Front End Noise

[RevAlfius]

I inherited this issues from the previous owner a year ago. When I take off quickly front a stop or get on it going up hill my B2 makes a ?grinding noise?. Almost sounds as if something is slipping but I don't loose power. I'm pretty sure its the front end but I'm not sure what and since it only makes the noise under load it's hard to really tell what it is.

My B2 has 160,xxx miles on it so everything looks a little rough. Does anyone have a guess or at least something I can try to rule out parts? Any help would be much appreciated. It's a 1990 model B2 4x4 2.9L engine, everything is stock.

 

[broughton88]

did you check rotors and make sure calpier isnt sticking.. also u-joints can make some weird noises check those sucks wen you snap those. also check hubs does 4wheel work good?

 

[martin]

check your pinion bearing.

 

[RevAlfius]

4 Wheel works great, replaced calipers when I bought it a year ago, u-joints where replaced by previous owner 6 months before I bought it. Haven't check the pinion bearing. Easy there an easy way to check it without tearing the whole thing down and taking a look?

 

[4x4junkie]

Are you sure the noise is coming from up front?

It's very common for the stock rear dual-CV driveshaft to start making noises at around that mileage (makes a crunchy clackety-clack sound only on hard acceleration, and often in reverse as well).

 

[F150hybred]

On a different idea here, maybe you have a broken motor mount and the cooling fan is rubbing on the shroud.

 

[RevAlfius]

Are you sure the noise is coming from up front?

It's very common for the stock rear dual-CV driveshaft to start making noises at around that mileage (makes a crunchy clackety-clack sound only on hard acceleration, and often in reverse as well).

Could I replace the drive shaft myself or would a shop be better equipped. Underneath it looks like 8 bolts, but the CV's appear to be compressed? Or am I mistaken. I just want to make sure that if I get it apart I can get the new one on.

I've never messed with Cv joints before. I have read that the universal joint conversion can cause issues if it a daily drive application. Can anyone confirm or deny if that's the case?

It's not the motor mounts the noise is definatly coming from under the truck.

 

[4x4junkie]

The driveshaft just bolts on, so there should be no issue if you find that's not it after you've removed it. Most you may want to do is mark the flanges so you can put it back on the way it was, although on the CV shaft, this is not essential.

As for a u-joint shaft, they are perfectly fine for a DD (freeway use). What you want is called a "Double-Cardan" driveshaft. This type of shaft has 3 u-joints: one at the axle end, two at the transmission. The two joints at the transmission end will cancel out any vibration as long as the angle at the single-joint end (axle) is 2° or less with the truck unloaded and parked on level ground. Small angled shims can be installed between the axle and the leaf springs to adjust this angle if needed.

 

[greasemonkey6886]

Does it only do it in 4x4? If so check the front axle shafts where they go into the back of the spindle for freeplay up and down or side to side. I had a very simular problem with an 85 F-150 4x4(also a TTB) and found that the axle shaft bearings and seals were toast and it caused a really bad rubbing/grinding sound upon acceleration but only in 4x4 since the front axle is stationary in 4x2. Hope this helps