Transfer Case and or Drive Shaft Clicking? See Video

[AmosMoses]

Thank you all for the responses, I was traveling this week and couldn't investigate further. Like Amos, it has 46k miles and I just treated the underside with a fluid film but not likely to have anything to do with it. In my scenario, I had a couple Johnny Joints that would creak but I knew where that noise was coming from. I took it out to AOAA and flexed it quite a bit and it never felt better driving home. No more creaking Johnny joints. But within days, this noise began. I don't care about noises when I am aware of where they originate from, but I am still chasing this one.


Based on the responses,

Drive Shaft Bolts to TC output - Verified, nothing loose.
Drive Shaft Nut holding Flange to TC - Not verified (Maybe)
4L and 4H verify noise - Verified - Tried 4H, no change in noise
Pinion Bearing - Placed camera on rear axle near pinion area (Maybe)
Rear coil Spring Towers - Placed camera in area and recorded video

I created another video with a focus on these areas while flexing and driving.
Ticks part 2

Great work getting all of that video. To my ears it sounds localized around the rear end which sounded more distinct near the end of the video where the camera is mounted near the rear end. Iam hoping it's a suspension bolt slightly loose rather than a differential issue.

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[ruscopin]

Extracting the audio from each area seems to correlate with your hearing. It appears loudest in the rear near the pinion. Sway bar links and track bar are tight so it may be the pinion bearing. I watched this video and ordered a new bearing

 

[Vtur]

Have you tried rear axle on jack stands, in neutral and spin the wheels?

 

[AmosMoses]

Extracting the audio from each area seems to correlate with your hearing. It appears loudest in the rear near the pinion. Sway bar links and track bar are tight so it may be the pinion bearing. I watched this video and ordered a new bearing

I guess the new bearing is a nice upgrade even if it's not the culprit. I would think a bad bearing would exhibit constant noise. I've not done any differential work like that but there seems to be some good tutorials online to set pinion load.

 

[ruscopin]

Have you tried rear axle on jack stands, in neutral and spin the wheels?

Good call, I just tried it and didn't hear a noise. In the air it might not be as loaded as when on the ground. I also had the wife help me to rotate the tires, so we were at different speeds trying to simulate it turning. The noise is more prevalent when turning.

 

[Vtur]

Good call, I just tried it and didn't hear a noise. In the air it might not be as loaded as when on the ground. I also had the wife help me to rotate the tires, so we were at different speeds trying to simulate it turning. The noise is more prevalent when turning.

While turning is probably the spider gears. I think remove the diff cover and inspect is your best bet

 

[tysongladiator]

Have you tried rear axle on jack stands, in neutral and spin the wheels?

You may or may not hear anything with the wheels off the ground because there is no load on the pinion.

While turning is probably the spider gears. I think remove the diff cover and inspect is your best bet

And inspecting the gears may not show anything either. When I had my bearing go bad, I had done all of that and there seemed to be no issue with the gears. Besides, If you look at my video, my friend actually says that the gears were fine. I wasn't until he actually pulled the pinion that he saw the issue. IF the bearings are his issue.

 

[tysongladiator]

Good call, I just tried it and didn't hear a noise. In the air it might not be as loaded as when on the ground. I also had the wife help me to rotate the tires, so we were at different speeds trying to simulate it turning. The noise is more prevalent when turning.

Nope. I did that and heard nothing because like you found out, there's no load on the bearing. My friend had to actually pull the pinion to find the bad bearings. IF the bearings are your issue.

 

[OHJeeper]

I had been chasing a similar noise for years, I finally got resolution a couple of weeks ago. See here for an explanation:

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ding-clunking-noise-thread.65069/post-1403550

Earlier in that thread I also posted a video of the noise.

tl;dr - it's the bolts where the transmission cross member and the fuel skid come together (for my fix)

 

[AmosMoses]

I had been chasing a similar noise for years, I finally got resolution a couple of weeks ago. See here for an explanation:

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ding-clunking-noise-thread.65069/post-1403550

Earlier in that thread I also posted a video of the noise.

tl;dr - it's the bolts where the transmission cross member and the fuel skid come together (for my fix)

Thanks for posting. Your noise sounds a little different than ours but it's worth investigating.

 

[Vtur]

You may or may not hear anything with the wheels off the ground because there is no load on the pinion.



And inspecting the gears may not show anything either. When I had my bearing go bad, I had done all of that and there seemed to be no issue with the gears. Besides, If you look at my video, my friend actually says that the gears were fine. I wasn't until he actually pulled the pinion that he saw the issue. IF the bearings are his issue.

His clicking noise aren't bearing issues. Depending on which bearing failed, it can whines on acceleration, coasting and/or constant.

 

[tysongladiator]

His clicking noise aren't bearing issues. Depending on which bearing failed, it can whines on acceleration, coasting and/or constant.

My bad. I assumed by the checks he was doing and the area in which he had narrowed it down to, that's what he was looking at.

I will tell you though all of the symptoms you mentioned is what mine did. It would whine on acceleration and deceleration (not RPM). And it would also whine on coasting and it would be constant. As long as the rear wheels were rotating, it was whining.

But you are correct. He said clicking noises, not whining noises.

 

[Vtur]

My bad. I assumed by the checks he was doing and the area in which he had narrowed it down to, that's what he was looking at.

I will tell you though all of the symptoms you mentioned is what mine did. It would whine on acceleration and deceleration (not RPM). And it would also whine on coasting and it would be constant. As long as the rear wheels were rotating, it was whining.

But you are correct. He said clicking noises, not whining noises.

I replaced my pinion head bearing recently too. It would whine even on slight acceleration.

 

[tysongladiator]

I replaced my pinion head bearing recently too. It would whine even on slight acceleration.

Yea. Mine would start as soon as I started moving. It got louder over time. Never affected the performance, it was just annoying!!! But I knew that if I didn't get it taken care of, it was going to lead to something bigger.

I have another friend with a shop in SC and he's replaced quite a few in the last year. He said they are notorious for going bad. He had to start keeping the bearings stocked in his shop. Until he found the upgrade and now he keeps those stocked.

What did your bearing look like when they removed it?

 

[Vtur]

Yea. Mine would start as soon as I started moving. It got louder over time. Never affected the performance, it was just annoying!!! But I knew that if I didn't get it taken care of, it was going to lead to something bigger.

I have another friend with a shop in SC and he's replaced quite a few in the last year. He said they are notorious for going bad. He had to start keeping the bearings stocked in his shop. Until he found the upgrade and now he keeps those stocked.

What did your bearing look like when they removed it?

Bearing cup surfuace has sand blasting texture to it.

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