Need HELP ASAP!!

Okay I'm cross-posting this because I need an answer quickly.

Here's what's going on:

Family leaving on trip day after tomorrow.
Have had "howling noise" for sometime.
Replaced: Rear Pinion and Carrier Bearings, Front Carrier and Pinion Bearings, front Hubs, front axle shaft U-Joints and all and Ujoints on both drive shafts.

Problem: STILL have a "growl" coming from the rear. I jacked up the back end today and there is "play" in the shafts on both sides. What I mean is, if I jerk in and out on the wheels, the shaft "bumps" in and out enough that I can both feel it and hear it loudly.

Is this kind of "in and out" play normal for a D35 with C-clips? Are the axles gonna fall out while zipping down the highway? Also, I can feel the rear end "floating" when goin down the road.

THANK YOU for any response as quick as possible.

James

Some "in-out" movement is normal on "C" clip axles(maybe an 1/8" or less). The only thing that can cause this movement to become more pronounced is either wear in the center shaft of the diff, or wear on the ends of the axle shafts(where the shafts come in contact with the centershaft of the diff). For safety's sake pull the cover, clean the diff with brake cleaner and inspect all components.

The "C" clips are the only thing holding your shafts in on a drum brake system. In normal conditions they hold up very well and do not fail.

With the cover off and everything clean, push in the axle shafts one at a time and make sure the "C" clips can not fall out of the side gears on thier own. I would find it highly unlikely that you have anything other than what is considered normal "end play" for a "C" clip axle.

Jon

Thank you for the reply!!

I have invested over $1200.00 in this Jeep trying to make it "right" since I bought it used. To say the very least, I let myself buy a lemon.
I traded it in today on a 2000 4Runner Limited with only 70,000 miles. I just couldnt pass up the center locking Transfer case, AW4 tranny and the electric locking rear differential.... plus factory tow package! It is tight, and I'm quite certain I will be happy. (Actually took this one to my garage and put it on a lift and went over it with a fine toothed comb)

I will miss the ZJ world, but I still have my trusty XJ... which I dont think I will ever part with....

Thank you again for trying to help me out. You are one of two who did.

James

DSN46, Glad I could kinda help. Nothing wrong with Yota's, I wheel with a few of them. I'm just all Jeep, its in my blood. My dad was a Jeep man!

DSN46 said:

I have invested over $1200.00 in this Jeep trying to make it "right" since I bought it used.

James

Click to expand...

this post disappeared before I could offer anything...but here is a tip for future reference - nd not just you, but anyone who is suffering from some irritating problem...

Don't just start throwing money at parts trying to resolve the issue before you know exactly what the issue is. More people start doing the hokey pokey with sensors (and in your case, bearings) spending hundreds of dollars to find out some three inch rubber hose had a crack and they were suffering from a vacuum leak.

You could have checked the quality of all the bearings before you replaced them...but what you describe is very often just mud/dust/muck in the outer wheel bearings. They cost about $30 and can be changed with basic hand tools in about an hour.

Replaced: Rear Pinion and Carrier Bearings, Front Carrier and Pinion Bearings, front Hubs, front axle shaft U-Joints and all and Ujoints on both drive shafts.

Click to expand...

That howling noise was the fuel pump back in the gas tank.

The "in and out" play is normal. I doubt you bought yourself a lemon, especially if your only complaint is a noise with no drivability issues. What year is/was the Jeep?

You should have rotated your tires front-to-back first, see if the noise moved to the front. Who was doing your diagnostic work?

Those MallRunners SUCK, you couldn't pay me to own one. They're turds, even my '87 Cherokee is faster on the road, and more comfortable too. Toyotas are sooooo overrated in terms of quality and reliability it's rediculous, the American public is a bunch of suckers going for Toyotas. Hondas are eleventy billion times better, but Toyota still gets the best rep for whatever reason.

Newer Toyota's are OK for the street but I wouldn't buy one. XJ's are a better value and their reliability awesome. I've driven newer Toyota's and got a 1985 Toyota Pickup and a 1994 XJ. From my experience a stock XJ rides better than a new IFS Toyota does and wheels better than the old Toyota solid axle. The Toyota e-locker is nice but for $400 the XJ got a powertrax no-slip. Works good! Also when needed XJ parts are cheap and easy to find. I keep my Toyota just so I can make dump runs and shift them gears doing it.:firedevil The little Toy tractor is fun to drive sometimes but gutless and hard on the kidneys!:tear: It's nice to slip back into the XJ. with it's nice seats, 4.0L power, bitchen automatic, and the caddillac like ride.:eeks1:

DSN46 said:

Thank you for the reply!!

I have invested over $1200.00 in this Jeep trying to make it "right" since I bought it used. To say the very least, I let myself buy a lemon.
I traded it in today on a 2000 4Runner Limited with only 70,000 miles. I just couldnt pass up the center locking Transfer case, AW4 tranny and the electric locking rear differential.... plus factory tow package! It is tight, and I'm quite certain I will be happy. (Actually took this one to my garage and put it on a lift and went over it with a fine toothed comb)

I will miss the ZJ world, but I still have my trusty XJ... which I dont think I will ever part with....

Thank you again for trying to help me out. You are one of two who did.

James

Click to expand...

Here's some things I learned from old time mechanics .I used to hear trucks with howling rear ends driving around,one of my mechanic friends told me how they quieted them down they used heavier gear oil to which they added some sawdust works wonders for awhile.

anony91xj said:

The "in and out" play is normal. I doubt you bought yourself a lemon, especially if your only complaint is a noise with no drivability issues. What year is/was the Jeep?

You should have rotated your tires front-to-back first, see if the noise moved to the front. Who was doing your diagnostic work?

Those MallRunners SUCK, you couldn't pay me to own one. They're turds, even my '87 Cherokee is faster on the road, and more comfortable too. Toyotas are sooooo overrated in terms of quality and reliability it's rediculous, the American public is a bunch of suckers going for Toyotas. Hondas are eleventy billion times better, but Toyota still gets the best rep for whatever reason.

Click to expand...

Rotated and balanced tires to no effect.
Started out at Dealership, then went to an axle guy who also has his own 4X4 Fabrication Shop (Marko Customs)... Very good man by the way...
Thanks for your response, but your opinion about Toyotas is just that... yours. And thank you for calling me a "sucker"... appreciated that one.
You act as if I have completely abandoned the XJ world... ummm, I said I still own my XJ and will probably NEVER part with it....

James