All,
My 2006 Rubicon is making an odd sound when I first begin to accelerate from either stop or while going very slowly (<5mph). The sound is a dull pop that seems to be coming from the rear passenger side axle. It happens on all surfaces, with the locker engaged or not.
I recently upgraded to 285/75R16 tires after a lift and all new adjustable control arms. I don’t think it is a suspension noise, but I checked all the bolts, greased everything again, and made sure there was no incidental-contact under there.
Because it sounded to be coming from the drive train somewhere, I checked it all out. U-Joints are in great shape. I pulled the differential cover, and there was only a very light dusting of metal, no chunks or shavings. There is no play on the carrier, and no bearing sounds when free-spinning. The passenger-side axle is in great shape – no wear on the splines to speak of, and the bearing is free of any catches or slop.
However, the locker was making quite a racket as the dogs were not fully engaging when it was actuated. The noise it was making was similar to what I was hearing, but it happened rhythmically – once per revolution it seemed. I cycled the locker many times, while a buddy of mine checked the engagement. When it was fully disengaged or fully engaged, there was no sound to speak of. The gear oil was a little old, so we figured that there was some build up or gum on the dogs and actuator. I cleaned everything as well as I could without taking anything apart, and reassembled everything.
On my first test drive I did not hear the noise. But, this morning it was back. I’m a lot more confident about the condition of the axle, but I cannot stand having a noise that I don’t understand. Any thoughts?
Thanks.
My 2006 Rubicon is making an odd sound when I first begin to accelerate from either stop or while going very slowly (<5mph). The sound is a dull pop that seems to be coming from the rear passenger side axle. It happens on all surfaces, with the locker engaged or not.
I recently upgraded to 285/75R16 tires after a lift and all new adjustable control arms. I don’t think it is a suspension noise, but I checked all the bolts, greased everything again, and made sure there was no incidental-contact under there.
Because it sounded to be coming from the drive train somewhere, I checked it all out. U-Joints are in great shape. I pulled the differential cover, and there was only a very light dusting of metal, no chunks or shavings. There is no play on the carrier, and no bearing sounds when free-spinning. The passenger-side axle is in great shape – no wear on the splines to speak of, and the bearing is free of any catches or slop.
However, the locker was making quite a racket as the dogs were not fully engaging when it was actuated. The noise it was making was similar to what I was hearing, but it happened rhythmically – once per revolution it seemed. I cycled the locker many times, while a buddy of mine checked the engagement. When it was fully disengaged or fully engaged, there was no sound to speak of. The gear oil was a little old, so we figured that there was some build up or gum on the dogs and actuator. I cleaned everything as well as I could without taking anything apart, and reassembled everything.
On my first test drive I did not hear the noise. But, this morning it was back. I’m a lot more confident about the condition of the axle, but I cannot stand having a noise that I don’t understand. Any thoughts?
Thanks.