Front axle question. Spicer 44

[No_Ecm]

1981 Jeep Wagoneer. V-8 Automatic. QuadraTrac.

Loud whining noise/grinding coming from the front part of the car and a slight vibration coming from under the floorboard when running at speed. Noise gets louder at higher speeds and under acceleration.

Took the car into a transmission shop. Shop owner drove the car around and verified the noise but could not tell where it was coming from. We took the car back to the shop and put it up on the rack with one of the mechanics inside. Mechanic put the car in drive and slowly accelerated. The noise could not be duplicated in the shop. All in all the shop owner spent an hour with me on the car. This was an honest shop as the owner told me that he could not absolutely find the noise and did not want to start replacing parts just just to bill me for the work.


While on the rack he did show me that the yoke from the front axle was loose and had some lateral play.


I thought about it for a while and today I decided to remove the front drive line to see if the noise would disappear. In order to drive the car without the front drive line in place the transfer case needs to be in Hi Lock. I believe that there is a bad yoke bearing in the front axle. The yoke can be moved up and down and side to side approx 1/16".

With the front drive line removed the car is absolutely quiet; no grinding or whining.


2 questions:

1. Will any harm be caused by driving the card in Hi Lock (Front drive line has been removed)

2. How difficult is it to replace the yoke bearing? I believe the axle is a Spicer 44.

Thanks in advance for any advice that can be given.

[Shake]

As long as you're in Hi-Loc, you wont damage anything by driving without the front shaft.

Yoke bearing is not an easy thing to replace, there are actually 2, one is on the inside, one on the outside. It's not impossible, but it would require access to a press, and does involve pulling out the whole carrier, and you'd have to verify your gear pattern when you were done (which may or probably would require adjustment)

You might also want to check or just have the CV rebuilt... (doing all your U joints might help too)

Andy

[Langdon]

Shake is right, BTW those are called the pinion bearings. It is not beyond the scope of a DIY mechanic but it is precise work and requires some special tools... :mad:

[jonas]

Same problem has come to my 81- Cherokee 258á Aut

I wounder were do you find those special tools? Here in Sweden I´we just found the bigger "locknut removal socket" not the smaller one that needs to remove the axel yoke nut.
Does somone knew where it can be found so I´we can order one???
After all we live in small world, and I´we orderd things from US that have been here in Sweden the day after that!!!

/Jonas from Sweden...

[Langdon]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by jonas:
needs to remove the axel yoke nut.
Does somone knew where it can be found so I´we can order one???
<hr></blockquote>

Hey Jonas, use a regular 1-1/8" (or metric equivalent) socket to remove the yoke nut. The tools I meant were bearing separator, dial indicator, and inch-pound torque wrench... :cool:

[Iron Horse]

Did you check the double cardan joint in the front drive shaft? This is an often neglected area and needs to be greased on a regular basis to keep it functioning. If it's bad it will give you a nice vibe right under the driver. If it lets go while driving it will also take out your tranny case.

[porchpiggy]

I think Iron Horse might be on to something. If the grinding noise and vibration went away with the removal of the front shaft, I'd look a little closer at the front shaft cv joint. I know when mine went I would have sworn the transfer case was crunched. I'm sure your pinion bearing is worn and needs replaced, but I don't think 1/16 play would produce that kind of noise/vabration, maybe, but I would check the shaft first. :cool:

[jonas]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> Hey Jonas, use a regular 1-1/8" (or metric equivalent) socket to remove the yoke nut. The tools I meant were bearing separator, dial indicator, and inch-pound torque wrench... <hr></blockquote>

It´s a bit difficult to explain specially when my spelling and english is´t the best, however the problem is not removing " yoke nut" after removing it there is another "nut" the axel nut that is inside and around the rotor, the socket that has too bee used is with small pins that grab the nut at the top. But it seemes to hard to find one here in Sweden. /Jonas... :rolleyes:

[Langdon]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by jonas:


there is another "nut" the axel nut that is inside and around the rotor, the socket that has too bee used is with small pins that grab the nut at the top. But it seemes to hard to find one here in Sweden. /Jonas... :rolleyes: <hr></blockquote>

Look at www.partsamerica.com (http://www.partsamerica.com) , this is Ampro #T72048. Don't know if they would ship internationally, though.
http://www.partsamerica.com/product_images/AAP/APO/T72048.jpg :cool:

[ April 11, 2002: Message edited by: Langdon ]

[ April 11, 2002: Message edited by: Langdon ]</p>

[jonas]

Yeh! Thats the one!!! I vill try to order one!!! Thanks!!!/Jonas... smile.gif

[Frank in Norway]

Jonas, prøv Hansen Racing (http://www.hansenracing.se) i sverige ellerSteinar Stolen (http://www.sstolen.no) i norge. De skulle ha verktøy for hjullagermutteren.

translated for the americans:)
Jonas, try hansenracing in sweden or Steinar Stolen in Norway for the proper tool.

As to the pinion bearing. I don't think you have to setup the R&P if your changing the bearings. Just re-use the same shims and in 99,9% of the cases you'll be fine. Of course,checking the pattern after you're done too be shure.

[jonas]

Hello Frank!! I´we tryied Hansenracing but they just had the bigger one locknut removal socket not the smaller one! I´we vill try with Steinar Stolen /Jonas...

[Panther]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Frank in Norway:
Jonas, prøv Hansen Racing (http://www.hansenracing.se) i sverige ellerSteinar Stolen (http://www.sstolen.no) i norge. De skulle ha verktøy for hjullagermutteren.<hr></blockquote>
wow, guess this really is international FSJ assoc!

[No_Ecm]

Problem fixed!!!!!!!!

It turns out that the big nut holding the Yoke to the shaft had worked a little loose.

I started with removing the Nut, Yoke and oil seal.

Inspected the bearings and they looked new so I re-used them.

Replaced the oil seal re-torqued the nut and installed the driveline.

Have driven the car 150+ miles and all is quiet.

What a cheap fix!!!!!!! I even got my money back for the bearing set.

Thanks for all your support!!!!!