Front Drive Shaft Chirp?

[Curran]

Yesterday my front drive shaft started making an awful metallic squeaking/chirping noise.
I know this sounds weird, but I'd bet money that's where the noise is coming from.
Any ideas on how to silence it?

Here are the details so far:
1. 97 FZJ80 with 110,000 miles.
2. Slee 6" lift with double cardan front shaft on for the last 10,000 miles or less.
3. Chirps when cruising and decelerating but doesn't seem to make noise under acceleration or in reverse.
4. Greased everything last night w/ some extra synth moly greease I had on hand. Didn't help.
5. Re-greased everything and checked the flange bolts tonight. Didn't help.

Thanks,

[sjcruiser]

You might wanna check the front sway bar bushings as well. Lube them some lithium/graphite grease spray to see if the noise disappear.

[Curran]

Forgot to mention, I don't have sway bars.

[Lars]

Originally Posted by Curran

4. Greased everything last night. Didn't help.

This is a common problem with driveshafts that use a spicer style centering ball. They need to be greased. Some have a fitting so you can grease them without taking them apart.... some dont. Just a thought.

[Beowulf]

>> You might wanna check the front sway bar bushings as well. <<

sjcruiser,

Can you describe the sounds this would make if the bushings needed to be lubed?

-B-

[LandCruiserPhil]

Originally Posted by Lars

This is a common problem with driveshafts that use a spicer style centering ball. They need to be greased. Some have a fitting so you can grease them without taking them apart.... some dont. Just a thought.

Im going with no grease to the center ball also. Needle zerks are sometimes hard to spot.
One other thought ...Curran are you sure grease is spitting out of every cap?

[thelal]

Beowolf,
I had bad front swaybar bushings (tried greasing them) that were shot and once changed them, the noise (light clunk and not repeatable nor chirp!)

[sleeoffroad]

Curran, as stated the CV ball needs grease. It should have a hole in the cage and you can then access the grease zirk for the ball. You need a needle attachment for your grease gun.

Call if you have problems.

[Curran]

Originally Posted by LandCruiserPhil

Im going with no grease to the center ball also. Needle zerks are sometimes hard to spot.
One other thought ...

When you say "center ball" are you talking about the second u-joint from the transfer flange? Or, is ther actually something in the center housing? I'm not sure on the terminology.

Originally Posted by LandCruiserPhil

...Curran are you sure grease is spitting out of every cap?

I thought it was. Is this something that you can over grease? If not, I'll go home and push more grease through.

Here is a picture (blatantly stolen off of a pirate4x4 tech page by BillaVista) of a double cardan to help with the terminology for newbes like me:



Thanks,


Curran

[sleeoffroad]

The hole is on the part that is marked Center CV Housing.

[Curran]

Can I get to it with a normal grease gun zirk fitting attachment?

[sleeoffroad]

No, needle attachment.

[Lars]

http://www.stu-offroad.com/driveshaft/driveshaft-5.htm

[sjcruiser]

Originally Posted by Beowulf

>> You might wanna check the front sway bar bushings as well. <<

sjcruiser,

Can you describe the sounds this would make if the bushings needed to be lubed?

-B-

Beowulf,

It's kinda squeaking/chirping noise on especially uneven surfaces (potholes...). When going straight over speed bumps, mine did not seem to make this noise.

Frank.

[Curran]

Thanks to Christo, Lars and LandCruiserPhil,
Getting grease up into the Center Ball w/ a needle attachment solved the problem.
No more chirp.



Curran

[Lars]

Glad you got it fixed.

Just curious, did the centering ball have an obvious spot for the needle fitting?

Mine had it in the rear which was nearly impossible to get to. The newer styles have multiple fittings.

[Curran]

If I had a decent shop light under my truck and a clean rig to work with, the little grease port would have been easy to find. Lying on my back in a puddle of rainwater looking up at a dirty joint in the flickering yellow light of my Mag Light, it was difficult.
There are two holes drilled perpendicular to the axis of rotation through the outer casing of the center CV housing -- one on each side. The small grease port is accessible through one of the holes.



Curran

[WolfpackTLC]

Curran-

Lucky you... I had this problem and the CV part died... Grrr....


J

[Atoyot1031]

HOLY THREAD RESURRECTION BATMAN!!!

I'm on a road trip and had the same terrible noise. Meisha here in STL arranged to get my truck on a lift so we could find the source of the noise (HUGE thanks to Miesha). With Christo's help I figured out that I had the same problem. My DS didn't want to accept grease, so I had to insert a mini screwdriver and tap it lightly with a hammer to move the ball in the grease fitting. Once I accomplished this, the joint accepted grease and the GOD-AWFUL noise went away! (Imagine that)

Thanks Miesha & Christo!!!

Now I'm back on the road!

Nick

[Miescha]

Glad to hear it worked out! I gotta say, that noise really didn't sound good - especially when we got it on the lift and traced it down to the drive-shaft.

And I was feeling not so great for you when we called Christo and he said rather blunt and honestly "if its dry its dead"

But talk about customer service - we call up Christo's shop late in the afternoon and Christo answers and trouble-shoots the problem on-the-spot (I knew storing that number in my cell would pay off some day)!

Only a cruiser-head and mudder would offer such service.

Hat's off to Christo - and again, I'm really glad your joint isn't toast.

[sleeoffroad]

Glad you got it to accept grease. Those double cardan joints need to be greased very often. We suggest 2000/3000 mile intervals. Most people don't do the ball part and then they trash it. Normally when customers call to say it makes noise it is trashed beyond saving. I will try to take a pic of the fitting inside the cv assembly so that people know what to look for.