Return of the clunk...

[brinker88]

I'd swap out the spider gears and see if that does the trick. It's a hour and a half job max.

 

[shane96ranger]

Ya know..... maybe the meeces are munching on your pinion nut now that you've relocated them to the out of doors.

 

[4.0B2]

try opening up Semi rear axles that have several hundred thousand miles on it... first time we drained one at the shop when I was actually there, I thought I was gonna DIE!

 

[Mark_88]

I'd swap out the spider gears and see if that does the trick. It's a hour and a half job max.

Really? For who, I might ask...I watched a YouTube video of someone tearing down a Ranger rear end and it seems pretty simple...the bearings and races are probably due for a change right about now...might check out parts of the rear end as opposed to the whole thing...

Ya know..... maybe the meeces are munching on your pinion nut now that you've relocated them to the out of doors.

You may be right...the last one I released climbed a tree and I was concerned that it was going to jump on me and bite me for not letting it off closer to home...

try opening up Semi rear axles that have several hundred thousand miles on it... first time we drained one at the shop when I was actually there, I thought I was gonna DIE!

My rear end smells pretty bad some times too...and I'm sure my room mate is lighting candles in the bathroom lately because of it...but I've only got a few million miles of loafs on that puppy...probably good for a few more million...

 

[Mark_88]

Allllll righty then...

So I finally crawled under my truck to drop the drive shaft and lo and behold...that I didn't notice before...my U joint that I just had replaced last year (thought it was this year) is sloppy...

So...I get to replace the U joint and hopefully that will clear up the vibration and clunk...and I can check the pinion nut as well as lube my slip joint...

And today it's raining...or promises to be wetter...should be an interesting day...

Thanks again for all the input...I actually learned something about differentials in the process...

 

[4.0B2]

diffs are not overly complicated or hard to work on. just take your time and try to learn it and you can no problem at all.

 

[Mark_88]

Yes, thanks. Watching the you tube video pretty much cleared up any doubts about what is involved. Doesn't help that the grease stinks, but at least I know how to replace one if I have too.

Got the U-joint but haven't taken it apart yet...

 

[brinker88]

Really? For who, I might ask...I watched a YouTube video of someone tearing down a Ranger rear end and it seems pretty simple...the bearings and races are probably due for a change right about now...might check out parts of the rear end as opposed to the whole thing...
..

For me at least. It's less than that. They are very easy to change.

 

[Dugan]

I was gonna say U joint but after reading through... What do ya know!

 

[Mark_88]

For me at least. It's less than that. They are very easy to change.

Cool...guess I know where to go to get mine done...

I was gonna say U joint but after reading through... What do ya know!

It appears it was the U-joint...but it could also be something else...there was way too much movement in the rear end but that seems to have tightened up...only play I found in it this morning was the U-joint...

Anyway, I took the drive shaft out...didn't really see anything wrong with the joint...just a very slight movement...took it to a mechanic across the street and was going to have him grease it...he moved it around a bit and said the joint was pooched...so, back to the U-joint replacement...

It went in pretty easy and I did manage to get all the retainers into the grooves...and I also managed to lube the slip yoke...or whatever it is on the drive shaft...it was pretty dry...

Drove home and there was no vibration from the drive train at all...very smooth...

But, then again, it was a torrential down poor and I could barely tell if my wheels were on the road or doing the fandango hydroplane...that much rain hasn't fallen all summer...