I have been noticing lately that I am gettine some noise out of my front axle when slogging thru the mud. It usually only happens when I am pulling a hill and not so much on level ground unless the mud is pulling me down. So I get under it and jack it up last night and the first thing I notice is where the ujoint is held in the axle the ends are getting shined up. Not the ends of the u joint but the metal surrounding the joint is rubbing, propably as I turn. I can't find any abnormal slack in the ball joints or the u joint either for that matter. There is some play in the axle shaft and I was wondering if that was normal. Anybody have any ideas what is shining them up like that? My seals aren't leaking but just a little bit on one side. I haven't put any 90w in it this year and it doesn't need any. I would think if the bearing that supports the axle was out the seal would be the first thing to go. Oh and it is doing it on both sides. They are not extremely shiny but its been rubbing enough to cause concern. Any ideas?

 

I'd start by tightening your bearings. Take your axle shafts out and tighten the spindle nut inside, but don't wrench on it. Make it tight, and then back it off a little bit. There should be no play in the axle shaft.

 

When u pry on the u joint it goes in and out and up and down quite a bit. I can't remember how this one is made but I thought it had some type of retaining clip under the lockout keeping the axle from moving in and out. I will pull it apart this weekend and see whats up.

 

Sounds like the torrington bearing in the hub. They keep the stub shafts centered. You need a slide hammer and torrington bearing puller, or lots of patience and a welder. Probably a good time to do your stub shaft u-joints as well.

 

make sure that snap ring is on the end of the axle shaft in the hub, iv had mine fall off a few times causing the same problem.

 

I found the snap ring was still there but the lockout on one side had come apart. Even though it still felt ok on the outside when you locked them in, it was all messed up inside and fell apart in pieces when I took it out. My guess was it was allowing to much endplay just like if the lock ring had come off. Man those lockouts are high!!!!