Noise from driveshaft

[Mark Sheriff]

In the video below you will see me point out where I'm getting noise from.

I am getting a metal dragging type sound as long as my wheels are turning, happens in neautral or in drive and it doesn't matter if I'm accelerating or braking, as long as the wheels turn I have the noise and it does not get loud.

Rotors, brakes, calipers and backing sheilds inspected and replaced
All exhaust sheilds inspected or removed
Wheels bearings changed
I've inspected just about everything and have been trying to hunt this noise down for a long time and it only happens when the wheels move so in order for me to get under the car and listen while the wheels turn I had to jack up the rear of the car and put it in drive so the wheels turn.

https://youtu.be/oQ9UtdcldDQ

[4xq]

Nice job of pinpointing where the noise is coming from!

I would pull the driveshaft and check the U-joint. It should move smoothly in all directions. Tightness / roughness means time for a new u - joint. There is also a small metal shield that slips over the end of the drivehaft - probably a water shield. It may be rubbing on the "cone" or shroud on the transfer case you were pointing to in the video.

Put a small amount of grease on the slip shaft while you have the driveshaft out for good measure - don't gob it on as it can cause a vibration if you use too much.

Hope that helps!

[rgk]

Most of the time a metallic grinding sound coming from the driveshaft is due to bad u-joints, so I have to wonder how/when/why the sound occurs when you are in neutral - is it when you have added gas and shifted into neutral? If so, I second checking out the joints.

[Mark Sheriff]

Yes when in neutral I meant shifting into neautral while the car was already rolling, seems like all things point to the u joints and thanks for the tip on greasing that slip shaft 4xq

[mthatch]

Just had the same issue. I have 2X4, and it ended up being the centre support bearing. Sounded like rubbing in the brake system up front, but I was inspecting on the underside and noticed that the propeller shaft (drive shaft) was loose in it's carrier bracket. I replaced the centre support bearing and the sound went away.

[Mark Sheriff]

the thing is my pathy is a 4x4 and i don't see any center support bearing on the driveshaft at all, in the video you can see its one solid shaft and goes from the transfer case straight to the rear differential with nothing in between

[rgk]

I also have the 4x4 without the center support bearing. Some cars have them, some don't.

If you can get the car up on four jack stands and put the transmission in neutral, you can spin each shaft by hand and isolate the noise.

Then it's just a matter of removing said shaft and replacing both u-joints. You'll need a vise for that.

[mthatch]

4x4's do not have a centre support bearing. The shaft is one peice. I looked through all of your past post @mark sheriff, and couldn't see any indication of what setup you had.

rgk has the right idea. If you can suspend the vehicle and manually rotate the tires, you'll find the noise easier.

[Mark Sheriff]

alright so i updated my bio under my avatar with more specs of my pathy.

I jacked up the rear of the car and had the car in neutral then i turned the shaft by hand and there was no play at the rear of the shaft at the differential but there was play at the front of the shaft towards the transfer case side. the play there did not seem like much movement in the u joint though it kind of sounded like it was from more inside the tcase, but im not sure. if i push up and down on the shaft at the the tcase end there is play and it does not do this at the differential end. is there a bearing i can also replace that at the front of the drive shaft where it enters the tcase and is it easy to replace? or does it really seem like a u joint still?

[rgk]

The bearings in the transfer case can be replaced, but for the home mechanic it's a difficult job. It's easier to just replace the case.

It should be pretty obvious whether the play is in the joint or the case. However, the usual symptom of play is vibration, not grinding.

If you can track down an extra set of stands, you will be able to spin the wheels freely and check this out for certain. Our transfer case 'locks' both shafts together, so whenever you have one wheel (or one shaft) spinning, they all spin.

In order to get enough momentum in the shaft to hear grinding, you need all four tires in the air.

Like I said, grinding is almost always in the joints.

[Mark Sheriff]

well i was able to move the shaft freely (while in neutral) and the rear wheels turn when i move the rear shaft, my front shaft only locks on when i put the truck in 4 wheel drive

i cant get the wheels to spin fast enough in order to hear the noise im hearing when im rolling on the road, the fastest the wheels can turn is when i have the car on in drive and it turns the wheels itself and i faintly hear the noise from the area i point to in the video

however, i don't think my noise is so much of a grinding noise, im not even sure how to explain it but i do not get vibrations or loud noises, it sounds like metal rubbing on metal as the wheels turn, from that area i point to in the video, i had lubed up that area yesterday and it made no difference, i will order the u joints and replace the front and rear joints on the rear shaft soon but i just want to make sure if that is really the problem.

[4xq]

It could be either the U-joint or transfer case output shaft bearing. The most likely is the U-joint I think, but you will know when you pull the driveshaft if you have a bad u-joint pretty quickly. I think thats going to be the easiiest way to tell.

There is some play in the transfer case output shaft bearing - I have some in mine - that allows you to wiggle the output shaft a little. You will notice that with the driveshaft off.

Don't forget to use some spray paint or something to mark the rear drivehaft flange and the differential flange so you can bolt them back up the same way they are bolted together now!

[rgk]

Glad to hear there should be some play in the output shaft, 4xq.

I used my wife's nail polish to make a mark on the shaft. Replacing the joints was no picnic!

[Mark Sheriff]

Alright guys so I finally got to remove my driveshaft and I inspected everything, u joints are on tight and move smoothly, no weird noises or abnormal movement. I also greased the part where the drive shaft enters the transfer case and bolted everything back up. I also drained the tcase oil and refilled with new fluid per specs from the manual.

I found minor metal shavings on the tcase drain plug but nothing to worry about.

I'm still having this annoying sound and I'm starting to think the driveshaft has nothing to do with it, I get no vibrations when diving nor do I get clunks.

Anyone have any other ideas whee this kind of sound can come from? It's a metal dragging/rattling sound and only happens once a the wheels are moving (it's explained more in my previous posts) the one thing I did was jacked the rear end of the car up and put the car in drive and let the wheels spin but I did not hear the noise I usually hear when rolling on the road, maybe the problem is with the front end? Something that spins with the front wheels?
Any ideas?
note: the car is only driven in 2 wheel mode

[4xq]

Well, it seemed you had located your noise in the video - the driveshaft is the more common problem there, but it seems that is fine, so you have to suspect the transfer case bearing.

As far as other items - in the rear: Your rear diify, axles and brakes all seem quiet in the video. Rear wheel bearings typically make a grumbling noise, and the noise changes some when you turn hard left or hard right. Kind of doubt there is a problem back there.

In the front - I assume you have pulled the front driveshaft and checked the u-joints? If not, that would be the next thing.

After that, you have the front axleshafts and differential left. It is not impossible it is a front axleshaft or the front differential. Front axleshaft noise will commonly change when you turn left or right.

Might be time to hit the shop and let them tell you what it is. It will cost 100.00 or so for a diagnosis I suppose. I would guess transfer case bearing, but being on the other side of the internet I could certainly be wrong.

[rgk]

Yep, check your front driveshaft, check your front u-joints, check your diff fluid.

When you remove your front shaft, spin the front output bearing on your transfer case.

Spin your front wheels with and without your driveshaft installed.

Do the same with your rear shaft removed: spin the wheels, check the output shaft.

In this way you should be able to narrow it down.

In a way you are lucky: you're able to hear the noise with the car in the garage. Me, I get a vibration only at 50 mph, so I'm not able to diagnose the problem with the car up on jack stands.