When in 4wd my front axle is making a bunch of clunking noises. It gets really bad when i try to turn. Sometimes it makes the noises when i get on it. What could this be? The U-joints are good. Could the carrier bearings make that noise? and how do i check those? I need to get this fixed real quick becuase i have a trip planned and less then 2 weeks

Also i was just thinking my D44 i had in the truck was making the same noises... Could it have something to do with the posi-lok? I have the posi-lok that was on the 44 on the 60 now and i haven't adjusted it ever.... Just a idea

how did you transfer a posi from a 44 to a 60? different axles all together.

Doubt if it's carrier bearings. Could be pinion bearings or unit bearings.

how did you transfer a posi from a 44 to a 60? different axles all together.

Posi-lock. Not posi-traction. IIRC, Posi-lock is a cable actuation that replaces the CAD, which uses vacuum.

I don't know the answer to the question though. "Clunking" could be a lot of things.

I would take the cover off and check. Maybe broken side gears? If you do have limited slip you may just need to add the additive. But either way I would pull the cover and inspect.

Im going to go pull the cover off. I didnt think it would be carrier bearings. How hard are the pinion bearings to do? Can you do it with out taking the carrier out?

No.

I don't know if it's the pinion bearings, did you pull the tires and check the unit bearings for play? Man, clunk could be anything.

I just put the front end up in the air and the drivers side unit bearing has no play, but the passenger side has maybe a 1/8" of play.

Not trying to sound anal here, but is that at the tire? Like 1/8" back and forth at the tread? With a 10" lift, I'm guessing you're running 38s at least, so 1/8" wouldn't be enough to make it clunk that bad... I don't think. But if the bearing itself has that kind of play, that's a lot.

Not trying to sound anal here, but is that at the tire? Like 1/8" back and forth at the tread? With a 10" lift, I'm guessing you're running 38s at least, so 1/8" wouldn't be enough to make it clunk that bad... I don't think. But if the bearing itself has that kind of play, that's a lot.

Im only running 35's right now but i would say the 1/8" is at the rim were i grabbed it from to move it.

That hub unit may be the problem. There shouldn't be any play in them at all

make sure it's not the ball joints too. The hub bearing don't make clunk sounds but the ball joints does

I don't think a unit bearing would be the problem. I've had some with more than 1/8" of play and what I got was more like a growling noise, especially when turning.
If you say it only does it in 4wd I would suspect the drive shaft u-joints or the CV (double u-joint) set up at the t-case end or a pinion bearing or even the slip yoke on the drive shaft.

True enough on checking the ball joints.

I had a pretty toasted unit hub on my Grand Cherokee and it never clunked, so maybe that's not the case.

Can't wait to see what it is though :)

Abrams

Seriously, who thought it was a carrier bearing, what would that have to do with a clunk in the front axle??


When my 60 made noise, it was a combination of the U-joints being wasted and the unit bearings being about as bad as you've described. So I would double check your U-joints again. Nothing else was wrong with my axle whatsoever and after ujoints, bearings, and rotors, the noises went away entirely. I had a very similar clunk accompanied by a squeal and a type of grind as well.

I Took the wheel off and looked closer and the play is coming from the upper ball joint. So Im going to start with that i think. Weather its it or not it still needs to be changed. So il let you guys know. Thanks for the help so far though.

if the 2 u-joints on your front axel are good and your wheel bearings are good and it made the same noise with your old axel then mabey it could be your u-joints on your front drive line, I would give them a looksie, that might be part of your problem.

I changed the ball joints and that didn't help much. It isn't like a u-joint clunking sound. It sounds like something in the gears

Also it gets alot worse when i turn, it feels like it almost wants to lock up. When im driving straight its alot better. But when i get on it i cant hear what kinda sounds like gears grinding.

Another thing is that when the T-case is not engaged and the axle is engaged it still makes the noises. So that would rule out anything to do with the T-case or drive shaft? correct? And i took the cover off and all the gears look fine. The only think i noticed is that in the middle of the spider gears their is a shaft that is sticking through on the passenger side and almost touching the shaft that runs up and down. I don't know if this is normal or not but i figured i would check. i pushed it a little with a screw driver and it slide back some.

http://i519.photobucket.com/albums/u351/SledNeck9129/0512001414.jpg

did you check the ball jounts cuz they will cause all the noises your talking bout... method- big pry bar under the tire and pull up prying on the gound up against the tire tire sould not move but you really have to give it hell...

Its not that, i did upper and lowers on one side becuase they were pretty bad. The other side has no play in them or the unit bearing at all. I guess im just going to run it and i'l let you guys know what it is when it breaks

Another thing to check is your track bar. Both ends, but especially your axle end. I had the bolt loosen up just a bit on mine and it made exactly the same noise. It has to BE RIDICULOUSLY TIGHT on the axle end. Screw whatever the torque specs are, I used a 5ft pipe on a breaker bar and gave it half a turn that way, noise gone.

Abrams

did you check the ball jounts cuz they will cause all the noises your talking bout... method- big pry bar under the tire and pull up prying on the gound up against the tire tire sould not move but you really have to give it hell...


Did you read any of his 3 previous posts? He fucking answered that already.

Alright, Thanks man. I'l give that a shot too.

my ramcharger made a chunking noise when i had my d44 front axle and it was the front driveshaft who ever lifted it before i got the truck didnt put a longer drive shaft on it and the 2 pieces were slipping do to fubared splines and only 1/2 inch of engagment ...then again my dakota did it and the chain in my transfercase was skipping but you said yours does it when the tcase isnt engaged

well i guess it couldnt be the driveshaft like mine was if the tcast isnt powering it .... damn i dunno lol

haha yea its a tricky one.