My axle noise is driving me crazy!!

[Shnoz]

I'm new here,but I hope someone can help me out. I've got a 95 Dakota reg. cab short bed w/ a V6,5-speed, and 3.21 gears in the open diff. Usually, at speeds under 30-35 mph, the rearend will make a very audible moaning (like a wah-wah-wah sound) ONLY when making a right-hand turn or going around a curve to the RIGHT. In all other directions( straight and left) it is completely silent except for when you let off the gas pedal. The axle also seeed to have a lot of play between the spider gears when I changed the fluid in the diff. The driveline has lots of slop(kind of like worn u-joints, but they are fine, the play is in the rearend).The fluid looked pretty good in there, but it may have recently been changed before I did it being that I had just bought it from some guy. Every time you shift you can feel the rearend clunk. I had someone drive it around with me in the back, and I'm about 99% sure its not coming from the wheel area but right from the pumpkin. Has anyone else had this problem? Oh, yeah. The V6 also has a noticeable clickety-clack coming from the engine at idle (about 500rpm). Sounds like a lifter(s) to me. Any clues? Thanks a million to anyone who responds!!

[FastEddie]

I don't have much help for you but, my 81 Ramcharger does the same thing! Drop it in reverse and it thumps like a bad u-joint. I am told it may be a bad preload in the gears but I have had the cover off and it doesn't look like a bad pattern. Also I 'm told pinion bearings? Maybe one of the experts on this board will see this and help both of us.

On the lifter? noise, My Ram and 5th both do it, when it does, I pour in a quart of tranny fluid and drive to work and around town a little then change the oil that night. It clears it up for a few changes. It is kind of a fact of life with a Mopar. I have been told that the lifter tick is factory installed

[Shnoz]

Thanks for the info. I may end up spending a few bucks and have a Dodge tech look at it and see what they think. If its bad, I've got a buddy who owns a salvage yard, and a used one may not bee too expensive. I'm just worried that another used one may make the same or worse noise. That would be a big letdown after spending all that time installing a different axle.

[kpzbee]

Definetly sounds like the rear needs a rebuild or replaced with a used one. A common problem with the V6 is the timing chain gets sloppy, causing a rattle/tick noise. Replace the chain & gears and install a tensioner from Mopar. There's a TSB on this with a part number for the tensioner. Hope this helps

[Shnoz]

The previous owner claims that he had the timing chain & tensioner replaced within the last 4-5000 miles. It doesn't sound like it is coming from the front cover area though, more like from the valve cover area. Thanks for the advice!

[Logan]

Hey Shnoz, I'm From BR now living in walker, I've had the same problems recently,First the rear, I'm no expert but over the past 2 months I've done alot of research and torn down 2 dakota rears. This site is a good place to start (www.ring-pinion.com/Techlibrary.html). One of the rears I worked on was doing the same thing, the problem was the carrier bearing. The cause can be bearing preload, however dont rule out the wheel bearing as noise travels through the drive line. If you have the right tools you can swap the whole rear for about $375, There is a junk yard near Hammond that has 2 differentials left. There is one diff in Port Allen but they want $550 for it, TOO MUCH! Don't even think about trying to remove/rebuild the rear if you don't have a spare ride or a spare rear. I've learned alot by rebuilding my spare, but unless you have the time and dont mind learning the hard way(i.e.ring gear bolts are left hand threads!) leave it to the Pros. On the other hand the swap was a piece of cake! The noise in your engine is probably a tappet/lifter not pumping up all the way. Get yourself a cheap scope or even a broom stick handle place one end on your ear and the other on the area you think the noise is coming from, move around alittle and you should be able to somewhat pinpoint your problem. I know tappet replacement looks simple enough, but be prepared to be there about 4 hours. If your truck has a lot of miles on it like mine does you'll need to borrow one of AutoZone's removal tools, They loan those and the torque wrench out for free but you have to leave a deposit. If you have any specific questions post them and I'll try and help...go Tigers!...go Mopar!...Logan

[Shnoz]

Hey Logan, thanks a million for the reply!!! I'm sure glad someone actually knows what I'm talking about. Can the carrier bearings and/or pinion bearing be replaced without having to use a pinion depth guage? It would seem to me that if I would spend the time to tear the rear apart, I should spend a little extra and put in new wheel, carrier, and pinion bearings at the same time. MOST IMPORTANTLY, can these bearings and their races be replaced by simple remove & replace methods or might the noisy bearing(s) have worn out some part of teh diff case? Where can I get the carrier bearings from? Are any special tools/guages needed? I'm sorry to ask you all of this crap, but I'm trying to make this as cost-effective (cheap) as possible. Thanks for any other info you can contribute. I don't mind spending time doing this, but I can't see spending over 400 dollars for a whole assembly when this could be cures with a few new bearings. By the way, the ring and pinion look like new...

[Logan]

Hey Shnoz, the carrier bearings can be removed with a bearing puller but need to be pressed back on. If you change the pinion bearing, you'll need a inch-pound torque wrench in addition to the Dial indicator, spanner and extension bar. All the rest of the tools are pretty much standard. The extension bar and spanner are needed to access the screw adjusters through the axle tubes so you can set the backlash. If you change the pinion bearings you'll have to set the depth and check it with gear marking compound after you set the backlash. I'll have to check but I think the pinion bearing preload is 14-19 inch lbs. The carrier bearing caps torque is 90 ftlbs. Oh yeah, all most forgot, when setting the backlash remember if the backlash is to wide tighten the left adjuster, if its to tight, tighten the right adjuster. Start by hand tightening at first, your final adjustment should be made to the left adjuster as the ring gear is forced away from the pinion while under a load. Hope this helps, I'm still learning but if you have any other questions I'll try to help...someone else here can confirm, but if you don't change the pinion bearing you may be able to skip the gear marking pain...if you must change it get some Advil and beer, your gonna need it. Logan

[Logan]

Shnoz, I forgot to tell you i got my bearings in a kit form from PAW, but Summit has the too. There about $90. Mopar has them but there kinda expensive. Later...Logan

[Shnoz]

Logan, wow you sure a lifesaver! One question though: in the other post on "95 dakota rearend woes" PRO states that a problem could be the spider gears are worn down. Does this mean the gears themselves could be making noise or that the metal from them simply caused the carrier bearing to fail? This would make a lot of sense because when I changed the fluid, that seemed to be the exact spot where all of the driveline slack was coming from, and it is quite possible that the spider gears are rounded off and I didn't really notice it because I really wasn't looking for that at the time. Do you think that the problem could be possibly be the spider gears, or could the noise only be caused by a bearing and not the gears? It doesn't make noise going straight or left except for a less annoying whine when you brake and still have the transmission in gear(5 speed). I could live with that though. THANKS.

P.S. Any idea how much a professional rebuild would cost? My guess is ALOT!

[This message has been edited by Shnoz (edited February 09, 2000).]

[Logan]

Thanks for the heads up! Its been a while since anyone has replied to that post, Pro just put my current project on hold. I'm going to step out back and check the gears fr wear as described by pro...Hell I'm DISAPPOINTED!!!That was WAY TO EASY!!!I was just getting used to this rocket sience and somebody went and put somthing easy to change on this damn thing...All you have to do is pull out the pin, rotate the gears and presto they are outta there! Man I'm glad I did'nt put that thing back in yet. Although the gears do not appear to be worn, I'm not sure! If there not to expensive I'll replace them anyway. I would hate to have to tear the diff apart to replace the bearings again for something so simple...I know the spiders were not the cause of the noise, that was the bearings, But like Pro said He has seen 50 or so cases where the spiders has caused the bearings to fail..I just spent $109 on a rebuild kit,I don't want to have to do this all over for somthing so simple to change...I can tell you this. The cheapest, most simple way out is a diff swap. Unless the cause of your noise is the spiders, which If it is your a lucky man. You should be able to change them in about 30 min. Good Luck... Let us Know how it goes...Logan