So I noticed around last week that there was this popping sound coming from the rear end. I first noticed it when I was driving home from work. It sounded like someone put a pop can in the exhaust tip or something. It's a continuous popping or clicking sound I can't really describe it. It's definitely coming from the rear end though. It's progressively getting worse though. Any ideas what it could be? Perhaps it's the rear u-joint?

 

check the u-joints on the driveshaft. sometimes they will show play sometimes they wont. also u might check the shoes, inside the brake drums make sure they aint binding, i have had that pop before. but most the time its gonna be a u-joint.

 

I'm not getting any play out of the u-joint. It'll mainly make the sound when I accelerate or start braking from around 30mph or higher. I've heard sometimes greasing the u-joint can solve issues similar to this. However I tried looking all around the rear u-joint and I didn't see any grease fittings at all.

 

My dad's 02 had the exact same problem, replacing both u-joints on the driveshaft fixed it.

 

Do you have jackstands?

Get the rear end up and see if it does the same thing.

The description also sounds similar to a LSD with the c-clips breaking and making that sound. Do you have LSD?

 

No it doesn't have a LSD. And I just drove it down the road and back, it does it just taking off as well. It's a popping kind of rattling sound. I don't have jackstands either.

 

like metal on metal or click clik click sound? like i said if its a straight pop or click sound, the u-joints wont always have play but can still go bad and make this sound

 

Mine was noise free one time and I had to take the driveshaft off to get at the transfer case, one of the u-joints was seized. You should take the driveshaft off and move the yokes around by hand to see if they move freely.

 

i removed my rear drive shaft one day to replace a seal and the u-joints were about to fall completely out. i guess that explained the popping noise it had been making when starting off.

check it...