So i recently had my ball joints replaced, (at a shop) what a mistake, but on to the real problem.After driving the truck a short while, (10 minutes) and you slightly left off the acclerator, the truck growls like the front drive shaft is vibrating back and forth like a mad man. Grabbing the 4WD transfer case shifter, it rattles like a mad man while this growl is happening. Recent work; new ball joints, new front tires.

I am 1k miles away from home on a trip in NJ..
Any ideas? The growling seems to be getting worse.

 

First thing, unless you need 4X4 on your trip, I would stop and remove the front driveshaft.

See if that solves the vibration problem, at least for the trip back home.

It needs to be addressed, because if that thing breaks, it can do some horrific damage.

 

My first suspicion would be front wheel bearings, mainly because they were just into and I have had that same failure shortly after axle u-joint replacement etc.

The T-case shifter rattle is odd and seems to me to be unrelated to the work that was just done.

I think the above advice to remove the front prop shaft if you have the means to is a good idea.

 

I vote ujoints.

 

Might be a bearing or another problem in the t-case, for sure i would pull the front drive shaft that is good advice. Could also be a differential problem check all 3 of your lube levels (t-case + diff's) as well for content of metal shavings or severe discolor.

 

I would check the drive shaft make sure ujoints and bolts havn't come loose. I would drive at reduced rate of speed until a truck repair shop could check it out. If you have tools to remove front driveshaft I would remove it. Check front diff gear oil level, maybe they drained it and didn't fill it back up.

 

Hmm... seeing that you didn't have the problem before the ball joint replacement, unless it is a coincidence, then I would look at the components that they messed with. Did they mess up the CAD when putting the right axle shaft back in? Are the axle u-joints bad, or did they replace them and something is wrong? Did they get the bearings in straight, when reinstalling them? Can you jack the front end up, and turn each tire, locating where the growling is coming from? Could the tone ring be rubbing the ABS sensor? Does your truck have the CAD, or does the axles and driveshaft turn all the time? I know, lots of questions, but it helps to zero in on where the problem lies. I would not keep driving it- my driveshaft came loose from the T-case this past Winter, and punched a big hole in the T-case.
Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

Ujoints in the front shaft was replaced within 3k miles. I just bought a gallon of Diff oil, going to fill it in the morning, yeah working on Easter lol! If they didnt fill it ... im not going to fill it, I'm going to call the repair shop and Cuss some more... Took it to the shop, for a front end alignment (firerock) name withheld for reasons we all know, and was told their alignment rack would hold the truck, its too small.
I cannot jack the truck up without buying a jack, I do have most of my other tools in the back in case, (also to repair other broke down blokes) so I can do some limited work. Abs sensor, is doubtful, if it was, it would be gone by now. This vibration feels bad and rough, like when your a kid with a flat board on a string, and you swing it above your head for the varromvarrom noise and vibration, same type of vib and sound. I left the socket I need to take the front shaft out, but I will pay a shop to do so as so I don't incur more damage.
I soooo can't afford to have the shaft break or the front end to break apart, I am feeling worse and worse about Firerock beating up my truck everyday, **** time constraints!
No Cads, not sure what a CAD is,... that the 4X wheel locks on the hubs? if so nope none of that.

Going to crawl under the truck again, and rattle the shaft and check the bolts... darn wish I torque-striped them!

 

They said nothing about the U-joints in the front shafts being bad, course they didn't say anything about putting 4lb mallet marks in my axle tube either...
Front wheel bearings, those are inside the hubs (confirming my 90% positive thought) if so, the drivers side is brand new. but if the pass side was bad... i guess.

 

I'd bet it is your wheel bearings. The same thing happened to me right after getting ball joints replaced. They were done by the dealer that I bought the truck from. They were shot when I bought the truck so the dealer offered to replace them free. Well they farmed the job out to a local front end shop that could not get the old ball joints out, so they heated them so hot that they melted all the grease out of the bearing assemblies. After driving 60 miles home, the driver side wheel almost fell off. Jack up the front and check for a loose wheel!! Good luck.

 

Just read that you don't have a jack. I'm almost sure you lost a wheel bearing. have someone watch the wheels as you turn them left to right. You should see some odd movement if I'm right. I hope not.

 

well they better not have used ANY heat on the passenger side bearing, since I took it out 24 hours prior (without any heat) and lubed it all up with anti-seize before putting it back together. (I saw it still there on the back when i crawled under the hub tonight. And the drivers side is brand new... so that makes me think its the passenger. SO, what kind of movement am i looking for? I thought you had to remove the Hub assembly before pressing out the ball joints?

 

Also the noise doesn't happen when accelerating, only while De-accelerating, or cruising with little to no load on engine. It was noticable within 300 miles of getting the truck back, now 1000 miles from home its so bad that stuff in the rubber boot of the transfercase shifter, jumps out of the rubber. (penny's, dimes, stuff I never knew was in there) Tommarrow I will get out the video camera and make a recording of the sound, maybe that may help, going to try and check the hub bearing with the truck on the ground first, Since it is Easter, I wont be finding a jack I am sure, I think the stock one maybe in the truck, but I am unsure where the handle is (think its at home lost in my garage) think a gerber will turn it? hehe

 

Well, when my bearings went, as I pulled into my driveway I heard and FELT the same kind of vibration you are describing. I also felt when backing slowly, and gently applying the brake, the brakes would seem to grab and the truck would stop suddenly. So after jacking up the truck the whole wheel and tire assembly were so loose it had about two to three inches of play in any direction. I hope that's NOT your problem but it sure sounds the same to me. The only way to rule it out is to get the front wheels in the air and see. It just makes sense to me since that is exactly how and when mine went bad. Good luck.

 

Dangousity, where are you located exactly? Perhaps a member of the forum lives nearby, and can be of help. Worth a try...