Humming Clicking, and Pulls to the left, please help!

I have had an aussie in my D30 for about 6 months. Just recently on a wheeling trip when in 4wd be it lo or hi it will make this god awful humming sound with some sort of clicking, now when I turn it gets louder, and ONLY in 4wd. I opened it up to see if I see any shavings but no metal no nothing. All the springs are in place, the only thing I do notice is when I turn one wheel, there is a very small amount of play between the spring and the metal part of the halves, this play makes a small click, and you can see the peg has some wear on it. I was wondering if this was causing my issues or maybe a bad u-joint. Will I have to take the locker out in order to see if everything is in working order??

The locker works normally, when offroad there were several snow spots where both tires were churning, but no rocks to test the strength, and on road it ratchets just like it should. I am just stumped, its my DD and right now I have shafts lying on the garage floor so yeah no driving haha. I really appreciate the help!!!

What is the green drop of liquid hanging there and on the ring? Have you done a big water crossing and left the gear oil unchanged awhile, maybe the new fluid will help. Pure speculation and guessing on my part! lol

The pics show a good lookin locker with no damage as far as I can tell. The humming could be bad bearings. When you installed the locker, did you get new carrier bearings?

BTW when only one side of my lunchbox was engaging in the rear, I had massive torque steer because my trackbar tierod was hosed. Once we replaced the springs in my Detriot EZ locker, I no longer had torque steer since both wheels where engaged.

my guess would be hub assembly issues... I can't see why it would only be doing it in 4wd though... I'll think on it

That was just the reflection of the flash on the gear oil, no water crossings. See thats why it confuses the hell out of me, a few seconds after 4wd engages so does the noise and as soon as it does you hear the clicking, humming, what have you, then i press the gas and I get torque steer. put it back in 2wd and it all goes away, I will call aussie to see if they can send me some new springs. And change the u-joints while its torn apart.

djblade311 said:

The pics show a good lookin locker with no damage as far as I can tell. The humming could be bad bearings. When you installed the locker, did you get new carrier bearings?

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Not new carrier bearings, if it could be those I will hold off, I get gears installed in a week with a larger carrier and blah blah so it will all be replaced anyways.

, I had massive torque steer because my trackbar tierod was hosed

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So you mean your tie rod was a goner?? About 2 months ago I had an alignment from a pretty good shop in which I wheel with some of the guys, but I hope they would have said something.

xjrrrdx said:

Not new carrier bearings, if it could be those I will hold off, I get gears installed in a week with a larger carrier and blah blah so it will all be replaced anyways.

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that may cure your problem anyways.

So would you even bother with replacing the u-joint?? I mean if it were a bad joint I would assume it would be bad in 2wd and 4wd, not just 4wd.

check your CV in the drive shaft... they can make some crazy noises.

Mine was was fubar and didn't know it until I lifted it. 2wd it was quiet. 4wd; clack clack clack down the trail.

EDIT: just saw the pulling part of the post... check the front axle u-joints...sounds like one or more caps has seized.

Check the teeth on that lockright, they look a little worn and that can cause it. This happend to me in the rear. Even the slightest amount of chaffing to those teeth will cause it to make noise, pop, and pull you to either side.

Well I tried taking the u-joint off but good god that thing was soooo rusted on there PB, Kroil and nothing could get those beasts off. Any other advice how to get it out??

xjrrrdx said:

Not new carrier bearings, if it could be those I will hold off, I get gears installed in a week with a larger carrier and blah blah so it will all be replaced anyways.


So you mean your tie rod was a goner?? About 2 months ago I had an alignment from a pretty good shop in which I wheel with some of the guys, but I hope they would have said something.

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Yea anytime you have the carrier out, its cheap and simple enough to replace the carrier bearings just to make sure.

To clarify, my trackbar tierod END was a goner. Not the main tierod. Having only 1 wheel engaged in the rear really amplified the fact that it was hosed.

Any tips on how to take out a really seized u-bolt. I had the c-clips off, and tomorrow I think ill take a torch to it to see if i can hammer that SOB out.