Just Regeared and...

Now I'm getting a strange noise from the front of my jeep. I had my axles geared to 4.56 at a local truck shop, and Immediately upon leaving I noticed something was a bit off, but I chocked it up to being tire noise. So I decided to take it on the highway, and after i passed about 45-50 mph, something *clicked* and started making a strange noise.

It sounded like something between a blower motor going out and a bad hub bearing, and the noise continued until I came to a stop. Once I started out again, the noise was gone. It was not affected by steering back and forth like a bearing would be, but it seemed t be coming from directly beneath the drivers feet or slightly further to the left (as seated).

So i took it back to the shop (after less than 3 miles) and had them check it out. They pulled the diff cover and checked the backlash and everything, checked the fluid for flakes of metal, and everything checked out. They said it might be a hub bearing. So I replaced those with timken bearings at my shop (tire and suspension shop) and lubed the front driveshaft and all zerks up front. I thought that solved the problem and then it came back.

What confuses me is the intermittent nature of this sound. It is triggered above 45 mph, seems to change in pitch due to speed but not throttle, and is accomanied by a very faint vibration in my feet. It is there in 2 and 4wd., while coasting or accelerating, and only started after this shop pulled everything apart on the d30 to regear. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

96' xj 4dr 4.0 aw4 d30 c8.25 4.56 4.5in RE full borla exhaust 33" BFG at/ko

Pull your front driveshaft off and go for a drive.

Sounds kinda like the CV in your driveshaft may be going out.

grease your front driveshaft lately??

As stated in the first post, i did lube the front DS. But pulling it to check sounds like a good idea to me. Any other ideas?

clock the driveshaft 180degs. (remove it, spin it 180 and reinstall). HTH

Boomhauer, Ive never heard of doing that. What might that accomplish?

I was told that when removing a drive shaft to make sure it goes back in the same orientation as it came out. Doesn't really make sense to me either, but with the shaft being balanced, it may throw the DS rotation off balance...supposedly.
Maybe someone could confirm? HTH:cheers:

I can confirm that it really makes no difference at all.

The shaft is balanced without either yoke (pinion/transfercase) on it.

When you buy a driveshaft aftermarket it doesnt come marked "this side up".

Is the weight (for balancing) still on the shaft? Like was mentioned, remove it, and if the noise is gone, try the clocking. Nothing to lose anyway.

boomhauer said:

Is the weight (for balancing) still on the shaft? Like was mentioned, remove it, and if the noise is gone, try the clocking. Nothing to lose anyway.

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A lot to loose - if you run it off balance or with a bad end, it can destroy your pinion bearings. Ask me how I know.

Remove it, if everything is peachy, either replace it with another stock one, get it rebuilt, or have a new one built. Usually for about $50 more than the cost of having one rebuilt, you can have a new stronger one built - its the best option.

cal said:

I can confirm that it really makes no difference at all.

The shaft is balanced without either yoke (pinion/transfercase) on it.

When you buy a driveshaft aftermarket it doesnt come marked "this side up".

Click to expand...

Very true! Thanks for clarification. My Woods shaft wasn't marked. I think i SPOBI'd myself, i regress.

boomhauer said:

Very true! Thanks for clarification. My Woods shaft wasn't marked. I think i SPOBI'd myself, i regress.

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I've heard the same thing you had heard, theres just no logic behind it.

cal said:

A lot to loose - if you run it off balance or with a bad end, it can destroy your pinion bearings. Ask me how I know.

Remove it, if everything is peachy, either replace it with another stock one, get it rebuilt, or have a new one built. Usually for about $50 more than the cost of having one rebuilt, you can have a new stronger one built - its the best option.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry, for clarification i didn't mean to run it with a missing weight.

Ill pull it - having just put new pinion bearings in, id hate to destroy them. Someone told me it might be an axle shaft u-joint but mine are less than 1 year old, and were fine before. I seriously doubt that pulling the shafts to regear could damage a u-joint....

When i had my XJ regeared to 4.56's it brought out some gremlins too. I'm almost sure your noise will still be there. With the lower gears everything spins faster than before, i'd bet on SYE required. If you have an SYE then forget i mentioned it! lol

Unless youre refering to a front sye (which ive never heard of) then yes, ive already got one. BTW, Boom, did you have to grind the tips of two teeth of your ring gear to get the center pin out? Superior told the shop that did my gears to do that and i thought it was strange. That was on the 8.25 btw... not the d30.

Joshua said:

Unless youre refering to a front sye (which ive never heard of) then yes, ive already got one. BTW, Boom, did you have to grind the tips of two teeth of your ring gear to get the center pin out? Superior told the shop that did my gears to do that and i thought it was strange. That was on the 8.25 btw... not the d30.

Click to expand...

Ok cool on the SYE. I was thinking rear Driveline vibes. Yes the teeth were ground in order to put the pin in. My theory on the spinning faster still stands though, that's why i think that if you remove the shaft before you do mark the way it was in. if the noise goes away and the balance weight is still on the shaft try the clocking of the shaft. Since i'm not the only one who's heard of it, give it a shot. If it is still there after that start looking at joints and whatnot. Me too 8.29 29 spline, D30 HP, 96.5 XJ.

Here you go, 5-90 knows his stuff...

Not strictly necessary, but a very good idea.

Theoretically, the driveshaft has been balanced and doesn't care about orientation. However, its balance can be changed once it's bolted to a yoke, and that's why we mark it.

I've found it useful, with all my XJ's, to take an engraver and mark the shaft for orientation and vehicle, since I sometimes work on a couple at a time. Just food for thought...

5-90

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=77523

wow, thanks for finding that, I respect his experience (5-90)

Well, i took out the drive shaft and i'm still getting the noise.. any clues?