Rear Problem???

[Hog]

I have a 76 Bronco. Started making a clunking sound that increases as I accelerate. I can feel the clunking

 

[Bully Bob]

Idea would be to "manhandle" the dr. shaft with jack-stands under both axles, & transmission in neutral.

Back & forth, up & down...both ends...transfer case output shaft & diff. end.

(Poss. bearing failure at one end or the other.)

Worse-case, bearing failure internal, in the diff. You may have caught it B/4 more damage was done.

 

[Hog]

Bully Bob,

Thanks. Think maybe this is a little more than I'm prepared to attempt. Think tomorrow I'll look for a garage that can put it up on the rack.

Thanks for taking the time and helping out.

Rob

 

[Broncoholics]

Were both wheels turning the same direction or opposite of one another? Do you know if it has a locker, posi or open diff? Have you checked the fluid level or replaced it to see if there is any metal fragments? You could pull the driveline on the axle end to see if the pinion nut is loose. If the bearings in the pinion are bad it doesn't take much to push up and down and feel the slop. Check it out.

If all else fails you can pull the axle shafts out and pull the 3rd member and look things over.

 

[fbrown3]

( You had best check the ring and pinion (mine made the same sound just before the teeth were stripped from the pinion and deposited in the ring gear!) now I have to find another rear end :angry:

 

[Broncoholics]

Also, if it needs to be done, its cheaper to bring in just the 3rd member to have rebuilt than the entire truck. This way you do the easy work yourself and let them do the tough stuff. Shop time gets spendy and pulling shafts and replacing inner shaft seals and a 3rd member seal is a no brainer.