Front-end noise: diagnosis please?

Black_Dog · **Posted:** Fri Jul 02, 2010 2:12 pm

I spent last week camping on Galveston Island, Texas (BTW, no spilled oil or tar balls despoiling the beaches). Each day I spent some time churning through the soft sand in 4Hi. Much fun!

On day 3 of this, I pulled the lever to engage 4Hi as I pulled onto the beach and I began to hear a metallic slap or pinging sound with each revolution of the left front axle (i.e. faster at faster speed). I engaged 4Lo and it continued to bang away. It persists when turning left, right, driving straight ahead, or in reverse. It goes away when I engage 2Hi.

A quick visual inspection and I see nothing wrong with the boot or anything caught up in the driveline. Yesterday in the rain I engaged 4Hi in a heavy rain while rolling along at ~25 mph. The banging was gone – until I slowed down to a near stop and then it started again.

I’ve searched this site for similar maladies, but didn’t find anything quite the same. It doesn’t sound like a worn CV joint, and doubt that is the case since it has almost half the miles the right CV joint has on it (see CV joint failure).

So, any informed guesses as to what I’m dealing with here?

Budke · **Posted:** Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:58 pm

yellocoyote wrote:

I would check out your front driveshaft - sounds like the same noises I was hearing before I realized mine needed replaced. The rear rubber boot on the front driveshaft deteriorates after awhile, and the elements get inside, wearing it away. Eventually it will need replaced.

That's where I would look first.

:2cents:

This.

RED_KJ_666 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 05, 2010 1:38 pm

x3 Front DriveShaft

Black_Dog · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:50 pm

The aye's have it. I finally got up under my rig this weekend. Sure enough, the boot that is supposed to be covering the rear CV joint of the front drive shaft is nowhere to be found. In retrospect, it was probably destroyed when I was wheeling through some big puddles in March. The consensus then was I probably got a pebble caught between my brake rotor and pads.

I'm not excited by the prospect of paying the den of thieves (i.e. the dealership) $540 to replace the whole front drive shaft or even shell out $300 to by the part and do the work myself. For now I packed some fresh heavy duty bearing grease into the CV joint (there's a rubber dam that helps hold it in) and will wait to see whether this $70 CV joint replacement kit works for swiftv8.

Thank you all for your feedback.

Front-end noise: diagnosis please?

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