SOLVED Something is humming and slowing my Jeep SOLVED!

DynoPax · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2012 1:05 pm

What about the parking breaks? When it rusts (and from what I saw on my own vehicle, yeewwh! :shock:

), parts can start to come loose. You could very well have a sticking pad inside the rotor or worse, like a broken spring or other part flying around inside...

Big Montana · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:17 pm

Thanks for the tips guys. I just pulled the rear driveshaft to replace the u-joints, and they move like butter. The yoke was also greased pretty well from the last time I replaced the U-joints. This sucks. I'm ready to pull it on a 2 wheel trailer to figure out if I can isolate an axle.

Could this be my torque converter? I am on the original. I don't get shudder, but I did just get the GDE TCM tune and the FT Eco tune. Could a failing TC be vibrating the entire time I drive? I don't notice any other symptoms like slippage or hard shifting. The power train seems pretty smooth... That being said, I don't the a TC would rub and make the CREAK noise... I guess I can move on to the upper control arm tomorrow since that seems to be what the shop thought in the first place, but I don't see how that could be making a creak noise either. It isn't loose when I try to shake it from under the Jeep.

This darn Jeep. I'll replace the U-Joints since I have them off. I may get the brakes checked again. I had all of them replaced three weeks ago.

My parking break has not worked in about 5 years. I can lift up on the handle and nothing happens.

Big Montana · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:35 pm

OK, so I put the rear driveshaft back on after greasing the crap out of the rear slip joint with the same u joints, and I lifted the rear axle off the ground with jack stands. I put the Jeep in neutral and I started to spin the wheels by hand. How easy should they move? I can spin the driver's side tire and it stops after a few inches. There is a faint whine or creak coming from somewhere under the Jeep when I turn it. I can't tell if it's near the rear yoke of the transfer case or the middle of the rear axle in the pig. It is tough to move, but I don't think that the brakes are stuck on. The tires sure don't spin for more than an inch or two once I stop spinning them. I'm not sure if they should spin freely or not. I engaged the parking brake, and even though it doesn't work, I can hear a clear grind from the inner brake pad. I assume the parking brake hardware is seized and that is the best it will move when engaged. I took the brake off and the sound went away.

When I spin the passenger side tire by hand the same whining sound doesn't seem to be present.

In terms of the rear axle outer bearings, I jerked the tires in and out, and they move a small fraction and make contact with the brake pads.

I guess at this leads me to suspect the transfer case or the rear axle. The fluid is full on both and has been changed often. The rear fluid does look a little browner, that I remember out of the bottle, but the transfer case fluid is nice and red.

Has anyone had problems like this that led to the transfer causing the vibration or their rear axle? I don't hear any clicking at all that would indicate pieces floating in the fluid.

I'm lost at this point. I need some help.

Big Montana · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:42 pm

Another update...

When the Jeep in in neutral and I spin the driver's side wheel forwards or backwards, the driveshaft will spin and I hear the fain whine noise.

When the Jeep is in park and I spin the rear wheel forward or backward, the driveshaft doesn't move and I DO NOT hear the whining noise...

So, I feel like the noise is the transfer case or the bearing on the yoke coming out of the rear axle... How does that sound? I guess I'm rooting for the rear axle yoke bearing as I do not want the TC to be out. Is there a bearing for the rear axle yoke?

I don't know enough about a rear axle though. If the drive shaft is locked in due to park, are there other movable parts in the axle that stay motionless that would otherwise be moving?

papaindigo · **Posted:** Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:30 am

I cannot speak to the other items but I would recommend you at least gut if not rebuild your parking brake assembly as that may be at least part of the problem.

LIBERTYinLIBERTY · **Posted:** Sun Oct 21, 2012 12:00 am

Does your yoke seal leaking on your rear axle? Mine is, when I changed the rear end oil, I put the synthetic in, but replaced it with dino 80/90 when I replaced the axle seal/bearing.

Big Montana · **Posted:** Sun Oct 21, 2012 10:18 am

LIBERTYinLIBERTY wrote:

Does your yoke seal leaking on your rear axle? Mine is, when I changed the rear end oil, I put the synthetic in, but replaced it with dino 80/90 when I replaced the axle seal/bearing.

Thanks for the comment. What caused you to replace your rear bearing? Is it part of the seal? Did you have any vibration or whining noises coming from the back end?

I was wondering if mine is leaking because there's a bit of caked on dirt just behind the yoke along the bottom of the pig, but the fluid level isn't low. I chalked it up to road dirt. I couldn't wiggle the rear yoke when I had the drive shaft off, so I didn't think that there was any problem with the bearing either. I've always used the full synthetic fluid. I'm really searching here. It has to be something simple that I'm missing.

I'm thinking about trying to find a good axle shop to have them take it for a drive.

I really don't think I have a problem with my transfer case. It works perfectly and I hear no strange noises in or out of 4wd. I figure it can't be transmission or it would have been toast by now. I've put about 1k on it since the noise began.

I'll look into the parking brakes too. They've been broken for so long that I often don't think of them. I don't get any brake smell though.

LIBERTYinLIBERTY · **Posted:** Sun Oct 21, 2012 1:30 pm

I had the rear axle seals leaking, the new ones are a bearing/seal kit. when I pulled the rotors off, the parking brake shoes had the lining off. The shoes were rusted and the lining were just riding in the bottom of the rotor. took them out and left the shoes intact. still have noise.

Big Montana · **Posted:** Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:23 pm

Another update:

I had rear brake seize up and drag the other day, so I had the auto shop class rebuild both rear rotors. My "dragging" feeling seems to be gone now. I can coast pretty well, and the creak noise I hear in the mornings while cold are also gone. I'm pretty happy about that...

I'm still getting the humming/vibration though. My wife and I both think the noise is coming from the front passenger side area. I had the wheel bearing replaced on that side, but I'm wondering if it could still be the axle shaft. I took a good look under the Jeep while it was on the hoist, and the boots are good, and the shaft that comes out of the axle is tight when I try to pull on it. It isn't rubbing either like I saw in another post. Are there bearings inside that axle shaft housing that could be bad though? The noise still matches the speed of the vehicle and it has nothing to do with the RPMs of the engine. I have also gone around curves and steered hard both ways to see if I can get a change in the noise and there is none. Hitting the brakes doesn't change the noise either. It's just a constant hum that vibrates the accelerator pedal and the steering wheel. It does seem to go away and become barely noticeable while inching along in a parking lot. This still all leads me to believe the noise is connected to the axle rotation on the front end. If I gun it from a dead stop, there is a nice whine, and when I let off of the pedal to coast it is most noticeable as a loud whining hum.

I'm still searching.

dac44444 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:24 pm

You ever figure this out?

Big Montana · **Posted:** Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:36 pm

No. I need to take it in. I think I have two problems. The rear "clunk" noise seems to be the UPPER rear control arm.

The front noise is coming from the passenger side, but it doesn't seem to be the half shaft that connects the wheel hub to the axle. I think it's the bearing inside the axle that holds the half shaft, but I'm basing that on the diagram from moparpartsamerica.com. I have no idea what the bearings look like or how many there even are on that side.

I'm saving money right now to afford what ever bill I get for the repairs. I figure with this Jeep, it will run me around $8-900 It seems whenever it needs maintenance, I pay that much.

jschmidty1 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:05 am **Posts:** 6

Big Montana wrote:

Problem:
A few weeks ago I started to notice a humming or subtle grinding noise from the front of my Jeep that reminded me of the three times in my life when I've had a wheel bearing go out on different vehicles. It has also had a little bit of a "drag" feeling to it. My gas pedal was also vibrating more than I've ever noticed before too. When it's running in park, I do not hear these noises or feel this vibration.

Attempt at a solution:
I took it in to trusted mechanic today and sure enough they said a front bearing was showing a lot of play. They also replaced all of the pads and rotors and lubed my rear U-Joints after telling me they looked good. (By the way, I seem to have to replace my rotors and pads every 35k. That seems like a lot)

My question:
I drove it home tonight and it's still humming/rubbing/vibrating, and the pedal still vibrates while driving. I've had this Jeep since new, and it just feels like something is holding it back while in drive. As soon as I let off the gas, it slows down and the whole time it hums. It's not LOUD, but it's something that wasn't there before a few weeks ago.

I'm starting to suspect something with my transmission. I just had my trans fluid changed with the filters for the first time ever at 110k, and I just got the new GDE FT ECO Tune and TCM tune. When I drove home tonight, I slowed to about 15 MPH and shifted into neutral (I hope this isn't bad for the trans). It seemed like the vibration went away and the "drag" was removed. The gas pedal was also smooth. When I switched back and forth while rolling at 10-15 mph there was a noticeable difference. I also noticed a little "swish" sound while in Drive. Is there any problem with the trans that could explain this? Could it be a bent rear drive shaft? Does it stop spinning in Neutral? Could it be my GDE TCM tune?

Any advice would be nice.

I have the swooosh sound as well. It occurs whenever i touch the throttle or release the throttle. I can hear it at any speed but is especially pronounced at slow speeds. I can get this noise in neutral or park so I do not believe it to be in the drive line. I suspect a bearing in the motor or tranny ahead of the torque converter (it could also be the torque converter) My tranny fluid is full and clean looking but I believe it to be original (just broke 100K). I recently did the timing belt/ tensioner/ water pump as well as the accessory belt and tensioners. The noise was unchanged from before and after that work.

I also rarely get the symptom you described as a drag feeling. I can attest that it is very odd and much louder than this swoosh sound. The drag feeling is also unnerving. My symptom is sporadic so its harder to diagnose but the last time it occurred I did some experimenting and decided it was unrelated to brakes (no change in noise) and it only occurs at low speeds (under 15 mph). The drag noise goes away from me under acceleration but immediately occurs as soon as I let off the throttle. To me it seems like something wrong with the torque converter like it is turning off the overdrive or just not engaging correctly. I have the GDE eco tune but the TCM is the redone version from Chrysler (which means I have the new torque converter too).

Big Montana · **Posted:** Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:23 pm

Thanks for all of the advice guys. It was the driver's side wheel hub bearing. I would have said no way because numerous people were in the Jeep with me and agreed that the sound was coming from the passenger side. The advice on this board prevented me from doing that.

The dealership warned me that my tires are bad and making some noise but they recommended the bearing change as a start after they listened to the drive train on a hoist. I took a leap of faith and went for the $560 replacement cost for the bearing. That was it. No more vibration and no more noise.

Now I can hear my radio and the hum of ragged tires. The CRD is back on my good graces.

SOLVED Something is humming and slowing my Jeep SOLVED!

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