Need some advice, front axle ujoint going out
Legend
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 8,098
Likes: 318
Even lock out hubs have downsides. They a new axle?
Thread Starter
|
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 18
Likes: 2
Ok, even thought it is -4 here, my son who works at a garage came over and we did as good as diagnosis as we could with a large screwdriver as a prybar and everything seems very solid on both axles and the driveshaft. He then started wondering about the CAD since he is not familiar with them. (of course I am not either). Could the locking collar engage only partially and cause the clicking noise? It is hard to really pinpoint where the noise is coming from. The noise is the same regardless of turning left, right or going straight. The last time I had a faulty ujoint (which thankfully was quite a while ago) it would have issues turning, but would never make any noise when going straight.
Would it be beneficial to remove the front driveshaft and then put it in 4x4 to see if the noise would continue? Would the CAD still lock the axle together? I guess at this point I would like to eliminate the transfer case as the culprit and go from there?
Would it be beneficial to remove the front driveshaft and then put it in 4x4 to see if the noise would continue? Would the CAD still lock the axle together? I guess at this point I would like to eliminate the transfer case as the culprit and go from there?
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 87,468
Likes: 4,221
From: Clayton MI
If the noise doesn't change when turning, I would be looking at the front driveshaft. Do you hear the noise in 2wd as well? (front shaft *shouldn't* be spinning in 2wd, but, sometimes it will anyway.....)
Also, a dry joint may still be tight, but, it will also be noisy.
Also, a dry joint may still be tight, but, it will also be noisy.
Champion
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,103
Likes: 109
From:
Bad ujoints will show their colors when in 4wd. Go test it somewhere. Clicking could be a bad hub also. Jack up and wiggle the wheels from noon to 6. Also, could be junk in your brakes. I picked up a teeny pebble once that I was sure had been a bad hub or ujoint.
Thread Starter
|
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 18
Likes: 2
Yes, my thinking. I kinda hope it is because it is MUCH easier to take it out and rebuild than the axle. No noise in 2wd at all, very smooth.
I have all of the parts ordered for the drivers side because I figure that as old as this truck is, even if it is not the culprit, new parts never hurt anything either.
Thread Starter
|
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 18
Likes: 2
It could be bad hub, but I have some experience with those and this only does it in 4x4 and my experience bears out that a bad hub would do it no matter what right?
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 87,468
Likes: 4,221
From: Clayton MI
My 96 had a pretty healthy appetite for the front joint in the front shaft. Think I went thru three of 'em in 7 years of driving. (less than 40K miles, I don't go too many places. 
) Even good joints didn't seem to last long..... I ended up rebuilding the entire shaft the last year I was driving it. All new joints end to end. That seemed to have solved the issue.
) Even good joints didn't seem to last long..... I ended up rebuilding the entire shaft the last year I was driving it. All new joints end to end. That seemed to have solved the issue.
