Half-shaft BANG

[Don W.]

Well now what?? Twice now with wheels turned partly to the right backing up very slow like out of a parking stall BANG from front of truck. Truck has always done the hurky jurky thing when backing up with wheels turned against the stops so this is different. First time was 2 days ago and seemed to come from the left. Just did it again and this time I could feel it bind just before the BANG and it seemed to come from the right. And I swear the left front tire looks further out the the right. :roll: Prolly should check that I suppose. Anyway, I'm thinkin' half-shafts, truck drives normal otherwise.

Opinions?

Any reason why I can't, for testing purposes, drive with the front drive-line AND both half-shafts removed? Seems to me it should be OK.

Thanks all

 

[Loeryder]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Your wheel bearing will fall apart without the axle and axle nut tightened to hold it all together.

If you had 2 crap axles you could disassemble them and just install the axle/ hub portion.

 

[Don W.]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Your wheel bearing will fall apart without the axle and axle nut tightened to hold it all together.

If you had 2 crap axles you could disassemble them and just install the axle/ hub portion.

OK, I see no seed to go there but thanks. Makes sense now that you say it. I've not had half-shafts out before.

 

[dgoodhue]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

It could be torsion bar mounts as well, though the noise is more from the passenger seat.

 

[Don W.]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Not this time I'm afraid. Smooth parking lot, going real slow and I could feel the bind, the bang, and then the release. So that makes three things going at once now on my truck. 2step (works but not setup the way I want.), Boost noise in cab (Still looking), and now the half-shafts. Geez. Uh, honey, I need more money for the truck. WHAT??? :lol:

 

[Don W.]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

I know, I'm starting to sound like a skipping CD:

You are describing the classic symptoms of a viscious clutch that's trying to seize, and NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

A week or so ago, Michael (TYTILIDIE) was researching low priced viscous clutches. Maybe he'll post what he found.

You are describing this malady EXACTLY!.

Dave

Skipping CD's ar OK in this case. Each time I start something new I fell like a noob anyway so thanks.

My question then is why did the sound come from the front? Drivers window was down each time. Granted I was in the truck not under but a viscous clutch making that sound. Almost like a gun going off. Wow.

Interestingly I have the pas half-shaft about half out but, so far, I don't see anything wrong here. Boots are not ripped, no leaks, etc.

BTW Is there a definitive test to verify that it is, in fact, the clutch? No use pulling the half-shafts for nothing.

Thanks again.

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Replace the half shafts, and your wheel bearings. I replaced my VC and so far, I think it may very well have been the problem. I was going to post on it after my trip to Denver on Sunday, need to get her on the highway to ensure that was indeed the problem and that it IS fixed. The reason it does this is because if the VC locks itself, its like your in 4x4 all the time. With that said, your tire diameters wont match perfect and the more you drive the more it creates kind of a winding affect. If you wind a clock til it cant wind anymore, something inside should break, if you wind something up all the way and let go, it will wind down, this is what I chalked the cracking up to, unwinding? Of course, you could just plain flat out have worn beat up shafts. Dave told me that was my issue and I had a hard time believing it because a. I had never heard of that before and b. no one explained it to me in a way I could understand. But I think I get it now.

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

What I do Don, is I grab the shaft and try and turn the spindles back and fourth, you almost always can feel it pretty good.

 

[Black Knight]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Your wheel bearing will fall apart without the axle and axle nut tightened to hold it all together.

If you had 2 crap axles you could disassemble them and just install the axle/ hub portion.

Hey Jason, I'd have to look at our bearings a little closer, but I'm not all sure this is the case. Most of the trucks produced in the last 5 years that are 2wd use a 4wd spindle/bearing and just don't put the shaft through it. I'm so glad they did away with servicable bearings and went to just sealed units.

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Hey Jason, I'd have to look at our bearings a little closer, but I'm not all sure this is the case. Most of the trucks produced in the last 5 years that are 2wd use a 4wd spindle/bearing and just don't put the shaft through it. I'm so glad they did away with servicable bearings and went to just sealed units.

Hate to break this to you but ours are sealed units and what he is saying is dead on. That hub can fall right off with out that axle nut on there.

 

[4C FED]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Hurry up & figure it out Don, cause my Ty started doing the same thing a few weeks ago. :lol:
I was thinking ball joint.
Never happens when moving foward only in reverse, when I am backing down the driveway and just start to turn the wheels.

 

[Don W.]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Well prolly gonna get a TC and swap it out, final decision isn't made but will be this weekend.

As far as the front is concerned, driving without the half-shafts in place, now that I've actually looked at them, looks to me like no prob. I think Roy is correct.

 

[Black Knight]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Hate to break this to you but ours are sealed units and what he is saying is dead on. That hub can fall right off with out that axle nut on there.

Isn't the hub held in by 3 bolts, IIRC

It's been awhile since I've had mine apart, but all other GM's i've put hub's in lately have 3 bolts holding the hub to the spindle. Now I never paid any attention to if the bearings could fall out the back through where the axle would reside, but the newer stuff doesn't have any problem as weird as they look.

 

[Black Knight]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Well prolly gonna get a TC and swap it out, final decision isn't made but will be this weekend.

As far as the front is concerned, driving without the half-shafts in place, now that I've actually looked at them, looks to me like no prob. I think Roy is correct.

That sucks Don, hopefully you get it figured out buddy. Remember though your truck runs 12's now

 

[Don W.]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

That sucks Don, hopefully you get it figured out buddy. Remember though your truck runs 12's now

Yup, thanks, and that's with a "soft" launch. Get the TC swapped and who knows. I think there's allot more in the truck with this build although I hesitate to use the word "build" because it ain't built. Stock motor, stock trans, stock tires. Just the add-ons you see below.

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Yes there are three bolts, but what you need to understand is that the wheel bearing assy is two piece and the outer is pressed in to the inner. When wheel bearings go bad or if that shaft isnt there with the nut it will fall off. Here is an example, one day I went to change my brakes, while I was doing half shafts, I took the shaft out, and when I removed the caliper, the outer end of the bearing assy fell off on to the floor. This is NOT something you want to take a chance with. Only thing that could hold it together w/o the axle and nut is the caliper, doesn't sound like a fun ride to me at all. The wheel will wobble so bad you couldn't make it very far before the whole thing just fell off or did serious damage to the brakes. But hey, what do I know? Ive only been living in my front end for the past year :lol:

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

I just went and got a hub assembly off the shelf, and had a close look at it. I agree: No problem. It's a one-piece hub. I thought it was two pieces that were held together by the half-shaft, but NO.

I didn't look it up, but I think the 'trick' to getting the half shaft out is remove the shock, and disconnect the tie rod end from the knuckle. Don't have to mess with the ball joint, IIRC.

Regards,
Dave

:rotf: :rotf: Yeah, tell him that when his wheel falls off. I really wish I would have taken pics of mine that fell apart like that. Ask anyone who KNOWS about these style bearings and you will find they are 2 piece and pressed together. Even when you have a rotor with pressed in bearings, you still have to have something to hold it all together, a spindle nut what ever, a caliper wont do it, for long :2cents: But go ahead and see how far you get, hope you have full coverage :lol:

 

[Don W.]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

I'm at a big disadvantage here. I don't have one to look at other than the one on the truck covered with dirt and brake dust. If it's a pressed together unit as Mike says then, yes, it will prolly come apart going down the road. I'll call my friend at the parts store Monday and if he has one I'll go look at it and render my final opinion. :rotf: Meantime the shafts are staying in as I think we all agree it's my TC anyway...

 

[George Blake]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

I had a grinding noise on my Ty long time ago. Pulled the axle nut off and the knuckle off and the hub fell apart in 2 pieces. It's NOT supposed to do that. I could see the bearings and everything. It is supposed to be a sealed unit. If you can see the guts, replace it.

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: Half-shaft BANG

Meantime the shafts are staying in as I think we all agree it's my TC anyway...

Yeah, just make sure you do replace them because they will be worn, did you have a chance to try and check play in the shaft itself?