw it in neutral when it's making the noise and see if it goes away. if it does, then it's probably in the tranny. if it doesn't then it must be tire/bearing/axle related.

 

THANKS I'LL TRY THAT...

 

well I tried what you suggested (throwing it in neutral) it had the same effect as taking it out of overdrive...reduced noise

 

get it to a tranny shop and have them look at it asap. could be a simple fix. OD's have a habit of going out on these tranny's.