Front axle noise when turning right..going to Moab.

[NocalFJ60]

I have a front axle noise when I am turning right. It seems like it is coming from right front. I just got new tires and wheels and if I jack up the front there is plenty of clearance and can spin the wheels and hear or feel nothing. I pulled the front driveshaft and the pinion nut was not staked good and was loose. The front hubs are unlocked. I can only hear the noise when I am driving and can hear it doing circles going just a few mph.

How tight should I tighten the pinion nut to?

What should I try next or check? I am heading towards Vegas.

Thanks.

 

[weak-link]

pull the wheel off and see if the caliper is rubbing it.

pinion nut=very tight

 

[NocalFJ60]

Yeah.. I am going to pull the right side and check it. I think the calipers are fine but will check it again.

I just realized there is a little fluid around the PS gearbox. I think it is the PS system moaning when I turn right. Maybe that is when power piston is all the way in and I got some air in the system.

I am going to check the fittings and bleed the system. Hopefully it is not my new rebuilt gearbox leaking.

 

[Wile E Coyote]

Pinion nut... as tight as you can with hand tools.
Noise, jack up the wheel again, grab the wheel at 12 and 6 o'clock, giving it a hard wiggle. Then grab it at 9 and 3 o'clock and do it again. If it wiggles up/down ONLY, then your knuckle bearings are loose. If it wiggles left/right and up/down (9 and 3) then it could be the wheel bearings.

Describe the noise further. Clicking, grinding, or ???

Edit: so it might just be the steering making the noise?

 

[NocalFJ60]

The back driver's side tire inside edge is close to the tailpipe and I can see where the tire has been hitting it. Hopefully this is where most of the sound is coming from but it sure sounded like the front. I keep thinking it was the tire tread hitting something but the front tires were clear. It is hard to tell while driving where it is coming from. The power steering is leaking a little but hopefully no air is getting into system. Will check it out more tomorrow. I am going to see if I can move over the tailpipe or have a shop rerun it.

 

[Dirty Toad]

I find it best to have the wife drive the Toad when I hear stuff that makes me nervous. That way I can crawl around and check it out. For what you are describing I would have someone drive it like you are saying and you stand outside of it listen. That way YOU can find it yourself. Feels better that way to me.

 

[lehiguy]

Clicking noise

Two sources that I have seen over the years are these. First, I once had the wheel weights hitting my tie rod ends. Had to use wheel spacers. Second was brake pads. There are some spring clips that keep these pushed out away from the rotors and I had not replaced them because they were mangled. The rotors wern't perfectly true (when are they ever?) and they would cause the pads to click against the caliper. A third source, but only noticeable when the hubs are locked or the fornt driveline is engaged, is a worn birfield. They will click when they get old and tired.

 

[hank14]

The power steering is leaking a little but hopefully no air is getting into system. Will check it out more tomorrow.QUOTE]

Post up where it's leaking from. I think mine's leaking from the steering shaft input side, where it was leaking before the rebuild. I'm going to pull it off again and send it back to Matt at West Texas Off Road. He said he would make it right if I sent it back in to him.

 

[NocalFJ60]

It ended up being in the rear and was the tire rubbing the tailpipe only when I turned right. Got a new tailpipe and it has more clearance. I thought it was the power steering system but I was wrong which was good. Think the leak is a real small one on the high pressure fitting going in the box. Have not looked into it more. It is not leaking bad at all. The cruiser is running well. Just went over a few high 9K-10K passes today and it is slow but the cruiser is loaded down.