Clunking noise from rear....

[ugharin]

I had this sound, kind of a grumble, or a clunk coming from the rear everytime I shifted form Park to either reverse or the first gear.

But the problem seems to have worsened off late.

Basically,now its become louder and stronger and is like a 'thud' if you will, from the rear when I shift from park to reverse or first. And it seems like its coming from the rear end and I feel a little grind in the drive shaft as well, towards the rear. It happens while I am releasing the brakes after engaging the gears.

I have no clue and am a little worried. I changed the fluid in the rear end and put in a conventional 80w90 valvoline. It did take 4.5 qts as opposed to 3 which it was supposed to take as per the manual. The truck was inclined uphill when I was changing the fluid. If its a differential isuse, could this be the reason for the problem worsening? Or is it something else altogether as I did have this clunk, grind problem before the fluid changes albeit in a minor way.

Would appreciate any help from the experts here.

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Does this happen when you're parked on flat ground or when you're parked on an incline (or both)?

[ugharin]

I am at the Firestone right now getting an alignment. Done. Replying from myphone so please excuse the typos.

But it happens all the time. An especially during cold start. After driving around fora while, when I stop and start again, its q little OK. But from a cold start its a crazy thud/clunk/grind. On all levels. These guys are Gina look at it after the alignment. I am guessing about a universal joint.

[ugharin]

Ok I give up.

I got back from Firestone after the wheel alignment after I had them look at it. They state that everything is fine. They cant figure out the problem, what that crunch/clunk/grind noise was and that everything looked good underneath. They said its fairly common on SUVs. They did drain the extra fluid out of the differential.

But its not common. It doesnt happen in my 2000 QX4 or my friends Hummer or the another Sorento in a quick comparision.

Basically, after I shift from PARK to GEAR, when I am releasing the brakes, something underneath and in the rear is grinding, and when I completely release the brakes there is a thud. And its pretty big during cold start.

Do you know what it could be. Or if there is something specific I could get tested, checked out at the nissan delearship?

Thanks for the help.

[ugharin]

Basically, after I shift from PARK to GEAR, when I am releasing the brakes, something underneath and in the rear is grinding, and when I completely release the brakes there is a thud. And its pretty big during cold start.

I searched a little bit and found it to be a fairly common problem with the Tacomas.

Below is the link. Especially post #6 (second para.)

http://townhall.edmunds.com/direct/view/.eea0bad/0

Another perhaps similar experiance, with Piots.

http://www.piloteers.org/forum...ber=1

It also seems to be some kind of a " jeep thing"?...

Play in the differential, bad u-joints, bad engine or transmission mounts, drive shaft issues, brakes, suspension, axle warp, XYZ??

Anybody?
Modified by ugharin at 10:07 PM 3/5/2010

[ugharin]

Ok. So I know this dude who is a mechanic and we had a look at my QX4 (2WD, 82k miles). The problem as I mentioned earlier in this thread is that after I first start the vehicle and put it into any gear from park, there is this one time clunk/grind and a jerk, coming from the rear of the vehicle.

He first said it could be the CV joints. But then he got underneath the truck and asked me to do it again while he could be listening and watching.

He came back up and said its definitely coming from the differential and somethings f***ked in there. He says that its likely a bad gear and that we could ;1) open it up2) find the bad gear3) go get the new part (20-30 bucks)4) fix it back up.

He says not to worry and that this would be a 2 hr job.

He is a great guy and an awesome handyman and does just about everything from mechanical work, to electrical, to plumbing..et al...But I am wondering what you guys think. Does his 'diagnosis' sound right? Does it make sense? IS the fix as simple as it sounds? Am I better off getting a used differential from a junkyard or something?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I gotta make a trip to Miami in the first week of the next month and dont want to drive with this issue.

[ugharin]

Ok. Here I go again with what I am hoping to be a better explanation of the problem. Somebody please do help.

I am having a problem in that when I first shift from PARK into any gear, I get a THUD and a grind from the rear end area.

When I pull up the parking brake, I can run through the gears from PARK to REV or DRIVE etc and everything is fine and quiet. I can feel a small THUD but no sound at all.But, w/o the parking brake on, I get a grinding sound/noise and a stronger thud from the rear when done releasing the brakes. Its getting worser everyday and has been particularly bad today. Almost like I am being hit from behind everytime I change into a gear(from park).

I went underneath to check for any play in the propeller shaft and there was none. The u-joints, yokes, drive shaft look fine. Atleast visually. I asked a buddy to run through the gears while I was looking below and whats happening is that;When a gear is engaged from park, and when the prop/drive shaft rotates into the differential, theres is grinding sound and a thud which can be felt in the vehicle. There is an upward jerk and a downward jerk depending upon the gear selected (forward or reverse). Basically, while there underneath looking, it can be seen that when the forward gear is engaged, the vehicle lifts up and when the reverse gear is selected, the vehicle kinda squats down. The noise can be heard from the differential and also from the brakes area. So am unable to isolate the noise and the thud.

So wanted to ask you guys here what you think. Anybody? pwnin, billy, fueler? anybody?

Any help, advice, suggestion would be helpful and appreciated.

[longball425]

change your transmission mount...when you have the parking brake pulled up it is removing some of the built up torque that is on the drive shaft -especially on an incline/decline...so that is probably why you don't have the issues when the brake is applied...I had a similar problem....new mount cleared it up...

[Empty V]

First off I would get a cheap stethoscope from the pharmacy and use that to find the noise. What stops the vehicle from moving while in park with the e-brake disengaged? Is it the trans? If so then the issue potentially lies in that area because when that pressure is relived by the e-brake the noise isn't as bad. Sorry I'm little to no help in this area.

Billy

[Pwnin Obrien]

change your transmission mount...when you have the parking brake pulled up it is removing some of the built up torque that is on the drive shaft -especially on an incline/decline...so that is probably why you don't have the issues when the brake is applied...I had a similar problem....new mount cleared it up...

This is sort of what I was going to suggest. I experience the same thud when I park my vehicle on an incline/decline (even the smallest incline/decline) without the parking brake. Question: When you are parking the vehicle, you put it into park and you let off the brake (without setting the parking brake), does the vehicle move a little bit? The worse the incline/decline the louder the thud, right? The front and rear differentials are trying to turn both drive shafts and it's creating immense amounts of torque on the drive shafts which in turn applies that torque to the transmission. Another question (this may be an obvious question), do you apply the parking brake before or after you let off the brake pedal? When you park the vehicle you want to keep the brake pressed and then pull the parking brake as hard as you can, even on the steepest incline it shouldn't budge after you let off the brake pedal.

If I'm completely wrong with this post then consider me stumped.

[ugharin]

Thanks for the replies.

You are right. Its more pronounced even on small incline/decline(s).

1) Yep. When I come to a stop and shift into PARK and take my foot off the brakes without indulging the parking brakes the vehicle moves a bit. There is some noise clunk too from the rear. But this clunk/grind is the most pronounced on an incline/decline and;
during a cold start and shift from PARK into GEAR rather than from GEAR to PARK after a drive.

2) Uh..er...I actually only use the parking brake when I am parking on an incline/decline. But when I do, I dont release the brakes, until I have pulled the parking brake lever way the heck up in which case, there is never any clunk grind noise.

Sorry I forgot to mention its a 2WD and I dont have a front differential. But what I understand now is that its only a stress (on the shafts, mounts, suspension, etc??) issue and nothings really is at fault. I will simply use the parking brake all the time. I will check the transmission mounts as well and see whats up over there as that seems plausible apropos the thud. Will pick up a steth as well.

Thanks for the help again.

[fernandoh]

Mine is 4WD. Saying that, I suggest to change the Ujoints. I did this. Mine had a braking related thump or sound that finally was the rear Ujoint. The braking action (or the shift to second or a change in the inclination of the road) produced relative movemetns (up/down of the differential) that need to be compensated by the Ujoint when the torque is high (as in second being shifted)or the gear is producing again some torque (as in braking when you release the brake and brake again). To figure this I use the brakes in N and no thumps. I choose a portion of the paved road to produce the torque/upwards movement and the thump was bigger. Then I changed the U joints (both) and the problem was cured. I didn't find the Nissan joints and I used korean parts so now after 2000 km the thump is appearing (minor) but not when braking. The shaft is different in the 2 WD but maybe the solution is the same.

[Joncp2011]

Hi I am new to nick but this sounds like an issue that I am experiencing right now. Did the transmission mount fix the issue?

I got under the car and checked out the noise while having someone else put it in gear and reverse and noticed part of the catalytic converter and pipe beneath the driver side was vibrating for those few seconds after switching it into gear. I never saw the transmission rattle nor the transmission mount. Does this still sound like your same issue?

I appreciate any help, thanks.