I'm not sure what the problem is but I have a clicking sound coming from the drivers side front end. Sounds exactly like a nail in the front tire clicking once every rotation. I searched the whole tire and there is no nails, srews or rocks to be found. Could this be the u-joints going bad or something other? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Nick

 

For some of you guys that have had u-joint failure, what are some of the signs we should be looking for, vibrations or sounds?

 

Check the other tires. Sounds from other parts of the drivetrain can seem like they are coming from the front left because that's were the driver is sitting.

If that doesn't work, try putting it in 4WD and see if that changes the sound.

Can you get a friend to either drive or walk along the outside as you drive?

 

Also check your plastic center caps. Try taking them off and going for a drive to see if the noise goes away. You could swap tires as well to see if the noise follows the tire.

 

My U-Joint failure started with a tiny squeak as I let the clutch out, then became a squeak with a tiny shudder, and quickly developed into an awful, deafening vibration. Dealer replaced the whole drive line as well as gears inside the rear end.

 

sounds like the u-joint in the axle shaft. Just had mine replaced last week. exact same noise you described. Good luck.

 

Thnaks for the help, I will take it into the dealership next week. I was hoping it was something minor as I hate taking my truck to the dealership.

 

Had a U joint problem a few months ago...The joint on the front of my rear driveshaft ended up actually getting twisted/shifted in the tube, and the entire driveshaft was replaced under warranty. The service manager I talked to said they had done this on a few trucks already. Is this a fairly common occurence? At the time, my truck was pretty much stock, I can't believe it was putting out that much power...