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going crazy... rattle noise

blu3fan

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Arizona
hey guys.
I keep throwing money at this problem and its not fixing it...
So after rebuilding my xfer case.
doing the outer 8.25 axle shaft bearings
I think my noise may be the axle shaft to driveshaft bearing ?

maybe someone could assist in advising me if I might be right ?

--- Issue is a bearing rattle noise at low rpms and low speeds.
Does not happen past 10 mph.
Does not happen when car is on jack stands--- Infuriatingly... everything is whisper quiet on jack stands...
issue sounds like its from the rear end.

No flakes or shards in the axle fluid when I pulled it to do the outer bearings.

Issue only happens while driving the car and is intermittent.
Ive driven it 10miles to work without hearing the noise at all...

my two mechanic friends have looked at it and cannot decide if its a rattle from elsewhere or a stuck roller in a bearing in the rear end...


ideas on troubleshooting this ?
 
Do you mean to say U Joint, or pinion bearing when you have says you think it might be axle to drive shaft bearing?

Is there any noticeable difference between deceleration vs acceleration.
 
I know you said it sounds like the noise is coming from the rear end, but I am going to suggest you consider front driveline too. Noises can travel in wierd ways, and the fact that it won't make this noise when on jackstands makes me wonder if it couldn't be related to the front.

I would give a hard look at the centering ball for the front driveshaft. That is a component which gets very little attention, but it needs maintenance the same as a U-joint.

This is more of a shot in the dark than anything else, but without having hands on the vehicle it is hard to do better.

Edit to add: If you haven't already done so, try driving the car without the front driveshaft. That may be a diagnostic aid.
 
Do you mean to say U Joint, or pinion bearing when you have says you think it might be axle to drive shaft bearing?

Is there any noticeable difference between deceleration vs acceleration.

okay to answer a few questions here

I am talking about the Pinion bearing in the axle housing.

Yes- Deceleration from 5mph to stop is when I hear it most.
acceleration I hear it also form 0-5mph but not as much as decel.



I know you said it sounds like the noise is coming from the rear end, but I am going to suggest you consider front driveline too. Noises can travel in wierd ways, and the fact that it won't make this noise when on jackstands makes me wonder if it couldn't be related to the front.

I would give a hard look at the centering ball for the front driveshaft. That is a component which gets very little attention, but it needs maintenance the same as a U-joint.

This is more of a shot in the dark than anything else, but without having hands on the vehicle it is hard to do better.

Edit to add: If you haven't already done so, try driving the car without the front driveshaft. That may be a diagnostic aid.

Front driveshaft is/has been off.
Noise is 100% coming from rear. sticking my head out the window when it happens I have confirmed that-
figured xfer case. - rebuilt that- no change-
 
I'm sure it could but your talking about a Big load change of the vehicle being on the ground vs off.

Google some pinion deceleration videos and see if that's similar.

As Anak has suggested try pulling drive shafts and see if one or the other changes anything.
 
pinion deceleration sounds like a whine.
This sounds like one stuck roller in a bearing.
Ill try to get a video while driving the car later today.
 
Issue only happens while driving the car and is intermittent.
Ive driven it 10miles to work without hearing the noise at all.

pinion deceleration sounds like a whine. on all the videos I just watched.
Starting to think that is not it-

Axle problems are seldomly intermittent .
I don't know about others but chasing down noises is constant a chore when owning an old Cherokee.
When a noise is more constant, i will sometimes use an old cell phone's audio recorder, placing or wiring the phone near what appears to be the source of the noise and then go for a drive.
Moving the phone to multiple locations can help pinpoint the location of the noise. It worked well to isolate a bad rear axle shaft bearing.
 
Axle problems are seldomly intermittent .
I don't know about others but chasing down noises is constant a chore when owning an old Cherokee.
When a noise is more constant, i will sometimes use an old cell phone's audio recorder, placing or wiring the phone near what appears to be the source of the noise and then go for a drive.
Moving the phone to multiple locations can help pinpoint the location of the noise. It worked well to isolate a bad rear axle shaft bearing.


Yeah at this point I have replaced everything else.
I think it has to either be in the carrier of the diff. or pinion bearing.
Since I did the outer bearings there is only the two inside and the pinion left.
I just find it odd for how much noise its making that there is no shards in the diff...
 
It would be great if you could at least get a audio of what your hearing.
 
Try setting the rear axle on jack stands, remove the wheels and rear driveshaft and then spin the pinion shaft with your hand, feeling for roughness or a loose yoke.
A shop is going to charge you $100+ an hour to search for this noise, searching more deeply yourself could save you a bundle and it's a lot more satisfying finding the problem yourself.
 
Try setting the rear axle on jack stands, remove the wheels and rear driveshaft and then spin the pinion shaft with your hand, feeling for roughness or a loose yoke.
A shop is going to charge you $100+ an hour to search for this noise, searching more deeply yourself could save you a bundle and it's a lot more satisfying finding the problem yourself.

Wise words spoken there! :cheers:
 
Took it to a diff shop today-
They agree its the pinion bearing and for $550 including parts and labor to redo all the inner bearings its not a ripoff.
just gonna pay them and check this off the list.
 
Try setting the rear axle on jack stands, remove the wheels and rear driveshaft and then spin the pinion shaft with your hand, feeling for roughness or a loose yoke.
A shop is going to charge you $100+ an hour to search for this noise, searching more deeply yourself could save you a bundle and it's a lot more satisfying finding the problem yourself.


Done that about 5 weeks ago. and again last weekend.
Nothing is loose.
Nothing makes noise.
Noise only happens at 5-10 mph on ground. nothing more nothing less.
I am not gonna spin the driveshaft quick enough to cause it sadly.
I am almost 100% sure its a stuck/frozen roller in the top of the yoke. due to worn down bearings the pressure is not on it until driving force is applied.
or at least that's what it sounds like.
gonna throw the $550 at the shop and hope to science it fixes this 3 month nightmare of finding this..
 
i have a click type sound that threw me for a loop this summer. turns out it was the spider gears ( but this was my front diff). this was audible by pulling the diff cover and spinning the axle shaft. i only heard it when slowing down, usually a short ways before stops.


any chance you can wire your phone up near the axle ?
 
Diff shop just called.
Pinion bearing is shot. Gears are not terrible but have some sharp edges on teeth. Replacing gear and pinion while in there.
 
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