rattle from the rear end...
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From: South Dakota
rattle from the rear end...
hey,
anyone else here ever notice a rattle from the rear of your truck when traveling over small to moderate bumps? i just began noticing this recently and it's driving me nuts. i don't think it's coming from inside the cab, but from the rear suspension area. almost sounds like a shock that has lost all its gas. guess i'll have to have the local dealer look at when i take it in for the thunk/shudder. just wondering if anyone else has noticed similar...
Troy
anyone else here ever notice a rattle from the rear of your truck when traveling over small to moderate bumps? i just began noticing this recently and it's driving me nuts. i don't think it's coming from inside the cab, but from the rear suspension area. almost sounds like a shock that has lost all its gas. guess i'll have to have the local dealer look at when i take it in for the thunk/shudder. just wondering if anyone else has noticed similar...
Troy
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From: The Bluegrass State
Troy,
Can't say I've ever heard it. You don't think it's related to the 'thunk' do you? I'm just wondering if something is wearing, because of this infamous thunk, and it's starting to rattle now. Any thoughts?
RP
Can't say I've ever heard it. You don't think it's related to the 'thunk' do you? I'm just wondering if something is wearing, because of this infamous thunk, and it's starting to rattle now. Any thoughts?
RP
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i would say ichs nay on the sounds/feel being related to the same problem. but, maybe i'll know for sure this friday. i'm gonna try to get the truck in and have it looked at...
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From: South Dakota
for those of you interested (doesn't appear to be too many) i did some investigating on the rattle i'm hearing.
today i opened up the rear sliding window and the noise is definitely not inside my cab. it became much louder after i opened the window. it sounded like the tailgate was rattling. so i took the tailgate completely off. drove around some more and the noise was still there. checked the spare tire mounting and it seems to be tight. i looked around undernieth the truck and nothing looks of feels loose. so, this is a real mystery to me. it sounds like metal hitting metal.
anyhoo, i'm finally getting the truck in on tuesday and will add this to my list of things to try and fix...i'll report back when i hear something...or don't hear anything...anymore!
troy
today i opened up the rear sliding window and the noise is definitely not inside my cab. it became much louder after i opened the window. it sounded like the tailgate was rattling. so i took the tailgate completely off. drove around some more and the noise was still there. checked the spare tire mounting and it seems to be tight. i looked around undernieth the truck and nothing looks of feels loose. so, this is a real mystery to me. it sounds like metal hitting metal.
anyhoo, i'm finally getting the truck in on tuesday and will add this to my list of things to try and fix...i'll report back when i hear something...or don't hear anything...anymore!
troy
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From: The Bluegrass State
I'm very interested. This forum has been pretty slow lately compared to the past. Keep me posted Troy. I'm very interested in any correlation with the 'thunk'.
Thanks for letting us know.
RP
Thanks for letting us know.
RP
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From: Summerville, SC Near Historic Charleston
Troy,
Have you looked real close at the exhaust? Sometimes the exhaust pipe can deflect while accelerating or decelerating and cause the pipe to contact the frame or some other metal object too close. One way to check this is to grab the tail pipe with the engine off and wiggle it around and see if that makes the noise, if so then Voila! If not, well then at least you may have eliminated one possibility.
Good luck and keep us posted.
~DM~
Have you looked real close at the exhaust? Sometimes the exhaust pipe can deflect while accelerating or decelerating and cause the pipe to contact the frame or some other metal object too close. One way to check this is to grab the tail pipe with the engine off and wiggle it around and see if that makes the noise, if so then Voila! If not, well then at least you may have eliminated one possibility.
Good luck and keep us posted.
~DM~
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From: South Dakota
daveman et al...
my truck suffers from what i believe are three different problems.
first two i started noticing this winter. whenever i come up to or sometimes pull away from a stop, i get a shudder in the driveline. it doesn't happen if i put the truck in neutral before coming to a stop. i had a leased '99 ranger that did this and the temperorary fix was a new driveshaft. however, it started doing it again right before i gave it back to ford and thus i didn't worry about it. thus, i deduce that it was never the driveshaft in the first place. it will be interesting to see what the local shop comes up with when i take my KR in on tuesday. there is an old tsb about the slip yoke on trucks with a one piece driveshaft. but i couldn't find any newer tsbs that would relate to my problem. interestingly enough, when i made the appointment to get the truck in for service, the guy at the ford shop mentioned they've been having some folks come in with the same problem i'm having...he didn't specify a fix however. the other problem is that the rear diff needs some friction modifier...not a biggie but kinda odd since my truck barely has over 5k miles on it. they prolly forgot to put it in at the factory. however i'll have to keep an eye on it; and i just started noticing a rear axle whine around 50 to 55 mph. that whine may or may not have been there the whole time. i usually have the stereo cranked, but recently in trying to figure out that rattle i've had it turned down...which in itself is not that great an idea because then you start to hear all kinds of funny noises...
the most recent problem is the rattle somewhere in the rear of the truck on bumpy roads. i did check the exhaust and everything looks and feels good and tight. it is possible that the stop/go shudder and rattle could be related, but i kinda doubt it. the rattle is there whether i'm accelerating or stopping and is only noticeable at relatively low speeds over bumpy pavement.
anyhoo, i hope they can diagnose and fix these issues on tuesday...i'll let you all know how it goes.
my truck suffers from what i believe are three different problems.
first two i started noticing this winter. whenever i come up to or sometimes pull away from a stop, i get a shudder in the driveline. it doesn't happen if i put the truck in neutral before coming to a stop. i had a leased '99 ranger that did this and the temperorary fix was a new driveshaft. however, it started doing it again right before i gave it back to ford and thus i didn't worry about it. thus, i deduce that it was never the driveshaft in the first place. it will be interesting to see what the local shop comes up with when i take my KR in on tuesday. there is an old tsb about the slip yoke on trucks with a one piece driveshaft. but i couldn't find any newer tsbs that would relate to my problem. interestingly enough, when i made the appointment to get the truck in for service, the guy at the ford shop mentioned they've been having some folks come in with the same problem i'm having...he didn't specify a fix however. the other problem is that the rear diff needs some friction modifier...not a biggie but kinda odd since my truck barely has over 5k miles on it. they prolly forgot to put it in at the factory. however i'll have to keep an eye on it; and i just started noticing a rear axle whine around 50 to 55 mph. that whine may or may not have been there the whole time. i usually have the stereo cranked, but recently in trying to figure out that rattle i've had it turned down...which in itself is not that great an idea because then you start to hear all kinds of funny noises...
the most recent problem is the rattle somewhere in the rear of the truck on bumpy roads. i did check the exhaust and everything looks and feels good and tight. it is possible that the stop/go shudder and rattle could be related, but i kinda doubt it. the rattle is there whether i'm accelerating or stopping and is only noticeable at relatively low speeds over bumpy pavement.
anyhoo, i hope they can diagnose and fix these issues on tuesday...i'll let you all know how it goes.
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From: Summerville, SC Near Historic Charleston
Troy,
As far as the shudder goes, I've posted before several times and mine does it too. It doesn't do it each and every time but it is annoying. My honest opinion is it's related to the limited slip differential. What I've been thinking of doing is removing the driveshaft, applying the parking brake and torquing the differential yoke with a special tool by an amount that's in line with the maximum engine torque of a 5.4 V8.
The special tool will probably look like a rectangular box so that it can grab the outside of the yoke and apply torque the same exact way the driveshaft applies it to the pinion shaft of the rear.
If I notice slipping between a small applied torque and the rated torque of the engine, then to me that would be unacceptable and would be cause for concern.
Of course, in the mean time, I'm going to learn more about limited slip differentials before I do the test so that I don't damage anything and so I better understand how it's supposed to work.
Good luck with your truck too.
~DM~
As far as the shudder goes, I've posted before several times and mine does it too. It doesn't do it each and every time but it is annoying. My honest opinion is it's related to the limited slip differential. What I've been thinking of doing is removing the driveshaft, applying the parking brake and torquing the differential yoke with a special tool by an amount that's in line with the maximum engine torque of a 5.4 V8.
The special tool will probably look like a rectangular box so that it can grab the outside of the yoke and apply torque the same exact way the driveshaft applies it to the pinion shaft of the rear.
If I notice slipping between a small applied torque and the rated torque of the engine, then to me that would be unacceptable and would be cause for concern.
Of course, in the mean time, I'm going to learn more about limited slip differentials before I do the test so that I don't damage anything and so I better understand how it's supposed to work.
Good luck with your truck too.
~DM~
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From: South Dakota
daveman,
my '01 s-crew also had the limited slip axle and it never did the shudder thing.
interestingly enough, today is the first somewhat warm and humid day we've had so far this year, and guess what, the shudder has been barely noticeable. go figure! right before i take the truck in for service, it's gonna decide not to do it, and mine has been doing it very regularly...almost every stop/go. that actually makes me think there is something that is binding and needs lube. i know my dad had a gmc truck that did something very similar until they lubed some "sleeve" in the driveline. anyhoo, will see i guess...
troy
let us all know how you turn out on your test...btw, i have noticed that i get a more pronounced shudder when the truck is idling fast. and it doesn't do it at all when i put the truck into neutral say 10 to 15 feet before stopping...
my '01 s-crew also had the limited slip axle and it never did the shudder thing.
interestingly enough, today is the first somewhat warm and humid day we've had so far this year, and guess what, the shudder has been barely noticeable. go figure! right before i take the truck in for service, it's gonna decide not to do it, and mine has been doing it very regularly...almost every stop/go. that actually makes me think there is something that is binding and needs lube. i know my dad had a gmc truck that did something very similar until they lubed some "sleeve" in the driveline. anyhoo, will see i guess...
troy
let us all know how you turn out on your test...btw, i have noticed that i get a more pronounced shudder when the truck is idling fast. and it doesn't do it at all when i put the truck into neutral say 10 to 15 feet before stopping...
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for a nice change of pace, i have some good news fellow KR folks. all my problems have been fixed!!! uhhhh...or at least those on the truck.
the shudder when pulling up to a stop was indeed caused by the slip yoke. now i really don't know exactly where the slip yoke is in the driveline, but they told me they lubed it up. and from what i can tell so far...it worked!!
as for the rattle i was hearing somewhere in the rear, apparently some sort of rubber insulator between the box and frame was out of place. they put it back in place and the rattle is now gone!
i was one happy camper until i went outside 15 minutes after getting home and found my passenger rear tire almost flat! i rushed to the quick shop to air it up before it went completely flat and then found a sliver wood piercing the inside sidewall within the first row of traction nubs. pulled it out which didn't help matters any...can you say lots o air coming out of tire?! stuck it back in and went straight to goodyear shop. they fixed the leak and are gonna check tomorrow to see if goodyear will give me a new tire since mine only has 5k miles on it.
anyhoo, very interesing late afternoon/early eve! but i'm definitely glad the local shop got my "issues" fixed...
troy
the shudder when pulling up to a stop was indeed caused by the slip yoke. now i really don't know exactly where the slip yoke is in the driveline, but they told me they lubed it up. and from what i can tell so far...it worked!!
as for the rattle i was hearing somewhere in the rear, apparently some sort of rubber insulator between the box and frame was out of place. they put it back in place and the rattle is now gone!
i was one happy camper until i went outside 15 minutes after getting home and found my passenger rear tire almost flat! i rushed to the quick shop to air it up before it went completely flat and then found a sliver wood piercing the inside sidewall within the first row of traction nubs. pulled it out which didn't help matters any...can you say lots o air coming out of tire?! stuck it back in and went straight to goodyear shop. they fixed the leak and are gonna check tomorrow to see if goodyear will give me a new tire since mine only has 5k miles on it.
anyhoo, very interesing late afternoon/early eve! but i'm definitely glad the local shop got my "issues" fixed...
troy
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From: The Bluegrass State
Excellent Troy. Glad to hear. Very good information. I'll go armed with this when I go to get mine checked out (I have a list of things for them to do).
Anyone have any idea what the slip yoke is?
RP
Anyone have any idea what the slip yoke is?
RP
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From: South Dakota
hey rock,
i did some searching aroud the net tonight to try and figure out what the slip yoke really is. from what i can figure, it basically connects the driveshaft to the tranny but with a u-joint between the yoke and shaft. the slip yoke allows the drive shaft to move north/south as the rear axle angle changes. at least i think that is what it's for. anyhoo, take that for what it is....ain't the net great!!
troy
i did some searching aroud the net tonight to try and figure out what the slip yoke really is. from what i can figure, it basically connects the driveshaft to the tranny but with a u-joint between the yoke and shaft. the slip yoke allows the drive shaft to move north/south as the rear axle angle changes. at least i think that is what it's for. anyhoo, take that for what it is....ain't the net great!!
troy
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From: Summerville, SC Near Historic Charleston
Troy,
You guessed it right. The slip yoke allows the drive shaft to get slightly longer/shorter as the rear differential goes up and down over bumbs and holes. The drive shaft of course moves "longitudinally" when the differential moves forward, backward, vertically or a combination.
However, lubing the slip yoke concerns me since the yoke is supposed to get all the lubrication it will ever need from the transmission fluid inside the unit. Usually, if the transmission oil level is correct, when you remove the drive shaft transmission oil will drip out. Oil will leak out especially if the car or truck is slightly inclined to the back.
If there is a lack of lubrication at the slip yoke, then premature yoke bushing failure is next since that drive shaft runs at engine RPM for the most part. No oil at the slip yoke usually spells disaster.
I'm thinking something is not right with greasing the slip yoke, the transmission has to be designed to lube that area itself to prevent yoke bushing failure and driveshat seizure.
Can you get anymore details as to exactly what was done to the driveshaft yoke?
~DM~
You guessed it right. The slip yoke allows the drive shaft to get slightly longer/shorter as the rear differential goes up and down over bumbs and holes. The drive shaft of course moves "longitudinally" when the differential moves forward, backward, vertically or a combination.
However, lubing the slip yoke concerns me since the yoke is supposed to get all the lubrication it will ever need from the transmission fluid inside the unit. Usually, if the transmission oil level is correct, when you remove the drive shaft transmission oil will drip out. Oil will leak out especially if the car or truck is slightly inclined to the back.
If there is a lack of lubrication at the slip yoke, then premature yoke bushing failure is next since that drive shaft runs at engine RPM for the most part. No oil at the slip yoke usually spells disaster.
I'm thinking something is not right with greasing the slip yoke, the transmission has to be designed to lube that area itself to prevent yoke bushing failure and driveshat seizure.
Can you get anymore details as to exactly what was done to the driveshaft yoke?
~DM~