Rear end clunking while driving
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Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 28
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From: SW Florida
Rear end clunking while driving
hey everyone first post and desperately need help. (I also posted in the maintenance shop earlier.)I have been searching for two days now about rear end clunking and can’t find what my problem is. I first noticed it the other day when leaving my house, it sounded like something was in my tire and hitting whenever my tire made a full rotation. After inspecting the tires and finding nothing wrong I put it on jack stands and started and put it in gear. While the axles are rotating I hear a knock, knock, knock every time it rotates. And I cannot for the life of me figure out what it is. Thank you for any help I might get. My truck is a 99 f150 4.6l 4x4 with 79k original miles on it.
Now an XLT in Colorado
Joined: Aug 2016
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From: Colorado
First step: Remove your drive shaft, and check for excessive play in, or lack of free motion in your U-joints. If they are free moving but not "wobbly," then while the drive shaft is removed, rotate the wheels by hand, and observe any abnormality and/or noise while spinning. Attempt to determine from where the noise is emanating: brakes area, axle tube, pumpkin, etc. With this info, the problem may be easier to identify.
EDIT: After further consideration, if the noise directly follows the tire rotation 1:1, then if may *not* be a U-joint, as the drive shaft spins faster than the wheel(s).
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EDIT: After further consideration, if the noise directly follows the tire rotation 1:1, then if may *not* be a U-joint, as the drive shaft spins faster than the wheel(s).
..
Last edited by OhioLariat; Aug 9, 2018 at 11:56 PM.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 28
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From: SW Florida
Thank you for the quick reply. Yes it definitely follows the wheel 1:1. When the tires where off and I had it in drive while lifted up it was very loud coming from the driver side rear wheel kind of almost resonating through the axle tube. But the hub doesn’t seem to have any wobble in it. And also it is loud so you can hear it from the passenger side also the sound is definitely a lot quieter on that side it sounds like it’s just on the driver side.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 28
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From: SW Florida
Ok so I will be looking into it and checking what you guys recommended n just a little bit had, the radiator on our other vehicle went out and had to replace that first so the truck s next. Thanks again
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From: Washington
My first thought was that your differential is falling apart. The lock pin for the pinion shaft might have worked out and it's catching as it rotates or the pinion shaft itself might be working its way out and doing the same. Broken spider gear, etc. can cause noise. Since it's up you might as well take the cover off and look. The noise is very solid like a solid piece of metal has something pushing it with a lot of leverage. Like can happen in the diff.
Edit - proper terminology might be lock bolt for the lock pin, or locking shaft. Either way, you'll see it easily if it's coming apart.
Edit - proper terminology might be lock bolt for the lock pin, or locking shaft. Either way, you'll see it easily if it's coming apart.
Last edited by BareBonesXL; Aug 11, 2018 at 04:12 PM.
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From: Washington
98 F150 5.4L E40D/4R100
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: MI
That sucks. Had the same thing occur to me while I was out of state, ring gear looked identical. It was a 9th gen 150, only difference. Reason, - the breather was missing, rear gear fluid became contaminated and broke down to the consistency of water. That set me back 
Yea that was years ago and cost me over a grand to have someone else do the job. It might be worth sourcing a used rear axle. If you decide to so, here's a couple go-to's I use now for that, -
http://car-part.com/ Throw in your zip and they'll locate one close to home.
https://www.hollanderparts.com/ Sort of the same deal here.
Yea that was years ago and cost me over a grand to have someone else do the job. It might be worth sourcing a used rear axle. If you decide to so, here's a couple go-to's I use now for that, -
http://car-part.com/ Throw in your zip and they'll locate one close to home.
https://www.hollanderparts.com/ Sort of the same deal here.