For the last few years my rear end has been making noise.

my question is, will it fail catastrophically (seize up?), or just keep getting louder?

is there any fluid additive I could use to reduce the noise or make it last longer?

it's a '95 1500 with the 5.9 engine.

 

what kind of noise? do a fluid change and look for metal chunks. just had to replace my carrier because the clips broke loose which can possibly total the entire axle. If it is howling, you probably need new ring and pinion.

 

yes I did an oil change but didn't see any metal.

I'd say the noise is more like a whining rather then a howling.

 

i would say that the howling whining are the same. Eventually my guess is it will get louder at time. Ring and pinion is still my answer. when you changed fluid did you spin it and check the teeth on the ring gear?

 

bearings could be bad as well, i would get new bearing kit and ring and pinion. might as well do it all once its apart, no sense in paying for the job twice.

 

Does it get louder with speed?

 

my guess is a worn pinion bering and the sooner you do somthing about it the better just get a bearing and seal kit and do it or have it done good luck

 

Sorry for the delay guys! I've never worked on a rear end before, but it's pretty easy to educate yourself on things now!

sounds like I should replace all three things.

You know, we didn't really check the last part of the fluid we replaced, for metal, because they used a suction pipe to get what was at the bottom, where the metal would have been. I've been watching youtube, and there are a couple of big geared assemblies in there! Which of those would have been grinding?