Rear Axle Whine

[rsjohnsn]

Ok, I have been having a whine in the rear axle for a while now and I have eliminated or replaced everything except the pinion bearing and the inner axle bearings. This is next on the list and I was wondering where would be a good place to get a kit to do this. My local mechanic said he can get it but I am sure I could save some getting it myself.

Thanks
Scott

 

[bushpilot]

man if the bearing is gone you could have other issues...

I had a 96 that had a worn pinion bearing...insurance (3rd party
warranty) would only replace the bearing...even though we told
'em there was potential gear damage.

6mo later they rebuilt the ENTIRE REAR...end to end, front to
back.

 

[rsjohnsn]

That is the only thing I can think of. I have replaced both outer axle bearings, brakes, and completely rebuilt the clutches and spider gears. I have rotated the tires and completely took out the emergency brake pads. The U-joints seem to be fine as well as the carrier bearing. The only thing I can't rule out is the gears whining. I do have alot of slack in the gears and I was hoping to solve that with a new rebuild. I also replaced the axle grease with a little thicker grease but the whine never changed. The gears didn't show any sign of irregular wear. I have also noticed occasionally that there will be a grinding sound but this is rare. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks
Scott

 

[01platinum]

when do you hear the whine noise ? accel, deccel, coasting. more info would help. if it's a constant whine and pitch changes with speed, possibly the driveshaft carrier bearing? noise on accel usually pinion bearing. noise on deccel usually carrier bearing or gear backlash too tight.

 

[bushpilot]

sounds like the pinion bearing that i had go out too...the 2nd time around
i drove the HELL outta it, to the point that it was nearly deafening
inside the truck cab...i wanted to make sure it was TOAST the 2nd time
around.

 

[rsjohnsn]

I pretty much hear it from about 5mph until the wind blocks the sound. The pitch doesn't change at all regardless if I am coasting, pulling, decelerating or applying the brakes. I am just replacing parts now in hopes that I will figure it out eventually. I would like to get it solved before the last weekend of October as we are planning a camping trip. I don't want to cross the mountain and the rear go out about halfway to the top.

Scott

 

[bushpilot]

sounds JUST like mine...i was chasing carrier bearing & ujoints...
in the end i never COULD figure it out...and i dont rear ends or trannies
so i had to take it in.

 

[rsjohnsn]

Ok guys, I finally found the problem. Both carrier bearings were pitted really bad. I replaced them both and all is fine. I can't figure out why they would be pitted, it looks as though they were starving for oil but I know they weren't. I took everything apart and cleaned it all real good just to make sure that there wasn't any pieces of metal to cause this again. Oh well, now I can hear the engine running instead of the rear whining.

Scott

 

[bushpilot]

well thats an easy enough fix...at least compared to pulling the
rear.

those bearings...sealed or not have some pretty nasty exposure
element wise...rain/dirt/sand/salt...its a wonder they last as long
as they do.