Dodge cargo van

[Sarge]

Totalled my Sprinter so I'm driving a Dodge 2500 short cargo van for now...think it's a 2001. But it's got a problem which is driving me insane(r).

At speeds from 40 and up I get a humming/growl from the rear of the van. No vibration is felt in the steering wheel. Gets really bad from 50 up. Unloaded the vibes/sound go away at ~70mph. Loaded it just don't stop.

You can coast and it'll settle down so a tolerable level. Also if you go over bumps as the suspension cycles the vibes/sound goes away during compression and rebound. You can hear and feel it as it transitions thru the center of the travel still. Van tracks straight.

No wear patterns on the tires. Bounce check of the shocks indicates the shocks are good. No broken leaves on the springs or missing bolts. Rear diff is full to correct level and smells and feels right. Driveshaft "appears" newer than the rest of the underneath. Bad u joint?

Sarge

[Rev Den]

U-joints will vibe/click under load.....coasting will quit them down. I am thinking more like axle bearings.

Rev

[RedHeep]

Wouldn't axle bearings make noise regardless of the speed of the truck?

I would think u-joints, only because some of the harmonics of the driveshaft versus rpm would cause that noise in a certain speed range.

[Sarge]

Well there is a low growl from the moment you begin rolling. I figured it was the tires tho. Wrangler HT's and fairly new. I know the fronts make some noise as it modulates when you turn the wheel. This van has been pretty abused in its life I can imagine.

Sarge