Front axle problem?

[dads2vette]

1997 Mountaineer

I'm tracking down some issues with my Mountaineer. I have some rotational slop in my drive shaft(Idon't notice any front-back slop) and a horrific noise which brings me back to my childhood. The odd sound I get is easy to explain however, reminds me of when I put a baseball card in the spokes of a bike rim when I was a kid...clicking increasing with speed. However, very loud under exceleration almost non-exsistant when decreasing unless braking then very loud again. Makes me think that it's the front axle

I injured may back last year and can't do any of the work myself so it's been hard tracking down the noise. I have replaced the front rack and pinion, tie rod ends, cv axles, shocks, control arms and hubs. Not because of the noise, they needed to be replaced. I put about 200 miles on that job and the noise started. I did have to replace the new hub because the replacement was bad. I originally thought that the noise may have been the bad, new hub. Not so much...

Anyone have any experience with this noise?

Thnaks, Dave

 

[bluestream1]

If you have "rotational Slop" in your drive-shaft, you have a bad U-joint. Easy to replace..

 

[96eb96]

DOes turning left or right have any effect on the noise? Could it be a bad reman CV joint, such that it happend so fast after the repair?

 

[jremington59]

I had something very near this a while back. My vehicle had a metalic sound like a card in a spoke. I took it to a garage and put it in the air and we could find nothing. Finally I replaced the brake pads and the sound was gone. We checked those pads and rotors prior and saw nothng. But changing the pads ended the noise.

 

[dads2vette]

96eb96: Turning does seem to quite the noise.

bluestream1: With the slop I assumed the U joint was bad but I don't think that would make the sound I'm hearing.


jremington59: Was the sound you heard constant? I'll happily change the brakes. I thought the warning tab was fried but the brakes look new.

Thanks for the replies,
Dave