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Squeak in Driveshaft

TA2AV

Full Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2004
Messages
75
I have been hunting down a squeak this week and have isolated it to the drive shaft.  When the truck is goign real slow forward or reverse there is a pretty loud rotary squeaking noise.  I jacked up the rear and put the truck in neutral and when I turn teh driveshaft by hand I get teh the noise  I have been lookign for.  I seems like it is coming from inside the shaft about 10 inches from the front u joint.  Could a bad u joint make a squeaking sound come from inside teh shaft?  The u joint is original and had about 45,000 miles on it.  Would like to know if this is a possible source before I replace teh u joint.  Also if I do need to replace it, do all I need to do is compress the clips on teh outside of the cups to get them out.  My last feew chevy's had to have them melted out. 

Thanks for the help.
 
Is it near slip joint?

U joints to squeek when they are bad...
 
Mine used to make a little squeaking noise at low speeds near the transfer case on the front shaft. I attributed it to the rubber oil seals on the drive shaft. U-joints are still possible at that mileage, as my rear on the rear drive shaft went bad at around 38,000 miles. Sound travels well through steel, and especially a steel tube. It's sometimes hard to isolate where it is originating from.

Mark
 
Oh yeah...

what year and model avy?
2wd or 4wd as they have different driveshafts...
 
There have been a couple of people that have had a U joint squeak even though there is no play in it.  I assume it's caused by not having any grease left in it but as you know there is no way to grease the factory joints.

I've not changed  one on the AV and I haven't paid attention to how they are held in (clips or melted plastic) ???.
 
It is a 2004 2wd Z66.  I listened again real close today on the way to work and it is more of a click or a tick instead of a squeak.  It is actually hard to hear exactly where it is coming from since the sound does travel well through teh metal driveshaft but it is definately coming from the shaft.  When turned by hand not only can I hear it but I can feel the noise vibrate a little.  It also seems to be worse under load like accelerating from a stand still. 

 
TA2AV said:
It is a 2004 2wd Z66. I listened again real close today on the way to work and it is more of a click or a tick instead of a squeak. It is actually hard to hear exactly where it is coming from since the sound does travel well through teh metal driveshaft but it is definately coming from the shaft. When turned by hand not only can I hear it but I can feel the noise vibrate a little. It also seems to be worse under load like accelerating from a stand still.

Definately sounds like a U-joint to me.

Mark
 
Mine definately has clips holding the cups in.  Is there a chance that they would use clips and use the melted plastic to hold them in place.  Hopefully the clips are the only thing holding them in.  I have never been able to get the plastic held in ones ever removed.  Have always had to take it somewhere.  I guess I will just get some new ujoints tonight and see what happens. 

Thanks for the help.
 
TA2AV said:
Mine definately has clips holding the cups in.? Is there a chance that they would use clips and use the melted plastic to hold them in place.? Hopefully the clips are the only thing holding them in.? I have never been able to get the plastic held in ones ever removed.? 

Thanks for the help.

I don't know, surely they wouldn't use both clips and melted plastic. ???

 
My 4x4 didn't have clips, it had the plactic. I didn't change them myself. I was going to, but when I got the shaft out, and tried to melt the plastic, I couldn't get it hot enough with a propane torch, and then my bench vise would not open far enough to press the u-joint out. So, I stuck the shaft back in, and drove it to my Brother's house down the road who owns a transmission outfit, and left it for him to take to work the next day and do it. I guess you don't have to melt the plastic. It will shear off while pressing the old joint out.

Mark
 
Well I bought it new from the dealer with 5 miles on it so I doubt they have been replaced.  I read somewhere that the Chevy trucks with an aluminium factory driveshat got clips instead if the standard plastc melt in ones.  By the looks of it I would say mine has an aluminium shaft.  Looks just like the I put in my old 1994 Trans Am.  Do these trucks come with different shafts based on be 4 wheel or 2 wheel drive? 
 
TA2AV said:
Well I bought it new from the dealer with 5 miles on it so I doubt they have been replaced.  I read somewhere that the Chevy trucks with an aluminium factory driveshat got clips instead if the standard plastc melt in ones.  By the looks of it I would say mine has an aluminium shaft.  Looks just like the I put in my old 1994 Trans Am.  Do these trucks come with different shafts based on be 4 wheel or 2 wheel drive? 

Yes there are different shafts based on 2wd or 4wd see here

CLICK ME

This was posted above.
 
onyx_z71 said:
My 4x4 didn't have clips, it had the plactic. I didn't change them myself. I was going to, but when I got the shaft out, and tried to melt the plastic, I couldn't get it hot enough with a propane torch, and then my bench vise would not open far enough to press the u-joint out. So, I stuck the shaft back in, and drove it to my Brother's house down the road who owns a transmission outfit, and left it for him to take to work the next day and do it. I guess you don't have to melt the plastic. It will shear off while pressing the old joint out.

Mark

I usually use a cutting torch as it is a lot hotter than a propane torch. You may be able to shear it off with brute force but I still usually heat them still when in the hydraulic press as it makes it easier.
 
If its a "tink", crackling type noise , i bet its a drive shaft, replaced tons for that nosie...
 
Well it was definately a u joint.  Two of the cups on the fron u joint were totally shot.  All of the needle bearings in these two cups were gone only leaving a bunch of rust behind.  It was so bad that I could not move the u joint by hand like I could the other.  After they were replaced the truck felt much faster.  I guess some of teh power was going to fight the rusted joint.  Thanks for all of your help.
 
TA2AV said:
Well it was definately a u joint.  Two of the cups on the fron u joint were totally shot.  All of the needle bearings in these two cups were gone only leaving a bunch of rust behind.  It was so bad that I could not move the u joint by hand like I could the other.  After they were replaced the truck felt much faster.  I guess some of teh power was going to fight the rusted joint.  Thanks for all of your help.

So you must have changed the u-joint but was it the clips or did it have the plastic that has to be melted out?
 
i am getting a squeak/ squealing noise at low speeds with my AV as well.  i have an appointment to take it in on Monday.  i had the service manager ride with me Friday afternoon to verify the noise.  believe it, or not, the truck actually made the noise several times for him to hear.  usually the problems always go away when i take the trucks to the dealer.
 
I had my Ride in the suspension Shop a few weeks ago. Yearly suspension tune up!

I also have been getting a Chirping or Squeak at low speeds.
Notice it badly when rolling up to a MAC next to a brick building.

I was told every thing was Tight and looked good, but it Squeaks.

When I get new U-Joints you can get them with Grease fittings?
 
SRFNSNO said:
I also have been getting a Chirping or Squeak at low speeds.
Notice it badly when rolling up to a MAC next to a brick building.


  that's it!!  that's when it became apparent to me.  it is loud next to a building.  when i went on the drive with the service manager we drove next to the service department building, and between the row of new vehicles.  it worked 'cause he heard it too.
 
I went under the AV with some spray on Slick 50 lubricant.
Now it is more intermittent. I plan on trying another coat tomorrow.

But when the U-joint dose go a set of joints with a Z-fitting would be cool.
 
i can't spray anything now.  i need it to be as noisy as possible so the guys at the dealer can hear it on Monday.
 
When I replaced them the only thing holding them in place were the clips.  There was no melted plastic holding them in.  The cups were in there real tight though and had to use  a drift to knock them out onceteh clips were removed.  The replacement u joints I got are made by precision and they do have grease fittings in them, so now I can keep them properly lubricated.  They were precision part number 355 and 354.  I forgot which number went where but it is obvious since the rears have the inside clips on two of the cups.  The hardest part of the whole thing was getting the new cups pressed back in place.  I ended up using a large C clamp to press them in.  At first I tried tapping them in with a  hammer but kept knocking the needle bearings out of alignment.  Once I got the C clamp out it was not to bad of a job.
 
I also first noticed the noise when driving next to a building, but it got to teh point where I could hear it just driving down teh street at low speeds.  Once at 35 mph or so  it was hard to hear though.  To finally isolate the noise I blocked the front and back of teh front tires and jacked up the rear of the truck by the differential and placed the tranny in neutral and went under teh truck and spun teh drive shaft by hand.  I could feel and hear then where teh noise was coming from.  Which was teh front u joint.  I change front and rear though just to be sure.  And those part numbers I gave were for a 2wd 2004 z66.
 
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