Weird "clicking" noise
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: Ringgold GA
Weird "clicking" noise
OK, I got my 1989 YJ put back together after some serious damage. New springs, u-bolts, bushings, fixed yoke on the rear axle, and the slip yoke on the rear driveshaft. And changed the oil. Then I took it for a test drive. Rides fine, but there is this noise. . . Any time I give the jeep any gas or put the drivetrain under any load, I get this "clicking" noise, it sounds like it is coming from the rear somewhere. I poked around underneath and I can't SEE where anything is rubbing. The muffler is close to the d-shaft, but it does not appear that is the culprit. Anytime it is coasting or not under power, there is no clicking noise. Any thoughts?
Last edited by tn_dodge; Dec 1, 2008 at 04:32 PM.
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: Ringgold GA
It definitely is not the rear u-joint, that is one of the parts that was replaced. It is a brand new spicer joint. Could be something in the CV. I don't know, it just doesn't sound like a typical u-joint click. I am going to get deeper in to it this weekend.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 443
Likes: 1
From: Hartford county, CT
you say you fixed the slip-yoke on the rear shaft.
What did you have to do to it?
When you put the slip yoke back on the shaft,
did you just slide it on where ever it fit?
Did you know that if you pull the slip yoke off the shaft,
you have to time the drive shaft when you reinstall the slip-yoke?
Checking to see if it's not "timed" properly, is also termed checking to see if it's "out of phase".
A driveshaft that is out of Phase can cause a viberation, and it can also cause the shaft to bind
which might be where the clicking is coming from.
You also said you fixed the yoke on the rear axle...are you sure that your pinion bearing in your rear
axle is ok? Did you have your axel cover off? If so did you inspect the teeth of the ring gear while you
had it apart?
What did you have to do to it?
When you put the slip yoke back on the shaft,
did you just slide it on where ever it fit?
Did you know that if you pull the slip yoke off the shaft,
you have to time the drive shaft when you reinstall the slip-yoke?
Checking to see if it's not "timed" properly, is also termed checking to see if it's "out of phase".
A driveshaft that is out of Phase can cause a viberation, and it can also cause the shaft to bind
which might be where the clicking is coming from.
You also said you fixed the yoke on the rear axle...are you sure that your pinion bearing in your rear
axle is ok? Did you have your axel cover off? If so did you inspect the teeth of the ring gear while you
had it apart?
Last edited by CHOPPER; Dec 12, 2008 at 05:41 PM.
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: Ringgold GA
you say you fixed the slip-yoke on the rear shaft.
What did you have to do to it?
When you put the slip yoke back on the shaft,
did you just slide it on where ever it fit?
Did you know that if you pull the slip yoke off the shaft,
you have to time the drive shaft when you reinstall the slip-yoke?
Checking to see if it's not "timed" properly, is also termed checking to see if it's "out of phase".
A driveshaft that is out of Phase can cause a viberation, and it can also cause the shaft to bind
which might be where the clicking is coming from.
You also said you fixed the yoke on the rear axle...are you sure that your pinion bearing in your rear
axle is ok? Did you have your axel cover off? If so did you inspect the teeth of the ring gear while you
had it apart?
What did you have to do to it?
When you put the slip yoke back on the shaft,
did you just slide it on where ever it fit?
Did you know that if you pull the slip yoke off the shaft,
you have to time the drive shaft when you reinstall the slip-yoke?
Checking to see if it's not "timed" properly, is also termed checking to see if it's "out of phase".
A driveshaft that is out of Phase can cause a viberation, and it can also cause the shaft to bind
which might be where the clicking is coming from.
You also said you fixed the yoke on the rear axle...are you sure that your pinion bearing in your rear
axle is ok? Did you have your axel cover off? If so did you inspect the teeth of the ring gear while you
had it apart?
Yeah, I made sure I had the ears on the u-joint lined up with the ones on the CV joint. I took the cover off the rear diff this past weekend. Everything looked great in there. I took the whole rear CV shaft back to the local driveline shop to have them take a look at it. They said that when I got the new slip portion, the wear on the old splines on the dshaft was causing some slop that could be causing the "clicking". They said the CV joint felt good. Fair enough. They cut off the spline and welded a new one on. Brought it home and put everything back together. . . and it was exactly the same. Same clicking sound. Yeah, that made me happy.
I now think it has to be either the cv joint or something in the tcase. When I had the rear shaft pulled I was driving with around, there was no clicking. I have decided I am going to just keep driving it until something gets really bad and very noticeable. Once I have a catastrophic failure, I will know for sure what the issue is!
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: Ringgold GA
Well, I guess I have it figured out now. A buddy of mine cut down another drive shaft for me to use as a spare, so I put it on today. The clicking is gone. Everything on the other shaft except the CV joint had been replaced, so the culprit has to be the CV joint.
