• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Metal clunk. wheel bearing ?

blu3fan

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Arizona
So my jeep has a grinding noise at 15-20mph.
any higher and I think the road noise overwhelms it.
kinda scared to drive it.
sounds like front drivers side
I had a popping sound.
So I figured U-joints.
Changed all of them.
no change.

Jacked it up.
Prybar and spun the wheels.
No noise.
at all.

It kinda sounds like brakes. when they are metal on metal. best way to describe it.
it only happens during rotation.
Can hear heavy clunking changing between drive and park.
I bought a new wheel bearing. Maybe its that ?
input on this ? cannot hear any grinding without weight.

someone said to check that its not the transfer case.
Im going to throw the jeep on 4 wheel stands and see if its that on sunday.
just spit balling til then.
 
Also.
I have put a prybar on the front u-joints in the axle ends.
no play. Have not changed them. but the U-joints I removed from the driveline were spicer.
Unsure if those are stock. so the axle ones Could have already been replaced.
 
The obvious answer is to take the Jeep to a 4x4 experienced shop so that somebody can test drive it and listen to the noises in person. Isolate the noise to front/rear/middle of the Jeep. Some common things to check are u-joints, suspension bushings, ball joints, front unit hubs, and the motor/transmission mounts. Is the exhaust touching anything ?
 
this is either the xfer case. the front hub. or axle u-joint- everything else is new.
its a rotational noise.
like brakes grinding when they get too low is the best way to describe it. but the brakes are 2 yr's old. and still 50%.
the other thing I am thinking is that it could be a brake shim.
I just got the wheel hub assembly in. installing them sunday.
 
Best and easiest way to isolate if it's a wheel bearing is to drive it and alternately load and unload the bearings. Drive slow 10-15 mph, or until you hear the noise, turning the steering sharply back and forth. Pull the wheel quickly about 90 degrees left for a 2 count the back to the right 90 deg from center for a two count. On the left turn your right wheel bearing will be loaded as the weight shifts that way and vice versa. If the noise gets louder on the left turn and goes away on the right then your right wheel bearing is the culprit.
 
Long time back I had a cherp/ squel, kinda like brake wear bars. It disappeared after the summer. i believed it to be a bad wheel bearing/hub, and after replacing it I'm confident it was a smoked.

It's a bit but not a lot of work to pop out the hub and check the bearings outside of the vehicle (feel/sound). Sounds like your on your way anyhow. Ratchet extension + steering wheel trick is your best friend if they haven't been out in some time.
 
One thing it could be is stuck caliper slides... If they get too corroded it won’t allow the caliper to adjust for pad wear. So the inside pad is doing most of the work (wearing out quickly). Not saying this is your problem but it’s a real possibility. Good luck!
 
As long as the hub brg is not rusted to the spindle its not that hard to take apart.
 
and if you wanna replace the bearing a 16lbs sledge will knock em right out. put some good nickel anti-seize on em when you put them back on and youll never have an issue getting them to pop back off
 
and if you wanna replace the bearing a 16lbs sledge will knock em right out. put some good nickel anti-seize on em when you put them back on and youll never have an issue getting them to pop back off

Do it the easy way, let the power steering break the hubs loose.
http://www.stu-offroad.com/axle/unitbearing/unitbearing-1.htm

Works every time and only takes a couple of minutes.
You are less likely to damage something, compared to beating on it with a 16-lb hammer.
 
The double cardan joint on the front driveshaft will chirp and grind when the ball/socket get dried out and worn. Really bad on cooler to cold days. When it's warm they won't make a sound.
I drove around with no front drive shaft and it was still doing it.
So it is 100% not the front drive shaft.

At this point no more noise.
I checked the bearings with both apart. both seem fine.
Re-greased them. put both back in.
I have the old service receipts from the cars history. Did I mention.. dealer service history :) and it says the hubs were done 05.


I am worried it is the xfer case and it just sounded like the front end.
My other idea at this point is the front diff.
I will change fluid soon and see if gears are okay.

For now. driving it slow. but kinda waiting for the noise to re-surface..

Jeep. Throw money at problem. Replace things not really needed.
Eventually problem goes away.
LOL
 
Update.
I did a burnout to put some stress on the cars suspension.
We Have grinds again.
I think the new u-joint failed (1month old)
rear driveshaft at transfercase snout.

DANM YOU VALUECRAFT !!!!
 
Back
Top