Rear end noise

[incocknito]

New GW owner needs some help. I'm getting noise/vibration from the rear end that is louder at higher speeds but always there when moving. It has new tires and shocks. Noise seems to be getting louder. Any help would be appreciated.

[Rande]

Check the u-joint at the rear axle. First place to look.

[Tad]

First Off, Welcome aboard, incocknito.
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Secondly, I agree with Rande, I'll add a little tip also, get the vehicle on some level ground where you can put it in neutral and crawl around safely under there. Roll it back and forth a bit to loosen things up, then get under there and start shaking the driveshaft at both ends, up and down, back and forth, pay attention to what is actually moving.

Keep us posted. smile.gif

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Anytime I hear a noise coming from the rear, and is changing frequency with speed, disapears and or changes frequency on curves. I check wheel bearings. Mayu not be your problem, but be sure because it is a very dangerous situation if it is wheelbearings. Welcome to Forum! ;) ;)

[Smooshy]

Front U-joints have fooled me before and made me think it was coming from the rear, just a thought. Also Im stupid so this may not help.

[incocknito]

Thanks for all the advise. I took it to my local Jeep guru and he and I took it for a drive and he thinks that it is the "carrier bearings". I am no mechanic so if anyone has any additional information re: his diagnosis, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks again for the help.

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Well it could be Carrier bearings, but its rather rare they go bad, unless the diff was run out of oil. I would be safe and have a second opinion on that, since it is not a cheap fix to replace carrier bearings.

[Thomas DeBusk]

If it's a wheel bearing, the rear axle can slide out at speed when it really goes bad. Been there, done that, not going back. You lose your brakes when the brake drum, which is attached to the wheel, slides past the brake shoes.

Don't want to scare you, but do get this taken care of.

If it's a u-joint, it can go out suddenly and leave you stranded, but won't cause damage.

I've replaced the wheel bearings and differential bearings myself. It's not that hard, really. You're supposed to "set" the backlash when you put new diff bearings in, but considering that my old diff was running with about 1/8" of play in the assembly, I think I really improved things back there just slapping in new bearings. I put shims back in of the same thickness I took out. 5000 miles and going strong now.

Thomas

[2nd Day]

id like to put an idiots vote in for the U-Joint....

[Stuka]

as pete said, the only way carrier bearings go bad is if the differencial was run without oil, or got water in the dif and sat for a while.

Otherwise my vote is for axle bearings. They are easy to change. Pull axle, bring to napa or the like and have new ones pressed on, put axle back in with new seal.