i bought my truck about 2 months ago 97 1500 360. after i got home with it,, it started making a clicking sound which was low on diff fluid had to replace right and left axle seals and the bearing on the passenger side right in the left side of the cad.. hadent had any problems until a couple days ago when we started getting snow.. when it is engaged in 4x4 it has a real loud sound like you can hear the wheel or something rubbing or turning.. i noticed that both my axle seals are now starting to barley drip i am guessing that something rough in the 4x4 is wearing them out when it is activated.. i have no clue what could be wrong with the 4x4 but something is i noticed that where the front drive shaft goes into the back of the pumpkin it has a little play there so im not sure .. any help please thank you........

 

axles maybe bented

 

The axles float in the housing. bearings, and the nut on the end are about the only things holding them in place. There is a bushing in the inner passenger shaft, that hold the inner, and outer axles in alignment. Does the 4x4 lite come on when you put it in 4wd?

 

yes the light comes on and stays on it just dosent sound too good in 4wd you can like feel somthin when it is in 4x4

 

Put the truck in 4wd. make sure the light is on. Jack up the front of the truck, spin one of the wheels. (the other should spin the other way.) see if you can feel/hear anything.

 

wont be tomorrow till i can do that but my dang axle seals are barley dripping i and i have nothing els to drive right now im just hoping they dont start leaking more in 2wd until i can find time to tear into it i can probly get by with out 4wd i just dont know what is wrong with it to make the seals go out again

 

axle seals on these guys are a pain in the keester.......

 

yea i just did it a month ago blind to it but i got the job done ... is there a pinion bearing or seal that could be bad giveing it that play behind the pumpkin that would make this all loose and causing noise

 

Grab ahold of the front driveshaft, and give it a shake. It should not move at all.... If it does, find out where the slop is coming from, and fix it. bad bearings make a hell of a racket.

 

9 times out of 10 if it makes a clicking noise when in 4wd, the double cardan joint on the front driveshaft is bad.