I was driving home today when I started hearing a faint scratching noise. The noise continued to get louder and louder and turned into a "sandy" scratch with tapping, coming from the transmission/clutch area. Clutch operation and shifting was normal. I also noticed a slight increase in vibration above 60 mph, even before the noise started.

When I got home, I looked underneath my Jeep to see what I could see -- absolutely nothing. No abnormal things around the transmission, but I glanced at the rear axle (Dana 35) and I found some leakage. One of the axle tubes is damp where it connects to the pumpkin, and there's a fair amount of sludge in that area... indicating that it may have been like that for a while. There is also a nice pool of oil in the hole where a case spreader would go.

Are these signs that the axle tube has been tweaked? I've been trying to diagnose a problem in which my rear axle hopped when accelerating from a stop, and this could be the culprit. I'm still not sure of those noises, though -- they sounded like they were coming from the middle of the Jeep, not the rear.

Jeeps :rolleyes:.

(Dana 35) :rolleyes:.
Fixed it for you.

Fixed it for you.

Yeah, I know. I have an 8.8 sitting in my garage, and I was wondering if now's the time for it to go in.

Yeah, I know. I have an 8.8 sitting in my garage, and I was wondering if now's the time for it to go in.


Ummm, yeah?!?

I wish I were as cool as a pirate.

It was a good time to put it in, about a year ago.
Scott

I wish I were as cool as a pirate.

Ummm, is there a Pirate out there running something smaller than a 60? :rolleyes:

the noise is probably your u joints hitting the pinion yoke. If the plugs welds let go on the axle tubes the pumpkin will rotate alot. (if you hopped the wheels i am sure this is the problem)
I have a 8.8 that broke many of yokes and u joints until i welding the tubes and installed a 5th link.
Is the noise consistent or when you get on the gas?

Ummm, is there a Pirate out there running something smaller than a 60? :rolleyes:

Only "Ass Pirates" my son only "Ass Pirates".

you need to give us some more specs on what you are running? year/model/tires/ratios/spring/leaf.

when you looked at your axle tube, did it look like it had pulled out away from your center?

when was the last time you checked your u-joints? sorta sounds like a u-joint to me.

hey beat95yj what are your specs and do you go out?

I live in Redondo and me and my buddys are always looking for buds to go out.

I have a mildly built TJ and am finishing up a CJ project. I run about twice a month. Let me know the next time you are going somewhere and I will join in.

If you live in Redondo you mave have seen a white TJ w/ TR beadlocks and a RE LA. It's my DD and it is around.

Could be throwout bearing.

Ummm, is there a Pirate out there running something smaller than a 60? :rolleyes:
I do believe H8monday is running a D44 with CTMs :D

I do believe H8monday is running a D44 with CTMs :D

Dammit! 44's are for wimps! Too bad that's all I have! :flipoff2:

Thank you to everybody who replied and had assistance to offer. To anyone else... :flipoff2:

I cleaned the area around the tubes and the oil has not come back. After looking at it more closely, I suspected that it came from a small leak around the pinion yoke. I think the oil was dripping downward, and, at speed, the wind was carrying the trail outward to the bottom of the tubes. Regardless, the leak has not come back. FWIW, the tube didn't actually look "pulled" or bent.

This "rear end hopping" problem has been with my Jeep for quite some time, and I literally did everything that I could to fix it. I rebuilt the transmission, thinking that it was a sloppy input shaft bearing (later learning that there is supposed to be some play?). I rebuilt the rear axle, thinking that its bearings and/or crush sleeve wasn't set up properly. I've replaced U-joints, checked and realigned spring packs, and changed engine and transmission mounts. None of these things cured the problem. However, I finally fixed it.

It was the clutch. I suspected it all along, but I couldn't convince myself because I replaced it less than a year ago. After pulling the old clutch and getting a new one under warranty, the problem is gone. I don't know if it was defective or not, but its performance should not have degraded noticably in eight months. It was like a day-and-night thing, too. One day it was fine; the next, the rear end started hopping.

so does this mean the 8.8 is out the window for a while?

Could be throwout bearing.

A throwout bearing would only make noise when you press the clutch pedal in....unless the clutch freeplay is really out of whack. Otherwise it should be just sittin' there on the clutch fork doing nothin'.

Now the pilot bearing/bushing could do that, but most of the bad ones I have heard were more like a squeal/whirring noise.

In both cases, they would make noise just sitting in the driveway with the engine running and the clutch pedal either depressed or not, depending on what you want to test.

Just my .02