My question is for one of my best friends
I have an 03 BUT, he has on 02 HO CTD 6 speed 4x4, I think 373 rear, completely stock.
he called me today and said he put it in 4x4 today and it started grinding so he took it out of 4x4 and the grinding got quieter but did not go away. When I asked him where the sound was coming from he said from the transmission (he is not mechanically inclined so I was happy to get that). Sounds like maybe the transfer case to me but, I am no expert. Since I have a 3rd gen I dont know about specifics about the 2nd gens. Has anybody had transfer cases go out on them or has anybody had anything like this happen to them. His truck has 106,000 miles and they have not been hard miles, in fact, I told him 2 days ago I would buy the truck from him if he wanted to sell it because he has not had any injection pump problems.
The truck is going in the shop just looking to see if anybody has any ideas??
Thanks, Jason

 

I haven't heard of any transfer case problems, well the rare stretched chain, but rare.

Just a wild stab in the dark,
he put it in 4x4 putting a load on the front driveshaft loosening or shifting an already dying Ujoint.
Shifts out of 4x4, taking the load off, but front driveshaft is still spinning and the Ujoint is still complaining, just not as loudly.


phox

 

Phox,
thanks for the reply, that kind of crossed my mind also and I was hoping somebody would suggest that, I asked him if he had any weird vibrations and he said no, just wondering woul dit create a bad vibration or something barely noticable in 2wd.
Thanks 4 help
Jason

 

I would think it would have been vibrating for a while, as the Ujoint was dying.

These trucks it's difficult to chase down noises and vibes, since the engine tends to overpower most of it, he might have just not noticed it.

There have been a number of 2002 owners that have had problems with the front DS joints, myself included, and most of them experienced a vibration that led them in that direction.


phox

 

Thanks for the input Phox,
I am calling him now and will let him know to look at the from t u joints.
I dont know what I would do without the unselfesh advise of people like you on this forum that help everybody else out with their questions
Thanks again,
Jason

 

Hopefully it's just something simple like that.

I like to start with the simple or cheap solutions first.

Let us know if that was it.

If not, hopefully we can find the next cheapest possible solution.


phox

 

Try to have him drive in 4wd for few miles, then touch the input housing on front differential (where driveshaft goes into differential) to check if it's hot.

If it is, well it's not a cheap solution, but it is a solution....

I had almost same problem on a truck I had 2 years ago.

 

He might also check the bearings on the front hubs they can go out since they are sealed. I have to replace them and they will make a grinding noise too.

 

I've just been going through all of this business as well

I've replaced both front hubs, both axle u joints, the front driveshaft/CV joint and all of the frond d.s u-joints. Still sounds angry to me.

 

Thanks for all the input - problem turned out to be a ujoint

 

Gotta love it when it is the simplest and least expensive fix.


phox

 

That's VERY GOOD NEWS, I am glad it's cheap....